What to do in Philly, Aug. 16-22: See the Backstreet Boys or MC Hammer, sip coffee cocktails

Once you’ve come down from the rush of reading the national-news-making headlines about the Tioga police shooting, we’re here for you, as we are every week, with suggestions for how to enjoy the coming days. Philadelphia, as always, provides.

There’s the Backstreet Boys concert at the Wells Fargo Center, the Philadelphia Folk Festival in Schwenksville, the MC Hammer/Biz Markie/Sir Mix-A-Lot ’90s nostalgia bingefest at the Mann Center. Or there’s a full slate of Phillies games, where you can chow down on everything from a donut burger to a batter’s helmet-worth of cheesy bacon Brussels sprouts. (Don’t know how to spend your dough? Don’t worry. We ranked the food at Citizen’s Bank Park.)

In the mood for something more low-key? Try a picnic in the park. Here’s where to go and what to bring. — Jenn Ladd (@jrladd, jladd@inquirer.com)

Longtime used furniture store Uhuru — a nonprofit run by the African People’s Education and Defense Fund — expands beyond its North Broad Street storefront this Saturday and takes over Clark Park with a massive flea market. Find everything from antiques to bikes, records, and jewelry. — Grace Dickinson

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Clark Park, Baltimore Avenue between 43rd and 44th Street, free, uhurufurniturephilly.blogspot.com

Colorful, sparkling dance costumes; detailed, patterned art; culinary delights like buttered naan, creamy curries, sweet-salty chaats, and crispy samosas — that’s what we expect to find at this annual festival, which comes to Penn’s Landing a couple days after India’s Independence Day (Aug. 15). — G.D.

Noon to 7 p.m., Saturday, Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd., free, facebook.com/ciophilly

If you think some of today’s kids’ movies are strange, wait till you see these. Secret Cinema — the roving repertory film event — screens a collection of unusual and bizarre animated films dating to the 1920s. Far from the Pixar sensations of today, these clips cover everything from menstruation to Nazis. — G.D.

8 p.m., Friday, Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine St., $9, 215-922-3456 ext. 300, thesecretcinema.com

This series of nightly screenings at Eastern State Penitentiary features 21 short films created by artists confined in Pennsylvania’s prisons. The shorts offer an inside look at life behind bars. They’ll be projected directly onto the old stone walls of the Fairmount prison-turned-museum every night at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9 p.m. At the event’s finale on Sept. 12, all of the films will be shown back-to-back and a documentary about the artists will play inside cellblocks. — Stephan Salisbury

Through Sept. 12, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave., 215-236-3300, easternstate.org

More than 140 jury-selected artists will set up booths along Collingswood’s Haddon Avenue for the 14th edition of this annual outdoor festival. Live music will fill the streets, as will food vendors like Donkey’s Place, selling its famous cheesesteaks, and Cha-Yen, dishing out shaved ice to cool you down. — G.D.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, along Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, free, collingswoodcraftsandfineartfestival.com

Take coffee, add booze, and you’ve neutralized your upper and downer to create a smooth-drinking cocktail. That’s what the team at Hale & True Cider will be shaking up come Saturday afternoon. They’re mixing two varieties of brews from Philly-based Vibrant Coffee Roasters into four coffee cocktails with South Philly spirit. To name a few: The Stoop Sipper combines flash-chilled coffee with dark rum and citrus bitters, the Foundation marries cider with cold brew, and the Good Neighbor gives a Bluecoat gin and tonic a caffeine boost. — Jenn Ladd

Noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Hale & True Taproom, 613 S. Seventh St., pay as you go, 267-639-4334, haleandtrue.com

Someone should get this rapper, actor, motivational speaker, pitchman, Oscar-winning composer, and author a room in Philly. Not long after he released the second volume of his memoirs, Let Love Have the Last Word, in June, Common was in town for readings and signings, right before filling several slots at the newly expanded Roots Picnic at the Mann. Once there, he took selfies, did a solo set, performed with The Roots — the whole bit. Now, with the release of his gentle new album, Let Love (gentler, at least than his hard, Chicago-centric records), Common returns to Philly for his usual brand of jazzy hip-hop with a poetic sensibility. Go. But don’t worry if you miss him — he’ll be back. — A.D. Amorosi

8 p.m., Friday, the Fillmore, 29 E. Allen St., $44.50 (standing room only), 215-309-0150, thefillmorephilly.com

