It’s a perfect time to enjoy late summer in the city. Toast the long days with a drink at Parks on Tap, enjoy the artistic and cultural events at Cherry Street Pier, and wander among the dinosaurs at Morris Arboretum. Whether you’re looking for a unique place to cool off, exciting festivals, or outdoor markets, there are lots of fun things to do in Philadelphia in August. Here’s a look at our top choices.
Hang out at Parks on Tap
Covering about 20 locations a year, the roving seasonal beer garden Parks on Tap brings its food and drinks to parks around the city. Each pop-up event encourages visitors to enjoy the open spaces in a relaxed, family- and pet-friendly environment. The venues change weekly, and the menu includes beers from Dogfish Head and Mainstay, several cocktails, and food such as a smash burger, brisket cheesesteak, loaded waffle fries, and more.
Parks on Tap runs every Wednesday to Sunday through September 29, 2024 (weather permitting).
August dates:
- August 7 to 11 – Matthias Baldwin Park (Logan Square)
- August 14 to 18 – Dickinson Square Park (South Philly)
- August 21 to 25 – The Discovery Center (East Fairmount Park)
- August 28 to September 2 – Penn Treaty Park (Fishtown)
Sample your way through the Southeast Asian Market
FDR Park buzzes with activity each weekend when the Southeast Asian Market sets up shop. An impressive 70+ vendors serve food from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and other countries in an embarrassment of culinary riches.
Come early to avoid some of the lines, and bring a picnic blanket or folding chair to make yourself comfortable while you enjoy market staples like egg rolls and Thai noodles dishes alongside beef skewers and Cambodian stuffed chicken wings. There is even a lemongrass chicken cheesesteak at the Sahbyy Food’s stand, which is one of our favorites in the city.
The market is on weekends through October 27, 2024.
Spend an evening at The Oval
Eakins Oval has once again transformed into a fun-filled space known at The Oval, begining in the space outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art and running along Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Free entertainment like concerts and the ever-popular Friday movie nights have returned. Plus, there are food trucks, a beer garden, and a carousel. New for 2024, Libertee Grounds has installed an all-ages mini golf course.
The event is on Thursdays through Sundays through August 25, 2024.
Experience the events at Cherry Street Pier
Summer is the best time to check out the events at one of our favorite spots—Cherry Street Pier. The annual PECO Multicultural Series brings entertainment, food, and crafts from different cultures. Plus, there are markets, art classes, and more to enjoy.
August highlights at Cherry Street Pier include:
- Multiple dates: Resident artist Amy Kelly offers painting, drawing, crochet classes, and more for children and adults.
- August 2: The Artist and Artisans Market brings unique finds and handmade items.
- August 4: African musicians and dance troupes perform, and there will be food, crafts, and apparel vendors.
- August 17: Celebrate India’s Independence Day with outstanding food, Bollywood performances, and fun.
- August 18: From jerk chicken to reggae, enjoy the tastes and sounds of the Caribbean.
See Monuments and Myths at the Michener Art Museum
There are plenty of public artworks most people know without being familiar with the artist who created them. Monuments and Myths: The America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French is a featured exhibit at Doylestown’s Michener Art Museum examining the careers of Saint-Gaudens and French and the meaning of some of some of the historic monuments they made. French is the sculptor of Seated Lincoln, the massive figure at Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial, and Saint-Gaudens made Diana, the golden woman who once topped Madison Square Garden and is now unmissable in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Great Stair Hall.
While you’re there, visit the Michener Art Museum’s collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings and pause in the unique George Nakashima Reading Room, a Japanese-style room with furniture made by Nakashima, a master woodworker from Bucks County. We love visiting the museum’s inner courtyard sculpture garden.
Monuments and Myths is on through January 5, 2025.
Enjoy the music at Philadelphia Folk Festival
After a year’s hiatus, the renowned Philadelphia Folk Festival returns to Old Pool Farm in Harleysville. Artists will fill multiple stages throughout the 3-day event—we attended in 2022 when the festival took place last, and there was never a moment without music. There is also plenty of dancing, food vendors, workshops, activities for kids, and a massive campground with a hippie vibe all its own.
This year’s festival is headlined by John Oats (without his former partner Daryl Hall), Gangstagrass which merges bluegrass and hip hop, and Tony Trischka’s EarlJam: A Tribute to Earl Scruggs. Additionally, over 40 folk artists and bands will appear through the weekend. Bring a picnic blanket to stake out your space, and get ready for some fun.
The festival runs August 16-18, 2024.
See the mind-bending universe of Otherworld
Escape the heat at Otherworld. This massive immersive art installation in northeast Philadelphia is like no other place in the city. With over 50 rooms filled with interactive elements and creatures from a different universe, there is something unexpected everywhere you look.
As you make your way through the maze of rooms, look for secret passageways and clues to unlock more information. Staff members stationed throughout may be helpful.
Otherworld is open every day except Tuesday.
Visit Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs at Morris Arboretum
The 92 acres of Morris Arboretum are a joy to visit year-round. This season, a special self-guided exhibition—Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs—makes summer even more interesting with a focus on warm weather plants and species that have prehistoric roots.
There are dinosaurs around the gardens, and the Garden Railway has been updated with new triceratops, brontosaurus, and lots of other four-legged creatures. A paleontologist’s cottage features “dig stations” and hosts kid-friendly entertainment like story time and Fossil Fridays.
The exhibit runs through September 30, 2024.
Go on the Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl
Do mysteries float your boat, or are you a sucker for a good romance novel? Does cracking the spine of a new read or smelling the delightfully sweet scent of an old one get your heart pumping? If this sounds like you, don’t miss the second annual Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl.
More than 30 shops across the city and suburbs will offer promotions, special signings, and more throughout the day on Saturday, August 24, 2024. Head to Multiverse in Chestnut Hill for discounts and visit Baker Street Bread across the street for a special “Booklovers Breakfast,” or get a free tote bag at Giovanni’s Room while you browse their queer-friendly reads in Midtown Village. In South Philly, check out Binding Agents, the not-yet-open cookbook store in the Italian Market, or meet four local authors at A Novel Idea on Passyunk. Check out this interactive map for specifics about what each participating store is offering.
Head to Beer Fest at Fonthill Castle
The iconic Fonthill Castle provides a festival background like no other. The poured concrete structure was once the home of Henry Mercer, an archaeologist and architect who built the 44-room mansion over 110 years ago. On August 24, the property hosts their annual fundraiser, Fonthill Castle Beer Fest.
Attendees will enjoy beer from over a dozen local and regional breweries—Sly Fox, Wissahickon Brewing, Bald Birds Brewing, and other favorites—along with light bites and live music. Get a VIP ticket for early admission and exclusive food and drink offerings. When you’re done, take the opportunity to explore Fonthill, one of the top places to visit in Bucks County.