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Fairmount Arts Crawl, Flavors on the Avenue, Yoga on Race Street Pier kickoff, and other great events, April 27-May 4

Fairmount Arts Crawl, Flavors on the Avenue, Yoga on Race Street Pier kickoff, and other great events, April 27-May 4

On Saturday, yoga classes at Race Street Pier return, kicking off a seven-month season of free, outdoor classes.
On Saturday, yoga classes at Race Street Pier return, kicking off a seven-month season of free, outdoor classes.Read moreED NEWTON/ For the Inquirer

YOGA

Season opening of Yoga on Race Street Pier

This Saturday, unroll your mat and hop into a morning downward dog while taking in scenic, riverside views from beneath the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Unfolding daily through Nov. 11, free, hourlong yoga classes return to Race Street Pier for the fifth year this weekend. The full schedule can be found online. — Grace Dickinson

9:30 a.m. Saturday, Race Street Pier, Race Street and Delaware Avenue, free, delawareriverwaterfront.com/events

ART

Fairmount Arts Crawl

Stroll the charming streets of Fairmount while browsing more than 40 exhibits spread out across the neighborhood during this annual arts event. A variety of vendors will also be stationed in front of Eastern State Penitentiary for those who wish to shop, and craft-making activities, face painting, sidewalk chalk art, and other entertainment will unfold throughout the festival. — G.D.

12-4 p.m. Saturday, Fairmount Avenue from 17th to 25th Streets, pay-as-you-go, fairmountaveartscrawl.com

FILM

Philadelphia Film Society Spring Fest

More than 20 films will screen across three days during the Philadelphia Film Society's Spring Fest, taking place at the Prince and PFS Roxy Theaters. Genres span the international festival circuit, ranging from American indies to acclaimed foreign titles to eye-opening documentaries. The festival kicks off with the Sundance Film Festival flick Blindspotting, a hip-hop influenced drama that takes place in Oakland, to be followed by an opening night party. — G.D.

April 27-29, Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., and PFS Roxy Theater, 2023 Sansom St., $13-$20, filmadelphia.org/springfest

FESTIVAL

Flavors on the Avenue

East Passyunk Avenue closes off a five-block stretch to traffic for its annual outdoor food festival. The event features street food and signature dishes from two dozen of the area's popular eateries, as well as craft beer, wine, and seasonal drinks, all to be enjoyed amid live music and family-friendly entertainment. Adding to the fun, area boutiques and sidewalk sales will invite all to partake in an afternoon of local shopping, a perfect activity to break up the plethora of delicious sampling opportunities. — G.D.

April 29, East Passyunk Ave. from Broad to Dickinson Streets, pay-as-you-go, visiteastpassyunk.com/events

Drexel Holi

Celebrate Holi, the colorful Indian festival heralding the beginning of spring, with dancing and free food in West Philadelphia's Drexel Park. Stop by at any point during the day to throw colored pigment and enjoy the fest with friends, family, and friendly strangers.  — T.A.L.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Drexel Park, 3100 Powelton Ave. Free admission. 215-895-2575, www.drexelcab.com.

Philadelphia Science Carnival

The parkway transforms for the end of the Philadelphia Science Festival, becoming a daylong celebration with almost 200 games, demonstrations, and activities perfect for people of all ages. Live music and food trucks complement a host of engaging, science-related entertainment including competitions and massive final show (involving liquid nitrogen) that promises to be explosive. — Thea Applebaum Licht

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 222 N. 20th St. Free admission. 215-448-1200, www.fi.edu/psf/science-carnival.

SPORTS

Eagles Players at Sports Memorabilia & Collection Show

Four very special guests are attending Ocean City's new Sports Memorabilia & Collection Show this weekend. Featuring a variety of sports vendors and memorabilia displays, the show also brings to the beach running back Corey Clement, Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks, tight end Brent Celek, and linebacker Mychal Kendricks. Autograph and photo sessions are available with different players each day and on Saturday, Brooks and Celek will cruise in a motorcade down the Ocean City Boardwalk, from Sixth to 14th Streets, starting at 1 p.m.