For their first volume of Interpreting the Masters, the Bird and the Bee — vocalist Inara George and keyboardist / producer Greg Kurstin — paid tribute to Hall & Oates, their breezy charm a good match for Philly soul hits such as “She’s Gone” and “I Can’t Go For That.” For the newly released second volume, the Los Angeles duo turns, surprisingly, to Van Halen, revamping guitar-centric celebrations of boyish lust as cheerful synth-pop sung from a female perspective. It’s amusing and often weird: Some songs, such as “Hot For Teacher,” haven’t aged well (although Beck’s cameo is fun). Kurstin is sitting out the tour, but the band at World Cafe Live will include openers Alex Lilly and Samantha Sidely. — Steve Klinge

8 p.m., Friday, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., $19, 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com

Kennett Square’s symphony presents an American-themed program that includes works of Copland, Gershwin, and John Williams, as well as the first movement of the Barber Violin Concerto with violinist Kenneth Naito. All set against the sweeping backdrop of Longwood Gardens. — Peter Dobrin

7:30 p.m., Saturday, Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Rd., Kennett Square, $40-$50, 610-444-6363, longwoodgardens.org

MC Hammer’s 1990 Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ’Em turned songs that sampled Rick James, Prince, and the Chi-Lites into commercial gold and brought hip-hop fully into the mainstream. It sold over 10 million copies and still ranks as one of the five biggest-selling rap albums of all time. By 1996, Hammer’s parachute pants were out of style and he declared bankruptcy. But still the rapper (and dancer) born Stanley Burrell is “2 Legit 2 Quit.” (Sorry.) This ’90s nostalgia night teams him with Sir Mix-A-Lot, Kid ’n Play, and the indefatigable Biz Markie. It’s Hammer Time! — Dan DeLuca

7:30 p.m., Saturday, the Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Ave., $19.50-$79.50, 215-546-7800, manncenter.org

Backstreet’s back … performing at the Wells Fargo Center as part of a world tour highlighting their 10th studio album, DNA, which — believe it or not — topped the Billboard 200 chart shortly after its January release. Snag a ticket to catch Kevin, Howie, AJ, Nick and Brian in action (and a glimpse of the folks tuning into the Y2K-era sensation these days). — G.D.

8 p.m., Saturday, Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St., $29.95 and up, 215-336-3600, wellsfargocenterphilly.com

Philadelphia hip-hop/spoken-word poet Ursula Rucker — seen on stage at Roots Picnic in June performing her Things Fall Apart poem “The Return to Innocence Lost” — will emcee and perform on this multi-act bill of veteran 215 rappers at Johnny Brenda’s. Underground legend Bahamadia, the trailblazing rapper known for her technical skill dating back to her 1996 debut album Kollage, has a new single, “We Here,” which aims to be an anthem for women in hip-hop culture. West Philly rapper Sharif Lacey a.k.a. Reef the Lost Cauze and DJs Mike Nyce and Evil Dee are also on the bill. — D.D.

8 p.m., Saturday, Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., $20-$25, 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com

British guitarist Mark Knopfler was a megastar in the mid-1980s, when Dire Straits was an unlikely MTV colossus, with hits like “Money for Nothing.” Even then, Knopfler — who produced Bob Dylan’s Infidels and wrote Tina Turner’s “Private Dancer” — seemed less interested in being a pop star than playing laid-back and lyrical country-blues guitar, which he did on scores to movies like The Princess Bride and Local Hero. Knopfler has been chugging along mostly as a solo artist ever since, while also playing with English country band the Notting Hillbillies. His latest is last year’s pleasant and not-too-energetic Down the Road Wherever. — D.D.

8 p.m., Saturday, the Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad St., sold out, 800-653-8000, themetphilly.com

Julia Cumming proclaimed she’s the “King of the Dudes” on the title track of Sunflower Bean’s hard-riffing EP from early this year. Her youthful band will open for a bunch of elder dudes this Saturday in Camden. The venerable Spoon follows, touring on the heels of a new greatest-hits collection (it’s way too short, but stark concision has always been one of Spoon’s virtues). Beck’s cameo on “Night Running” from Cage the Elephant’s recent album, Social Cues, inspired this co-headlining tour. Like Cage the Elephant’s manic front person, Matt Schulz, Social Cues rarely settles in one place, dipping into familiar grunge, surprising funk, and Scary Monsters-era Bowie. Beck will crown the evening; he recently released the Pharrell-produced single “Saw Lightning” from the forthcoming Hyperspace, and his set lists have been stacked with extroverted hits from throughout his career. — S.K.

6 p.m., Wednesday, BB&T Pavillion, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, $29.50-$147.75, 856-365-1300, livenation.com