Uhuru Flea Market, Caribbean art, pop-up ballet and more for the summer solstice

It’s the summer solstice this weekend! That’s kind of a big deal in the cosmic and spiritual scheme of things. For us on the northern hemisphere, our side of the planet will be at its closest tilt to the sun, and Friday will be the longest day of the year. How often do you think about the fact that the earth is moving, even as you read this, floating around in space following the same path and spin for millions of years? That it’s orbit is so disciplined that this gets to happen and, as a result, brings us together for some really cool things in the coolest city in the world?

Okay, I may be biased, but there’s a queer celebration of the summer solstice at Bartram’s Garden, the Uhuru Flea Market returns to the always quirky Clark Park, BalletX and Tangle Movement Arts pop up at The Woodlands, Asian Arts Initiative exhibits commissioned art for the sake of abolition, and the Delaware Art Museum showcases the Caribbean perspective.

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone!

Garden of Earthly Delights

A queer celebration of the summer solstice illuminates Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard, on Friday, June 21. Hosted by Malachi Lily, swing by for drag performances, food by local, black-owned vegan caterer EARF, dancing with sets by BB Basura, and more. Tickets are $10 online or at the door, and $2 for SW Neighbors and ACCESS card holders. The space is accessible.

BalletX POP UP at The Woodlands

BalletX pops up at The Woodlands’ Nature Night: Firefly Night, in celebration of the summer solstice. Joining BalletX is Tangle Movement Arts with a firefly inspired aerial performance. Lil Pop Shop will provide sweet treats, and you’re encouraged to pack a picnic and watch for fireflies in The Woodlands after dark. The event is free on Friday, June 21, and BalletX kicks it off at 6:30-7:30pm.

Abolition Now!

Asian Arts Initiative presents Abolition Now!, a summer exhibition focused on the issues of incarceration and abolition. The exhibit showcases video, mixed media, prints, photography, and projection, including works commissioned from art classes for incarcerated youth. The exhibition is on display in Asian Arts Initiative’s Main Gallery, 1219 Vine Street, from June 21 through August 30, with the opening reception this Saturday at 6pm.

Uhuru Flea Market

The One Africa! One Nation! (OAON) Uhuru Flea Market returns on Saturday, June 22 at Clark Park, 9-5pm. Here’s your chance to discover gems and treasures passed over from one to another, with bikes, arts and crafts, clothes, jewelry, books, records and more. Support of the Uhuru Flea Market is also support for OAON Markets, a platform to help feed, clothe, and house families, and the African Peoples Education and Defense Fund (APEDF), a non-profit organization that builds programs and institutions that forward the Black community.

Theatre Exile’s Whisper’s Gone

Theatre Exile presents the world premiere of Whisper’s Gone by MJ Kaufman, and its run begins June 22. Six performance dates through June 30 take place at various neighborhood parks in Philly, including Hawthorne Park, 1200 Catharine Street, on Saturday at 11am and 5pm. The family-friendly show about nine-year-old Bailey searching for her older sibling Whisper who disappeared, and has to travel through time to find them. The show touches on themes of family, divorce, growing up transgender, and sibling loyalty.

The Caribbean Archipelago at The Delaware Art Museum

On view beginning Saturday, June 22 through September 8, the Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware, hosts the Relational Undercurrents: Contemporary Art of the Caribbean Archipelago exhibit, presenting 21st century art by artists with roots in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Jamaica, and more. The exhibition explores core themes that interpret the ecosystem, landscaping, identity, sexuality, and more through the impact of migration, natural disasters, and exploitation. The exhibit features contemporary paintings, installation art, sculpture, photography, video, and performance art by more than 50 artists from the Caribbean islands.