April 28-29, Ocean City Music Pier, 825 Boardwalk, Ocean City, $3 for general admission, $45 for autograph sessions, ocnj.us

GARDENING

Container gardening workshop at Greensgrow

Interested in starting a garden but don't have a huge backyard to do so? Join Greensgrow Farms for an expert-led, step-by-step session on container gardening. Participants will learn how to grow herbs and annual flowers in this hands-on workshop. Tickets include a terracotta bowl, plants, and soil. — G.D.

12-2 p.m. Saturday, Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E. Cumberland St., $45, greensgrow.org/event

FOOD + DRINK

Shuck Fest at Oyster Bar

Ready to show off those shucking skills? The third annual Shuck Fest returns to the Oyster Bar, featuring the signature Oyster Shucking Competition, where professionals and amateurs battle it out. Other activities include a meet-and-greet with local oyster growers, oyster shucking tutorials, an oyster-shell crafting table, and a "shell-fie" photo booth. Come out for an entire afternoon centered around the marine mollusks while enjoying drink deals and food specials, too. — G.D.

12-4 p.m. Sunday, Oyster House, 1516 Sansom St., $15 for adults, free for children under 12, oysterhousephilly.com

Margarita Rumble

Fifteen of Philly's finest bartenders face off to be crowned Best Margarita in Philly, and you benefit. Sample mixed drinks and pick your favorite, enjoy music and eats from restaurants and food trucks, then stick around to see who the masses have decided makes the best Mexican cocktail. — T.A.L.

12 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., The Schmidt's Commons, 1001 N. 2nd Street. $45 regular access, $65 for VIP admission, see website for ticket details. 215-825-7552, www.margaritarumble.com.

Philadelphia Crawfish Boil

Acadia restaurant brings New Orleans to Bella Vista for a Lousiana-style crawfish boil. Cooked along with corn, potatoes and spices, the crustaceans will be served from noon until there aren't any left: it is recommended that you stop by early. — T.A.L.

12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Acadia Philly, 824 S 8th Street. $14.72 for crawfish and beer. 215-922-7200, https://www.facebook.com/AcadiaPhilly/.

SHOPPING

Ardmore Outdoor Antique and Vintage Market

This Sunday, shop from antique vendors across the tristate area at the Ardmore Outdoor Antique and Vintage Market, featuring a wide variety of collectibles, vintage and estate jewelry, clothing and accessories, furniture, glassware, pottery, and more. The all-day event also brings music, crafting, and other all-ages activities to the area, including a scavenger hunt for the kiddos. — G.D.

8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore, pay-as-you-go, destinationardmore.com

An Ankara Bazaar

The Ankara Bazaar brings together creators inspired by West African design for a day of shopping, dance and cultural performances, food, and live music. Stop by to see vendors' interpretations of ankara, or patterned textiles, in fashion and home goods. — T.A.L.

1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Imhotep Institute CHS, 6201 N 21st St. $8 children under 16, $15. www.facebook.com/ankarabazaar

Punk Rock Flea Market

The spring iteration of this popular marketplace for records, clothes, jewelry and all manner of collectible weirdness comes to Center City. There are 200 vendors per day, and different vendors each day, but the $3 admission fee will get you into both Saturday and Sunday.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 23rd Street Armory, 22 S. 23rd St., $3, www.phillyprfm.com

OPERA

Carmen

Everyone knows Bizet's melodies from this masterpiece, which wraps Opera Philadelphia's wildly innovative season. Daniela Mack is the sultry gypsy, Evan LeRoy Johnson the smitten Don Jose, Adrian Timpau as the bullfighter Escamillo, and Micaela is played by Kirsten MacKinnon. Yves Abel makes his podium debut in this new production, with direction by Paul Curran.  — Tom DiNardo

8 p.m. Friday, Wednesday and May 4; 2:30 p.m. Sunday and May 6 at the Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Streets, $20-$280, 215-732-8400, operaphila.org.

