Source: PhillyVoice
The ongoing ODUNDE, credited as the largest African-American street festival in North America, is expected to attract up to 500,000 people.
June is stepping up big time: Culture, conversations, conferences and community. Oh, and toss in all of the cultural exhibits, from quiltwork to innovative art made of tape. Drink in the jubilation and joy of June with these cool, free or low-cost offerings.
‘Comfy Couch Conversations’ Sits Down With Producer
Thursday, June 11, 2026. Hosted by She Shines Conference Founder & Executive Leader Robin Maddox, check out a candid virtual conversation about the life and career of Brenda Goldsmith, CEO-President of A Choir’d Taste. Goldsmith is a production manager, casting director, and talent producer, with credits including Wawa Welcome America, 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade, Family Feud, Daytona 500: The Great American Race Nextel Tribute, and Extreme Makeover.
The one-on-one online talk is part of the topical, faith-focused Comfy Couch Conversations women’s empowerment live event series featuring influential change-makers in communities of color.
Free, but pre-register. 7 p.m. 267-328-4592 or www.sheshinessisterhood.org or www.sheshinesconference.com
Meet World Leaders at Diplochat: Côte d’Ivoire
Thursday, June 11, 2026. Be part of an in-depth conversation and reception focusing on U.S. and Côte d’Ivoire relations, as Côte d’Ivoire is set to play Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 14th at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia. Call it a pre-game warm-up. Future policymakers, soccer fans, and global affairs enthusiasts can engage directly with leading diplomats in the international affairs community. The event will feature remarks by H.E. Ibrahima Touré, Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire in the United States and Mr. Adjé Silas Metch, Minister of Sport of Côte d’Ivoire. It will be part of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia’s “Diplochat” series of in-depth conversations with world leaders.
Pre-register, $40; Students & educators: $10 (Includes refreshments). 6 p.m. EST to 7:15 p.m. EST. World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, 1617 JFK Blvd. (Suite 1660). Email: Info@wacphila.org, 215-561-4700 or https://wacphila.org/event/diplochat-cote-divoire or https://events.blackthorn.io/en/8Y1Zysf7/g/eCv45aj6cs/diplochat-cote-divoire-5a2IS6DToQ9/cart-v2
Exhibit of Tape Measures Up
Friday, June 12, 2026. Check out the reception and installation of the colorful exhibit, The Birth, by artist SEIVIN at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA). The exhibit is made strictly out of tape. It examines the theme of equity and diversity, with the tape colors symbolizing a unifying connection among various races, cultures, languages, and identities. The promotional material notes: “What each strand holds individually, the whole holds together. The Birth reminds us that our first enclosure was not one that divided us, but one that held us together.”
The space itself inspired the creation of intertwined bands of tape positioned to resemble the shape of a womb or “enclosed, living form inviting viewers to enter and pass through.” SEIVIN is an American artist based in Wilmington, Delaware, and a PAFA alumnus who works with installation, painting, reconstructed and unexpected materials such as tape.
Free, 4 p.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST PAFA, Broad Street Studio/ Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, 118-128 N. Broad St. Email: info@pafa.org, 215-972-7600 or https://www.pafa.org/events/birth061226?utm_source=Vesta&utm_medium=Referral
The ODUNDE festival will offer authentic goods from around the world. Photo courtesy of the ODUNDE Festival.
ODUNDE Honors Ancestors, Educates & Entertains
Through Sunday, June 14, 2026. ODUNDE, North America’s largest African-American street festival with up to 500,000 people, will be jamming on 16 city blocks in South Philly. ODUNDE attracts performers, ambassadors, and cultural leaders from around the world. Founded 51 years ago by the late Lois Fernandez, ODUNDE has emerged as a global model for African-American festivals. Immerse yourself in a marketplace of shopping from Africa, the Caribbean, and Brazil.
Enjoy entertainment, art, and authentic cuisine. At the festival finale on Sunday, R&B favorites Bell Biv DeVoe will take their multi-platinum, chart-topping hits, like “Poison,” to the South Street stage. Try your hand at the ODUNDE Sports Zone, a mix of competition, community engagement, and live on-site media coverage of the FIFA 2026 soccer matches.
On Wednesday evening, June 10th, enjoy the rhythms of Afro Beats and Vibes as we celebrate African sounds and culture. On Thursday, June 11th, it will be all business at the networking confab, African Business Roundtables. On Friday, June 12th, engage in A Conversation with the CEO, a chat with ODUNDE CEO Oshunbumi Fernandez-West about the organization’s vision and challenges. At the finale on Sunday, June 14th, South Street will be converted into a global celebration of African-American art and culture, capped off by the Bell Biv DeVoe concert.
Free admission. South Street (23rd Street: main area). Pre-register for individual events here, or www.odundefestival.org.
Kids added a design and beads to heart-shaped clay pendants created by teaching artist Nitza Walesca at Clay Fest last year.
Home Is The Theme Of ‘Clay Fest 2026’
Saturday, June 13, 2026. The 11th Annual Clay Fest 2026, presented by PNC Arts Alive, will kick off a fun day of clay and community in South Kensington. It is part of The Clay Studio’s goal to create free arts programming through the joy of clay and play. Participate in activities for all ages exploring themes around the meaning of “home,” inspired by The Clay Studio’s current exhibition, American Crib: What’s Happening? Philadelphia ceramic artist and activist Robert Lugo’s show will welcome visitors into an imagined living space, celebrating his Philadelphia roots and cultural heritage. The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, July 5th.
