Alice Cooper, Common, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival are among this week’s ‘Things To Do’

Food, folk, and arts and culture festivals anchor the weekend events calendar in the Delaware Valley.

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Image courtesy of Philadelphia Folk Festival

Image courtesy of Philadelphia Folk Festival

Food, folk, and arts and culture festivals anchor the weekend events calendar in the Delaware Valley.

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Festival of India, 33rd Annual Caribbean Festival
Penn’s Landing – Great Plaza
101 N. Columbus Blvd.
Festival of India – Saturday, Aug. 17; 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. Caribbean Festival Sunday, Aug. 18; 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Free

PECO’s Multicultural Festival Series has showcased the diverse culture of the Philadelphia region all summer long with free festivals at Penn’s Landing including the Hispanic, Irish, and African festivals. This weekend, there are two more – the Festival of India and the Caribbean Festival. There will be food for purchase, live performances, children’s activities, and cultural and educational vendors on hand representing the music, food, and culture of each community.

58th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival
Old Pool Farm
Clemmers Mill and Salford Station Roads
Upper Salford Township, Pa.
Thursday, Aug. 15 – Sunday, Aug. 18; 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Various ticket levels up to $250

California may have Coachella and Texas might have SXSW, but Montgomery County has the Philadelphia Folk Festival, which has been going on for the last 57 years. The three-day music festival, on a working farm just 35 miles outside the city, attracts roughly 35,000 attendees and almost 6,000 campers every year. As you might imagine, an all-ages festival of this magnitude features more than just music – there are also arts and craft vendors, aerial performers, jugglers, a special kids’ area, storytellers, and more. Pricing is tiered based on if you are camping and/or accompanied by minors 12-17 who get in for half price (children up to 11 can get into the concert area for free). This year’s performers include folk legend David Crosby & Friends — surprisingly a first-time performer — Joan Osborne doing the Bob Dylan songbook in support of her 2017 release “Songs of Bob Dylan,” Margo Price, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Proceeds from the festival benefit the Philadelphia Folksong Society, the non-profit organization that puts on the festival and seeks to advance music education and the preservation of folk music.

Delaware Taco Festival
Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park
Corner of Water and South French Streets at the Christina River
Wilmington, Del.
Saturday, Aug. 17; 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.
$9.95 and up

Taco lovers, rejoice! The 4th annual Taco Festival has returned to Delaware at a new location. And this year, there will be more than 25 vendors, a giant margarita bar, tequila sampling, a hot chile pepper eating contest, a kids zone, plus live music including a mariachi band, Lucha Libre wrestling, and a churro bar with a chocolate fountain. The festival takes place rain or shine. The entire event is on a voucher system and cash purchases of vouchers is preferred (ATMs will be on site.) VIP admission includes taco and drink vouchers, a gift bag, and early entrance to the festival. Children 10 and under are free. Some festival proceeds will go to The Trauma Survivors Foundation.

14th Annual Collingswood Crafts and Fine Arts Festival
601 Haddon Ave.
Collingswood, N.J.
Saturday, Aug. 17 and Sunday, Aug. 18; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Free

Over 150 artisans will showcase their work in Collingwood this weekend. They’ve been specifically curated by a jury who evaluated their art based on its uniqueness and diversity. Participating artisans will display work in a wide array of mediums including apparel, glass, metal, textiles, wood, ceramics, photography, and more. Live music from jazz, folk, and pop artists will accompany the art and there is entertainment for all ages, including hands-on crafting, face-painting, and a henna artist. Food is available from local vendors for purchase. Saturday night’s “Market Night” takes place starting at 5 p.m. with an after-hours party that includes sidewalk vendors, a movie screening, and outdoor games.

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Night Market: Fairmont
Fairmont Avenue between 15th and 19th streets
Thursday, Aug. 15; 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Free, food and drink for purchase

The Food Trust is a non-profit that works to eradicate food insecurity and provide healthy, affordable food options in the Greater Philadelphia region. Now in its 9th season, their Night Markets in Philadelphia attract over 625,000 attendees in 24 neighborhoods. The summer’s last market is on Fairmont Avenue. Unless there is severe or dangerous weather in the forecast, the market goes on rain or shine.

13th Annual Beech Jazz on the Ave Music Fest
Broad and Cecil B. Moore (Broad Street to 17th Street)
Saturday, Aug. 17; 12 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Free

The Soul Rebels, Lenny Harold, Sherry Wilson Butler, and &More (Chill Moody and DonnT) are some of the highlights of the 13th annual Beech Jazz On The Ave Music Fest. The music will be a backdrop for food and community vendors, along with a kid’s zone as North Philly comes out to celebrate. Line dancing is part of the day’s activities, and local radio and TV personalities Dyana Williams (WRNB) Patty Jackson (WDAS) and “The Q” host Quincy Harris will all be on hand to sign autographs and take photographs.

Uhuru Flea Market
Clark Park
4300 Baltimore Ave
Saturday, Aug. 17; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Free, food and drink for purchase

The African People’s Education and Defense Fund works to help impoverished African-American communities battle food insecurity, and engage in community development. To that end, they run the Uhuru Furniture and Collectibles store, and sponsor several seasonal annual health festivals/flea markets and a book fair. This Saturday, West Philadelphia’s Clark Park is the venue for the latest flea market, which will feature food, health and community services vendors, as well as a selection of artisans and their wares.

Common – Let Love Tour
The Fillmore
29 E. Allen Street
Friday, Aug. 16; 8 p.m.
$44 -$46

Chicago-born rapper/actor/author/activist Common has been a significant part of conscious hip-hop culture since his 1992 debut “Can I Borrow A Dollar?” In his almost three-decade career, he’s become one of hip-hop’s “woke” elder statesmen, influencing other Chicago-based rappers from Kanye West to Chance The Rapper. His woefully underrated 2016 release “Black America Again” dealt with the increasingly polarized political climate and its impact on African-Americans; his latest, “Let Love” due Aug. 30, finds him back in the pocket as the rap artist who most believes that love can solve all of the world’s most pressing issues.

Alice Cooper with Halestorm
BB &T Pavilion
1 Harbour Blvd.
Camden, N.J.
Friday, Aug. 16; 7 p.m.
$18 – $151

At 71, Alice Cooper is among the generation of innovative musicians who’ve had an enormous impact on the music we enjoy today. Cooper, who brought a level of showmanship to metal that some of its pioneering bands eschewed, is known as the progenitor of the “shock rock” arm of heavy metal and over the years, has added actor, restaurateur, celebrity golfer, and radio personality to his formidable resume. Some of his biggest hits such as “School’s out,” “I’m Eighteen,” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy” have long been staples of classic rock radio. Though he’s never won a Grammy, Cooper’s original band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011. His latest release, “Paranormal” came out in 2017.

Hidden Lives Illuminated
Eastern State Penitentiary
2017 Fairmont Ave.
Thursday, Aug. 15 – Thursday, Sept. 12; 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. daily rain or shine
Free

An innovative film series kicks off this weekend at the Eastern State Penitentiary. Twenty animated short films, commissioned from incarcerated artists or those working inside Pennsylvania prisons and jails, make up the “Hidden Lives Illuminated” series, which runs through Sept. 12. Together, the films are about 40 minutes long and will be projected onto the walls of Eastern State Penitentiary at specific times daily. The idea is to gain more exposure into the real lives of those who have daily interaction with the prison system. Content is appropriate for all age groups.

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