The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, June 22-28

This week features a variety of exhibitions and festivals to kick off the summer. The Manayunk Arts Fest decorates Main Street and the Hispanic Fiesta takes over Penn's Landing. The Resistance Garden Project honors its community with an afternoon gathering, and ICA and BlackStar get restful in their honors of Terence Nance's Swarm exhibition. Sonic Presence (or Absence) explores sound as a form of expression and interaction, and the Chinese Lantern Festival finally makes its return to Franklin Square.

Happy Summer Solstice, Philly!

Chinese Lantern Festival
June 21-August 13, 2023
Franklin Square, 200 North 6th Street, Philadelphia

The Chinese Lantern Festival opens for the summer with its signature 200-foot-long dragon and over 1,500 new creations added to the light installations and sculptures on display. Live performances, light shows, food culture events, and more decorate the festival, in its second year back after a Covid-19 hiatus.

Sonic Presence (or Absence)
June 23-January 7, 2024
Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia

Sonic Presence (or Absence): Sound in Contemporary Art is a new exhibition at Fabric Workshop and Museum featuring 22 artists who explore and engage with sound. Guests at the museum can check out some interactive works using their own experiences and memories of sound to interpret the works. The exhibition is open this weekend throughout summer and fall.

Manayunk Arts Fest
June 24-25, 2023
Main Street in Manayunk, Philadelphia

The 34th annual arts festival is back for a two-day stint on Main Street in Manayunk. The outdoor fest features arts and crafts from across the country.

Hispanic Fiesta
June 24 and 25, 2-9pm
Penn’s Landing, 101 South Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia

The annual Hispanic Fiesta features performances, food, dance, and music celebrating Hispanic culture out by the Delaware River. Saturday night’s headliner is Manny Manuel, and Sunday closes with salsa with El Canario. Both nights feature grand finale fireworks, too.

Resistance Garden
Sunday, June 25, 1-5pm
Painted Bride Art Center, 5212 Market Street, Philadelphia

The Resistance Garden project has been engaging Philadelphians with its urban gardens and garden culture, including foraging tours, educational zines, youth arts programming, and more. This weekend, they’ll honor the work with a community gathering featuring food and drink, family-friendly activities, and performances by local greats SNACKTIME, Ursula Rucker & Time Motzer, and Oluwafemi.

Infinite Swarm
Sunday, June 25, 12-6pm
Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street, Philadelphia

ICA and BlackStar are celebrating the museum presentation Terence Nance: Swarm with an afternoon with yoga and meditation, a tarot card station (with tarot readings and DIY), and a live set by DJ Deliiish and crate digging with Brewerytown Beats. Terence Nance: Swarm highlights the artist’s experimentation in film, video, television, sound, and performance over a 10-year span. We covered Terence Nance’s V O R T E X concert earlier this month, and the presentation at the ICA is a great chance to dive even further into Nance’s works.