Free museums, Brazilian music, and more this Fourth of July weekend

Summer is well under way, with the Fourth of July coming up next week, and just when we all need to cool down and revisit the facts and the beauty, this weekend is a bonanza of free museums.

But first, starting on Friday night and continuing on Saturday night, there's a pair of free public readings at the Kimmel Center’s SEI Innovation Studio, as part of the annual Theater Residency under producing artistic director Jay Wahl and Joe’s Pub director Shanta Thake.

This exploration of new multidisciplinary musical narratives in theater pushes resident artists to challenge their practice (alums include Ethan Lipton, Mary Tuomanen, and Martha Stuckey). This year’s featured artists include many New Yorkers, like composer/storyteller duo James Harrison Monaco and Jerome Ellis (a.k.a. James & Jerome). Composer, writer, and jazz vocalist M’Balia Singley represents Philly. The residency runs June 18 through 30, with readings on June 29 and 30 at 7:30pm. Reserve your tickets here. The show is BYOB.

The immigrant’s Declaration

If local museums call your name, the Museum of the American Revolution is a great stop this weekend. One of the first-ever printed versions of the Declaration of Independence (made by an Irish immigrant named John Dunlap in July 1776) just went on display. This large-lettered broadside vellum print (the only one known to exist today) belongs to the nearby American Philosophical Society Library, which is loaning it out for the first time. The exhibit is included with museum admission, and Saturday through Wednesday, other festivities at the museum include music and costumed interpreters, plus Declaration-themed activities.

So. Many. Free. Museums.

Many local museums offer free admission this weekend as part of the Wawa Welcome America festival, including the National Constitution Center on Thursday (9:30am-8pm), while it also celebrates “Wawa Hoagie Day,” which (admit it) sounds important.

Friday night rolls in with free admission at Eastern State Penitentiary from 5-7pm. On Saturday, you can get started at the Free Library of Philadelphia Rare Books department (9am-5pm), featuring In Our Nature: Flora and Fauna of the Americas. Also of note: the three-volume History of the Indian Tribes of North America, published between 1837 and 1844, full of Native American biographies and portraits, and according to the Free Library, “one of the finest examples of 19th-century American lithography.” There’s also a Revolutionary War engraving by Paul Revere. Space is limited, so reserve your free ticket in advance.

Craving more rare books? The Rosenbach offers free admission from 10am to 6pm Saturday (you’ll need to preregister with a timed ticket). Or hit the Philadelphia History Museum from 10:30am to 4:30pm (no tickets required). Catch some art at PAFA from 11am to 5pm (check out our preview of the newly opened SWARM.). The Penn Museum also has free admission on Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and it’s a great time to go, because starting on July 8, the beloved giant Sphinx gallery will close for renovations that’ll last a couple years.

Shakespeare. Beer. Art.

Over in Manayunk, Saturday night has a change of pace: ShakesBEER in Pretzel Park. Bring a blanket, a picnic, and some beer. Actors from Manayunk Theatre Company are going to read Hamlet over their own drinks and take a swig every time they flub a line. The free performance runs 7 to 9pm.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is pay-what-you-wish (as usual on monthly first Sundays), and the interactive Art Splash family zone opens June 30. The Barnes is free on Sunday, too, from 10am-5pm (be ready for lines to enter the museum and galleries, though). And from noon to 5pm, it’s free to enter the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

Olá from Bahia

If you need some international flavor this weekend, head to the new waterfront beer garden at Fishtown Hops. Brazilian singer, songwriter, and guitarist Rafael Pondé appears for a free show on Sunday afternoon. A Bahia native, Pondé has recorded six albums and toured throughout Europe and Latin America, and he’s been coming to the States since 2014. An official “Brazilian cultural ambassador” through a partnership of the Brazilian and U.S. governments, he combats racism by sharing diverse cultures through his workshops and music.

Philly is Pondé’s American home base, and the July 1 show will have you on your feet, featuring jazz fusion with samba, bossa nova, and forró roots, plus reggae, salsa, and some modern American classics. The show runs 2 to 5pm.

Above: Singer and musican Rafael Pondé is playing in Fishtown on Sunday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of the artist.)

We’re taking a short break! The BSR weekend roundup will be back on July 11.