Philly Weekend Guide: 5/15-5/17

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It’s time for Jawnville’s Philly Weekend Guide. There’s plenty to do in Philly this weekend. Here are our picks for best of the best.

FRIDAY

Who doesn’t like a good puppet show? That’s what FringeArts is doing Friday at 10:30 pm with PUPPET NIGHT.  Aaron Cromie curates an eclectic collection puppeteers and films featuring puppets. This takes place at LaPeg and has a suggested donation of $5.

SATURDAY

KENSINGTON KINETIC SCULPTURE DERBY & ARTS FESTIVAL starts Saturday at 12pm. This is a parade of floats and crazy costumes on human powered vehicles combined with an arts festival with hundreds of vendors. The wackier vehicle or costume the better as contestants compete for awards such as: Best Art, Best Costume, Best Engineering, People’s Choice, Best Breakdown or the highly coveted Judge’s Choice Award. This is a great outdoor party in Fishtown/Kensington. The main hub is at Trenton Ave & Norris Street, but the parade goes like 5 blocks. There’s music, food, arts/crafts, and viewing parties along the way. This should be atop most people’s list of things to do on Saturday.

The ITALIAN MARKET FESTIVAL is back. Philly’s craziest block two-day block party goes both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. If you haven’t experienced this festival, why not? Sure, the streets are packed and people are drunk, but it’s one hell of a party with great food and fun activities.  The festival runs 11am to 6pm each day rain or shine. You get to celebrate the Italian culture and heritage, but also enjoy great food from Mexican and Asian vendors that call 9th Street home. They usually have a solid lineup of local musicians, too.  It’s free to walk around and there is always plenty to watch.

PHILADELPHIA RENAISSANCE FAIR. I’m not a Middle Earth guy, but I know tons of people who are. Listen up you Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings people. Philadelphia has a Renaissance Fair and it’s this weekend. Yup, both Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 8:30 pm in Fairmount Park. They should have a fair share of vendors and performers include: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (from Game of Thrones and apparently the 2nd strongest man in the world), acrobats, and magician Michael Mirth.

PhilaMOCA brings us the Philly premiere of INDUSTRIAL SOUNDTRACK FOR THE URBAN DECAY, a documentary about the evolution of industrial music. This is the first film to trace the origins of industrial music, taking you on a journey through the crumbling industrial cities of Europe to America’s thriving avant-garde scene. The film shows at 7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Admission is $10. Here’s the trailer:

NORTHERN ARMS are playing Saturday at Johnny Brenda’s. We’ve said it before, this is one of the best bands in Philadelphia and definitely worth checking out. The show is at 9:00 and tickets are $12. The music speaks for itself.

SUNDAY

The ITALIAN MARKET FESTIVAL is back. Philly’s craziest block two-day block party goes both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. If you haven’t experienced this festival, why not? Sure, the streets are packed and people are drunk, but it’s one hell of a party with great food and fun activities.  The festival runs 11am to 6pm each day rain or shine. You get to celebrate the Italian culture and heritage, but also enjoy great food from Mexican and Asian vendors that call 9th Street home. They usually have a solid lineup of local musicians, too.  It’s free to walk around and there is always plenty to watch. SUNDAY INCLUDES THE PARADE OF SAINTS!

Super Love Adotpion DayAttention Animal Lovers: WITH LOVE SUPER ADOPTION DAY happens this Sunday at the Piazza from 11a.m to 4 p.m. This might be the best animal rescue day of the year in Philadelpha as dozens of rescue groups bring adoptable animals to one location. Tons of vendors or pet products and services are also on hand. Even if you’re not in the market to adopt a new cat or dog, it’s a fun day to meet great animals and see great products. The day supports a great cause and is brought to us by the fine folks at Citizens for No Kill Philadelphia. I believe it’s the largest adoption event in the nation. Please support this great event, it’s near and dear to the Jawnville family.