Free, noon to 5 p.m. EST. The Clay Studio / Jill Bonovitz Gallery, 1425 N. American St. Website: here
Photo courtesy of Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Kids’ Exhibit Features Role Playing & Sing-alongs
Through Sunday, September 13, 2026. The traveling exhibit, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit,” is one of the newest attractions at the Please Touch Museum. The exhibit brings to life themes from the award-winning PBS Kids television series created by Fred Rogers Productions that chronicles the adventures of four-year-old Daniel Tiger and his friends. Children can explore the ‘Neighborhood’ in immersive experiences and by using their imaginations to learn.
The exhibit focuses on community, communication, and emotions. Kids will walk the paths and hear the sounds in Daniel’s world of play and sing-alongs. They can create a song or play along with instruments; write or draw thank-you notes to place on a Thank You Tree; change into favorite characters wearing masks and costumes, and stroll next to a Trolley.
$24 per person; $22 for military, police & fire personnel. Wednesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m. EST to 4:30 p.m. EST. Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Fairmount Park. Email: tickets@pleasetouchmuseum.org, 215-581-3181 or PleaseTouchMuseum.org.
Step It Up With Skoobie & Afro Dance
Saturday, June 13, 2026. Whether you are new to Afrobeats or a seasoned dancer, try out the high-energy, beginner-friendly African dance class. Move and groove while having fun at Open Level Afrobeat Dance Class. Learn and burn energy to the basic Afro dance steps and styles. The session will be led by Skoobie, an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and dance educator. He specializes in Afro dance, hip-hop, and dancehall movements. Skoobie has collaborated with Nicki Minaj, Busta Rhymes, Shenseea, Keke Palmer, Koffee, and Uncle Waffles. He will lead you through engaging drills and choreography to experience the lure of African culture firsthand. Dance for fun and fitness; get hip to the rhythms of Afro dance.
In advance: $28.52 per ticket; 1 p.m. EST to 2:30 p.m. EST. Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine St. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/afrobeats-dance-class-in-philadelphia-tickets-1990620583752?aff=erelexpmlt
Incarcerated Artists Go ‘Home’ In New Quilt Exhibit
Through November 1, 2026. The Fabric Workshop and Museum and Mural Arts Philadelphia are hosting Buck County’s award-winning multi-disciplinary artist Jesse Krimes’s exhibit series, Elegy Quilts. The works consist of personal effects from the U.S. penal system, presented through portraits of domestic spaces. It includes Riverside, a newly commissioned quilt inspired by Krimes’s work with Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Restorative Justice program, which supports those impacted by incarceration. Elegy Quilts aligns with a recently installed mural in Philadelphia’s Spring Arts District near the Chinatown area.
Digging into his experience as an inmate for 6 years, Krimes uses clothing and textile fragments from incarcerated individuals to make the quilts. The themes touch on loss, alienation, and comfort. Krimes invited incarcerated collaborators to describe a memory about home. The Riverside quilt is a compilation of curated collages by graduates from the Mural Arts Restorative Justice reentry program reflecting their “voices and visions.”
Free, but a $10 donation and pre-registration are encouraged. Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch St. 215-561-8888 or The Fabric Workshop and Museum (1st- floor gallery) or https://fabricworkshopandmuseum.org/pressreleases/fwm-mural-arts-announce-jesse-krimes-elegy-quilts/
Health Professionals Tackle Wellness Issues To Aid Families
Monday, June 15, 2026. Linked Family Services will host Bridging Care Exchange: Supporting Caregivers Before Crisis, bringing together professionals from child welfare, behavioral health, healthcare, education, maternal health, and community organizations. The goal is to strengthen the child welfare prevention and maternal wellness systems. Participants will explore ways to support caregivers and families early, before challenges escalate. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, more than 558,000 children in the U.S. were identified as victims of abuse and neglect in 2022, underscoring the pressing need for prevention-centric solutions. The conference will focus on coordination and prevention to build stronger connections through a fireside chat, panel discussion and networking. June is National Safety Month. The host, Linked Family Services, is a nonprofit based in West Philadelphia, founded by child welfare professional and maternal health advocate Vonee Hill.
Inquire about cost; 8:30 a.m. EST to 2:30 p.m. EST. Philadelphia at Public Health Management Corporation, 4601 Market St. https://www.linkedfamily.org/bridgingcareconf
Inspiring The Next Generation
Budding merchants, like this young entrepreneur, showcased their student-run businesses at the Little Big Business Marketplace at the MQ Factory – Ricky Codio Studio in Philadelphia’s Manayunk section last week, and some even earned scholarships. The free event featured the next era of CEOs and innovators, from elementary to high school, promoting their products, brands, services, and business ideas. Said event organizer, Ricky Codio: “We’re teaching them that ownership matters, creativity matters, and that their voice has value right now, not years from now.” Codio’s foundation empowers youth through mentorships, creativity, leadership development, and community programming. https://rickycodiofoundation.org/
