What to do in Philly May 31-June 6: Roots Picnic, Philly Beer Week, ‘Book of Mormon,’ and more

Tornado weather notwithstanding, Philly has hit prime outdoor dining and drinking season. Sidewalk dining isn’t for everyone, so Bethany Ao and Grace Dickinson present a list of the patios, courtyards, terraces, and rooftops where you can enjoy a meal in (relative) quietude downtown. Meanwhile, Nick Vadala gives a thorough rundown of the beer gardens you can drink in this summer, whether you’re in the city or the suburbs (or the Shore!).

As we will all summer, we’ve got events for those headed down the Shore this weekend. Highlights include the West Cape May Strawberry Festival, Le Tour de Downbeach, and Cape May Restaurant Week.

And for the rest of the week, there’s plenty to anticipate, including Philly Beer Week events of all sorts, the Roots Picnic, and a Hot Wheels car show. Bonus: The forecast is looking up.

—Jenn Ladd (@jrladd, jladd@philly.com)

Still going strong in its 12th year, Philly Beer Week brings out the devotees and the beer reps, presenting prime learning opportunities (also often free-beer opportunities) for those willing to chat them up. You will surely find both types at Friday’s Opening Tap celebration at 2300 Arena or, say, biomolecular archaeologist Dr. Pat McGovern’s (boozy) lecture on ancient alcohol at the Penn Museum on June 5. But there are events for the more laid-back beer nerd, too, including a tasting of four 2SP Brewing pilsners at South Philly Tap Room (don’t sleep on pilsners) and many brewery-centric Whole Foods happy hours. So whatever level of hophead you are — and even if that term is unfamiliar to you — check out Philly Loves Beer’s full list of events. — Jenn Ladd

Various venues, May 31 to June 9, various prices, phillylovesbeer.org

Sample more than 150 beers at the Great Beer Expo, bringing breweries from all over the country to the Navy Yard. Food trucks like Nick’s Roast Beef and Grilly Cheese will roll in, too, as will photo booths, cornhole boards, and ax throwing setups. — Grace Dickinson

12:30 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Navy Yard, 4747 S. Broad St., #120, $50-$75 ($12 for designated driver), greatbeerexpo.com/philly

Two mismatched missionaries go out into the world to spread the faith. They get into some pretty outrageous situations in this crazy, profane musical — would you expect anything different from the guys who gave you South Park? — John Timpane

May 28 through June 9, Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., $29 and up, 215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org

A fly for a pet? Cool, except when the class outing (like so many school trips) heads to a flyswatter factory. Song-filled hilarity ensues at this Walnut Street Theatre for Kids show. — Lauren McCutcheon

May 31 through June 2, also June 8, Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St., $15 and up, 215-574-3550, walnutstreettheatre.org

Find dozens of artists, designers, and artisans selling works for under $200 at this outdoor, art-centric block party. It takes over the parking lot adjacent to Love City Brewing, so swing by for a beer after you shop. This annual fest is one of the year’s best chances to buy art on the cheap in Philly. — G.D.

Noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, 1003 Buttonwood St., free, inliquid.org/aftcp

Dance beneath Philly’s summer night sky and kiss the week goodbye at this Friday Latin music and dance event. The deck of the Moshulu will be split to accommodate salsa and bachata on one side, and a deejayed dance floor featuring Latin Top 40 hits on the other. Arrive early for free salsa lessons (at 9 p.m., with Eddie Alba) or come later to join the fun. — Thea Applebaum Licht

9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday, Moshulu, 401 S. Columbus Blvd., 21+, $25, $35 VIP with a two-hour open bar, dancerepublicphilly.com

If you have warm, fuzzy memories of vrooming toy cars around the house, the yard, the sandbox, the inside of the car — anywhere, really — but otherwise feel cars are utilitarian, then this may well be the only car show for you. In search of a new model for a die-cast toy car, Hot Wheels designers are inviting gearheads to bring their custom wheels to local Walmart parking lots. Rolling in along with them will be a fleet of life-size Hot Wheels cars as well as a full display of the beloved toy cars of the past and present. Toy cars will obviously be for sale. — J.L.

8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Walmart, 299 Valley Gate Drive, Warrington, free, hotwheels.mattel.com

Motorcycles, cars, and trucks mash up with paintings, prints, and photographs at this annual festival. Live music and food vendors add to the fun. — G.D.

Noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, Fayette St. and E. 5th Ave., Conshohocken, free, yanivaronson.com/artsfestival

As far as smiling bro-country with deep nuance, epic melody, and fraternal charm goes, you couldn’t do better than Luke Bryan’s Sunset Repeat Tour, featuring like-minded soulful swingers Cole Swindell and Jon Langston. The winningly winsome Bryan has come a long way since “Huntin', Fishin' & Lovin' Every Day,” and “Crash My Party” — even if his 2019, “Knockin’ Boots,” says otherwise. Bro-country avatar Cole “Ain't Worth the Whiskey” Swindell has a handsomely burnished, slow-stewing machismo that makes all of his songs groovy. Langston is the baby of the bunch, even though his co-penned “When It Comes to Loving You” sounds doubly mature. — A.D. Amorosi

7 p.m., Friday, BB&T Pavilion, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, $55 and up, bbtpavilion.org

Despite the fact that his musical journey has been endured for 25-plus years now, we’re still deliberating on the merits of U.K. singer-songwriter David Gray: Is he subtle and elegant, or is he just plain boring? Check out his new album, Gold in a Brass Age, and you decide. But we have ruled in favor of opening act Gaby Moreno. The Guatemalan singer-songwriter and guitarist has been moving from R&B to jazz to blues with supple ease while singing in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Her most recent album, 2017’s El Coro De Mi Gente, remains a go-to two years after release. — A.D.A.

8 p.m., Friday, the Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad St., $29.50-$92, themetphilly.com

Anybody who thinks dangerous-seeming confrontational rock-and-roll is a thing of the past owes it to themselves to see Starcrawler, the Los Angeles band led by teenage frontwoman Arrow de Wilde. The daughter of rock photographer Autumn de Wilde and Beechwood Sparks drummer Aaron Sperske heads a scuzzy glam-guitar band with a theatrical flair and fake-blood-spitting intensity that reflects her Ozzy Osbourne fixation. The band covered The Ramones’ “Pet Sematary” on the soundtrack to the new remake of the Stephen King-penned horror film. Starcrawler plays a Free at Noon at World Cafe Live on Friday, then opens for Brody Dalle’s L.A. punks the Distillers at Union Transfer on Saturday. — Dan DeLuca

Noon, Friday, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., free, 215-222-1400, xpn.org/events/free-at-noon; also 8 p.m. Saturday, Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., sold out, 215-232-2100, utphilly.com

The Roots Picnic moves to the Mann Center this year, a change from its usual Penn’s Landing location (“Literally GREENER PASTURES,” as Questlove put it). Catch the namesake headliners celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark album Things Fall Apart. Other performers at the three-stage event include H.E.R., Raphael Saddiq, 21 Savage, and Ari Lennox. Wander around to find gaming, art, and live podcast sessions, too. — G.D.

Noon, Saturday, the Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Ave., $99.50-$125.50, rootspicnic.com

The world is on the edge of disaster on Titanic Rising, Natalie Merling’s fourth album as Weyes Blood. Relationships fail, the climate is changing, the future uncertain. We’re “living on a fault line,” Merling croons thoughtfully, in a song infused with hope: It’s called “Something to Believe.” “Don’t cry, it’s a wild time to be alive,” she sings, in another gently orchestrated track that’s a confluence of late ’60s Laurel Canyon pop, Dusty Springfield, and Dionne Warwick. Merling is a stunning vocalist, and Titanic Rising is one of this year’s best so far. — Steve Klinge

9 p.m., Saturday, Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., sold out, 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com

Avant-rockabilly artiste Tav Falco is strongly associated with Memphis and coconspirators like Alex Chilton and photographer William Eggleston, not to mention Lux Interior of the Cramps. And in recent years, the singer-guitarist has gone Euro, living in Paris and Vienna while fronting the young Italian version of the Panther Burns that are his current backing band. But don’t you know, the pompadoured 74-year-old tango enthusiast is actually a native Philadelphian who was born Gustavo Antonio Falco before his family packed up for Arkansas when he was still a boy. Last year, he put on a stirring show at Kung Fu Necktie, and this year he comes to the Main Line in support of his stylish and swaggering 2018 LP, Cabaret of Daggers. Welcome home, Gustavo! — D.D.

8 p.m., Saturday, 118 North, 118 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, $10-$13, 610-971-2628, 118northwayne.com

Kevin Morby is interested in both the sacred and the secular implications of the phrase “oh my god,” which is the title of his fifth album. He seeks communion, spiritual and personal, in the Dylanesque ballad “Sing a Glad Song” and struggles with faith in “Nothing Sacred / All Things Wild,” which also serves as a Leonard Cohen homage, complete with female backing choir and sultry sax solo. But he’s mostly interested in music as redemption, as on the chugging, Velvet Underground-inspired “OMG Rock n Roll.” Morby brings his allusive, thoughtful songs to Union Transfer on Sunday night. Sam Cohen, who produced Oh My God, opens. — S.K.

8 p.m., Sunday, Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., $18, 215-232-2100, utphilly.com