Treasures for the mind: The best place for books is in the hands of kids. The Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central and its neighborhood branches are bustling with educational programs year-round for all ages and interests. Children, teens, and adults can explore new hobbies, skills, and meet new friends while finding inviting books to read. Photo courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Summer brought the heat. I hope you did not melt. Let us soldier on and soak up the final rays of sunshine, the last kiss of summer, if you will — with these low-cost or free fun events.
Lady Alma gets high praise.
The Message Is In Her Music
Thursday, August 27, 2026. The University City Summer Series will light up the summer stage with the soulful vocals of Lady Alma and Band at The Lawn at uCity Square. The event is presented by University City District and Philadelphia Music Alliance. Philly’s own Lady Alma is known for her house music and powerful anthems with inspiring messages. Songs like “It’s House Music,” “Make You Move” and “Let It Fall” have entertained audiences locally. Event emcee Ras Anthony will host the festivities. The uCity Square Beer Garden will be open during the concert for pay-as-you-go drinks.
Free, but donations will be accepted; reserve a spot. 5 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST (DJ REDDZ music: 5 p.m. EST; Lady Alma: 6:30 p.m.) The Lawn at uCity Square, 37th and Cuthbert sts. https://www.eventbrite.com.
Emmanuel Ohemeng III & Perpetual Motion Can’t Stay Still
Friday, August 28, 2026. Emmanuel Ohemeng III & Perpetual Motion have perfected a beautiful mash-up of jazz, trap, R&B, and rock. Their innovative sound marries traditional jazz instrumentation with contemporary rhythms. Founded in 2013, the Philly group is widely acclaimed as one of the region’s top jazz ensembles. They have performed everywhere from the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz to Heaven Can Wait NYC.
Free but pre-register; 6 p.m. EST to 11 p.m. EST. World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St. 215-222-1400 or https://www.eventbrite.com
Tanya T. Morris, founder of Mom Your Business.
Building Your Business, Philanthropy & Community
Friday, August 28, 2026. Women can check out the inaugural Black August Summit 2026, hosted by Tanya T. Morris, founder of Mom Your Business, supporting “mompreneurs.” Entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and change-makers will join hands to celebrate Black Business Month, Black Philanthropy Month, and Black Giving Day, all of which advocate for economic empowerment. Create a brief business plan and learn about financial resources. Get professional headshots and insight about creating brand-building content. Network with leaders in the business, funding and nonprofit sectors. Find out how entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and community can harmonize to build a business. Get inspired by new ideas and newfound opportunities.
Mom Your Business and the Black Innovation Alliance will introduce Source Code to Philadelphia—a live technology demonstration that offers entrepreneurs a free 15-minute business review in real time. The exercise measures business growth and creates a personalized blueprint, followed by a coaching and training session to facilitate the new plan. In 15 minutes, a business owner can pinpoint exactly where to focus next.
Starting at $53.07 per person, 9 a.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. (Doors open at 8:30 a.m. EST. Source Code session: 10:30 a.m. EST.) Braid Mill co-working space, 441 High St. Email: info@momyourbusiness.com, 800-524-4934 or https://momyourbusiness.com/the-black-august-summit or https://www.eventbrite.com
Library Exhibit Looks At Books Challenged & Nearly Banned
Saturday, August 29, 2026. Catch the final days of the stimulating “Book Complaints and the Defense of Intellectual Freedom” at the Parkway Central Library. The exhibit spotlights controversial books that were challenged, debated, and, in some cases, almost banned from library shelves. Examined are pressing age-old questions of what should be read, who decides, and why it matters. The show looks at original “book complaint” files: letters, reviews, and internal discussions that show how librarians have responded to heavily scrutinized books like Tropic of Cancer. Book Complaints uncovers how Philadelphia’s public libraries have handled pressure to remove books while balancing the pursuit of intellectual freedom. The exhibit comprises the Free Library’s archives and collections.
Free, Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. Parkway Central Library / Dietrich Gallery (3rd Fl.), 1901 Vine St. 833-825-5357 or https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/5632
Discover History On The Street…
Saturday, August 29, 2026. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s History on the Street festival unites 27 museums, archives, universities, and cultural and community organizations in one big block party. Enjoy an afternoon of student projects, music, food, and hands-on activities focused on discovering, investigating, and interpreting history. Students and families can celebrate “National History Day Philadelphia (NHD Philly).” Hosted by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and National History Day Philadelphia (NHD Philly), students in grades 6 to 12 become historians for the day. “Student historians” from the 2026 competition will share projects employing the theme of Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, inspired by the United States’ ongoing 250th anniversary.