MUSIC

Gina Sicilia

This show is a homecoming for Gina Sicilia, who grew up in Bucks County (Newtown) and now lives in Nashville. Originally inspired by the blues, the singer has masterfully transcended the borders of the genre while still being rooted in it, a la Bonnie Raitt. She commands attention not only with her powerful, smoky alto but also with her growing ability as a songwriter.  The most recent album of her decade-plus career, 2017's Tug of War, is a sterling showcase for her original material and abilities as an interpreter — check out the way she makes the Beatles' "All My Loving" her own. — Nick Cristiano

8 p.m. Friday, at the James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown. $20 members, $25 non-members. 215-340-9800.

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers

On Years, her second album on the Bloodshot label, the North Carolina hard country songwriter and guitarist Sarah Shook uses honky tonk traditionalism as a means for personal expression. It's a breakup album in which she sings from both a female and male perspective, twisting tropes around for her own ends. On "The Bottle Never Lets Me Down," she uses Merle Haggard for inspiration in examining the wages of alcoholism: "I keep this bottle close in hand / It's the only thing I got that can make me feel like the man I used to be." Shook brings her terrific barroom band The Disarmers to Manayunk on Friday night, with Brooklyn songwriter Zephaniah Ohora, whose affection for Haggard is everywhere apparent on his 2017 album This Highway, also on the bill. Grady Hoss opens.  — Dan DeLuca

8 p.m. Friday at Dawson Street Pub, 100 Dawson St.  $10. 215-482-5677.  facebook.com/dawsonstreetpub

Robyn Hitchcock

Don't call Robyn Hitchcock "whimsical," "quirky" or "eccentric." Those labels are the mark of a "truly sterile mind." Or so the veteran British guitarist with a genuinely surrealist sensibility stated in a recent tweet. The one-of-a-kind songwriter and Soft Boys leader who's equally influenced by Bob Dylan and Lewis Carroll and is the star of the late Jonathan Demme's 1998 film Storefront Hitchcock often flies solo, but this time he's on tour with a full band he's dubbed His LA Squires. He's supporting Tromsø, Kaptein, his newly released in the U.S. album recorded in 2011 and previously available only in Norway. Tristen opens. — D.D.

8 p.m. Friday at Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St. $25-$28. 215-627-1332. undergroundarts.org.

Abdullah Ibrahim

The Jazz Epistles was a short-lived group that recorded one album, Verse +1, in 1960 and released only 500 copies. The band featured six of South Africa's jazz finest musicians, including pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (then known as Dollar Brand) and trumpeter Hugh Masekela, both of whom would become standard-bearers for the anti-Apartheid movement. Before his death in January, Masekela was to partner with Ibrahim for Sunday's concert to pay tribute to that rare album. Now, trumpeter Keyon Harrold will join the 83-year old Ibrahim and his long-running band Ekaya in a set that will also include Ibrahim's own compositions, whose blend of Ellingtonian arrangements, Monk-like piano solos, and generous melodies have come to define Cape Jazz. — Steve Klinge

7 p.m. Sunday at the Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St. $32 – $77. 215-898-3900, annenbergcenter.org.

Camila Cabello

Fifth Harmony's loss is the major gain of the solo pop world (and Skechers sneakers, as she is their new spokeswoman), as Cuban-American songstress Camila Cabello is on a tear. With her debut album Camila, Cabello proves she can write them as she sings them: with subtle nuance, deep passion, and a surprisingly nervy edge. — A.D. Amorosi

8 p.m. Tuesday, Fillmore Philadelphia, 29 East Allen Street, $37.50, thefillmorephilly.com

Ibibio Sound Machine

Fronted by singer Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine is an eight-piece band that combines West African funk with block rocking beats. Williams was born in London and raised in Kinshasa, and on Uyai, the band's second album which was released on Merge Records last year, and she sings in the Nigerian language of Ibibio. The band's kinetic sound marries African high life with disco, and although Uyai bogs down on its slower numbers, at its best it recalls recalls the 1980s electro-Afrobeat innovations of the William Onyeabor, whose irresistible body of work was rediscovered before his death last year. — D.D.

8 p.m. Monday at Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave. $15. 215-739-9684. johnnybrendas.com.