Mummers Day 2020
March for Our Lives
Philadelphia joined scores of other cities across the United States on March 24, 2018, in marching against gun violence and on behalf of gun control. Several thousand took part during the procession from Independence Mall to Penn’s Landing, many carrying homemade signs. The mood was serious and determined, a contrast to some other large demonstrations in recent years that had serious messages but also had a festive atmosphere.
St. Pat’s Parade, Phillystyle
Thousands marched in Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s parade on Sunday, March 11, and thousands more watched from the sidewalk as the emerald array did its best–and largely succeeded–convincing all within earshot that they were Irish, regardless of heritage. Besides the pipers and drummers and dancers, many of the floats had musicians performing Irish-inspired tunes with guitars, accordions, and other instruments. One solo guitarist may have gotten the biggest roar of approval when he launched into the Super Bowl-winning Eagles fight song, possibly the first time the St. Pat’s parade crowd has ever joined in with E-A-G-L-E-S.
Bus to Hitman Plaza
This bus route runs into deep South Philadelphia, and the bus’s errant signage will draw a wry chuckle from anyone who knows South Philly’s history as a center of mob activity and the site of a number of mob hits in the 1980s and 1990s. Within three months of my arrival in Philadelphia in early 1981, two mob murders occurred and were front-page news at the Inquirer, where I was working. One of the victims, Philip “Chicken Man” Testa, was blown up on his front porch, a twist that later showed up in the opening line of Bruce Springsteen’s song “Atlantic City.”
To Market, to Market . . . for 125 years
Hunter & the Hunted, Washington Square Park
Year of the Dog Starts with a Bang
Tuba Christmas
Dickens Festival
The Dickens Festival in Narberth on December 3 drew thousands for an afternoon of entertainment, seasonal food and drink, and a taste of what has become one of the town’s richest traditions. The scavenger hunt that features children tracking down characters from A Christmas Carol kept parents and kids alike on the run and more attendees than ever seemed to get in the spirit by dressing in Dickensian garb.