Kids can do research, review evidence, interpret it, and present their findings in a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or on the website. Participating organizations will introduce students and families to a treasure trove of resources to learn about history in Philadelphia and elsewhere. Check out a pop-up display highlighting materials from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s collections on local Black history.
Free, noon to 4 p.m. EST. 1300 block of Locust St. 215-732-6200, or https://hsp.org/calendar/history-street-back-school-edition.
A Day For Seniors
Saturday, August 29, 2026. Check out Senior Summerfest hosted by the Federation of Black Minority Businesses. Enjoy a day of free food, games, giveaways, music and praise dancing by Ava Brown.
Donation encouraged ($20); 10:30 a.m. EST. The York House, 5325 Old York Rd., North Philly. Bus transportation available at Heavenly Hall Church, 4017 Poplar St., at 9:30 a.m. 215-386-9152 or https://theyorkhouse.com/activities/
The Upper Burying Ground in Germantown. Photo from https://www.concordschoolhouse.org/
Experience Black History in Old Germantown
Through Saturday, September 26, 2026. Tour the Underground Railroad way station that inspired hope and offered passage to liberty for enslaved individuals at the Johnson House Historical Site. Stand in the historic cemetery at the Upper Burying Ground, built in 1693, one of the United States’ oldest burial sites. History shines on these oft-forgotten venues, all in Germantown. Discover these treasure troves in one of the oldest neighborhoods with the One Pass program, offering a wealth of history, culture, and riveting stories about Historic Germantown. Get a discounted admission to nine of Northwest Philadelphia’s most important cultural attractions:
Cliveden of the National Trust, 6401 Germantown Ave.: A historic estate connected to the Battle of Germantown and the lives of the enslaved individuals who lived there. Cliveden of the National Trust
The Colored Girls Museum, 4613 Newhall St.: A celebrated cultural space centering the voices, stories, and lived experiences of Black girls and women. The Colored Girls Museum
Concord School House and Upper Burial Ground, 6309 Germantown Ave.: An 18th-century one-room schoolhouse preserving early-American education history. Concord School House and Upper Burial Ground
Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, 200 W. Tulpehocken St.: A well-preserved Victorian-era home showcasing 19th-century life and design. Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion
Germantown Historical Society, 5501 Germantown Ave.: A museum and research library dedicated to preserving Germantown’s local history and archives. Germantown Historical Society
Johnson House Historic Site, 6306 Germantown Ave.: A preserved Underground Railroad site highlighting Philadelphia’s abolitionist history and freedom seekers. Johnson House Historic Site
Lest We Forget Slavery Museum, 5501 Germantown Ave.: A museum featuring authentic artifacts and exhibitions documenting the history of slavery. Lest We Forget Slavery Museum
Stenton, 4601 N 18th St.: The historic colonial home of James Logan, Philadelphia’s first Mayor and Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court during the colonial era. It is one of Philadelphia’s best-preserved early residences. Stenton
Wyck Historic House and Garden, 6026 Germantown Ave.: A historic family homestead known for its nicely preserved interiors and nationally recognized rose garden. Wyck is a National Historic Landmark house, garden, and farm. Wyck Historic House and Garden
One Pass ticket: $43 for adults (14+), $28 for youth (ages 6 to 13), seniors (65+), & free for children, ages five and under. Check with the individual museums, as hours vary. Buy the Historic Germantown One Pass online or in person at Germantown Historical Society, 5501 Germantown Ave., 215-344-1683 or https://historicgermantownpa.org/
Sign up for Soccer
With the World Cup just concluded, soccer fever is still fresh. Enroll your future strikers and goalkeepers in Soccer Shots, an engaging soccer program for ages 2 to 18 years old: toddlers, pre-school, and school-age children. Kids can learn soccer skills with trained coaches and build character while getting exercise and having fun.
Starting at $40 (includes a jersey), 1 p.m. EST to 3:30 p.m. EST. Eakins Oval area 25th Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. 267-630-1557 or philly@soccershots.com; https://www.soccershots.com/about/
What Just Happened?…Events Around Town
Sug Daniels (left) at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. Photo by Ryan Claypole courtesy of WXPN.
Getting Folksy
Local Philly and national artists were part of the lineup that highlighted grassroots bands and musicians on the weekend of August 14- 16 in Upper Salford Township in Montgomery County outside of Philadelphia. Philly-based singer, songwriter and producer Sug Daniels and her band brought contemporary folk, rock, R&B, and soul with a personal flair and a high-charged message for positive change. Daniels has toured regularly with The Black Opry, which promotes musicians of color through a platform of equality and visibility.
