This photo of a young woman sitting on the front steps near a rowhome container garden was captured in the 1950s and will be part of Bouquet of Stories: Celebrating Philadelphia’s Gardening Heritage, an exhibit of rare objects and photos focusing on the stories of the growers and change-makers who have unified communities through gardening over the generations. The exhibit will open in November. See the event entry ‘Exhibit Focuses On Diverse Communities Shaping Philly Gardens’ below.
Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
October will never be accused of taking a back seat to any month. When it comes to people, places and events to see, October stands tall as the cool month. As we seize the season of fall, former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama could be our F.A. (Fun Advisor). She once said: “All I can do is be the best me that I can. And live life with some gusto.” Sounds wise. Here are some low-cost or free events to help you “live with gusto.”
Street Renaming Will Honor Black Pioneer
Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Attend the official street dedication and celebration honoring Bishop Richard Allen at Mother Bethel AME Church, which sits on the oldest land nationally continuously owned by African Americans. Bishop Allen bought the site in 1791. Bishop Allen was an American minister, educator, writer, and a powerful Black leader. In 1794, he founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the U.S.’s first independent Black denomination. The street renaming is sponsored by Mother Bethel Church and First District City Councilmember Mark Squilla.
Free, 9 a.m. EST to noon (street dedication: 11 a.m. EST; pre-event activities: 9 a.m. gathering at Historic St. George’s United Methodist Church, 235 N 4th St. & 10 a.m. EST: Mother Bethel AME Church, 419 S. 6th St., the location of the street dedication) Register by email: motherbethelnews@gmail.com, 215-925-0616 or https://motherbethel.org/events/street-renaming-october-7/
Learn The Do’s & Don’t Of A Creative Business
Thursday, October 8, 2026. There is no definitive cookbook for building a career. But if you are starting up or growing a creative business, balancing your dream with a 9-to-5 job, or still figuring out exactly what you are building, there’s some guidance. Check out Who’s Hiring? LIVE with Will Toms. The event is billed as “a live conversation about creativity, culture and getting paid.”
Meet other creatives, network, and learn ways to boost your career. This face-to-face talk with other like-minded creatives may save you some future trial-and-error grief. Specifically, engage in a session with the cast of Who’s Hiring? and special guests for an inspiring, candid conversation about “what it actually looks like to build a creative career: making money from your work, protecting yourself in business, figuring things out without a blueprint, and navigating the culture around us while you do it.”
$12.51 per ticket; students: free; 6 p.m. EST to 9 p.m. EST The Love Lab, 932 Market St. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whos-hiring-live-the-winners-culture-at-the-love-lab-tickets-2001611639295
Cipha Sounds
This Show Sounds Funny
Friday, October 9 & Saturday, October 10, 2026. For a laugh-out-loud evening of comedy, head over to the Punch Line to check out comedian Cipha Sounds. And FunTimes readers can get a special show discount (see below). Sounds, who is of Puerto Rican descent, worked at Hot 97 Radio in New York, bringing his Caribbean musical influence and a strong connection to dancehall music and artists, including then-new singers Rihanna and Sean Paul. He now tours and performs with Dave Chappelle and Mo Amer, headlines clubs and theaters, and has a new stand-up special, Likable.
Starts at $17 per person, per show; three shows: Friday, October 9: 7:30 p.m. EST, Saturday, October 10: 7 p.m. EST & 9:15 p.m. EST. FunTimes readers can now get a special discount to Sounds’ shows: Select the Philadelphia show date and show time, and click on the “Unlock” button on Ticketmaster to enter the code LIKEABLE. Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St, Fishtown. https://www.ticketmaster.com/cipha-sounds-tickets/artist/1546816
John Coltrane
Hop On The Jazz ‘Trane’
Saturday, October 10, 2026. Take in the genius of the late John Coltrane during his 100th birthday year. The Philadelphia Jazz Legacy Project will host a deep dive into the music of the legendary saxophonist, featuring a noted jazz scholar, in a 90-minute program. Learn about the complexity of his trailblazing sound that is rooted in his hometown, Philadelphia. Coltrane, who died at age 40, forged an improvisational style known as “sheets of sound,” synonymous with soaring notes and sophisticated harmonies. The event will be part of Coltrane at 100: A Neighborhood Listening Experience, presented by the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Free but pre-register; 2 p.m. EST. Kingsessing Library, 1201 South 51st St. (5lst St. between Kingsessing and Chester avenues). 215-685-2690 or https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/177427
Musical To Explore Culture, Freedom, & Faith
Sunday, October 11, 2026. Check out the premiere of No Longer Bound, The Musical. Written by Kofi Asante, the production will feature original music, storytelling, spoken word, dance, African cultural traditions, and historical narratives that explore America’s continuing journey toward freedom. It will examine the legacy of the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, Juneteenth, and confront the still-relevant question about the progress of racial freedom. The performance will be dedicated to the memory of Katrina Yancey, Asante’s daughter. In her honor, the Katrina’s Light Scholarship Program was established to carry Yancey’s legacy to invest in young aspiring artists in arts and culture. Yancey died last year.
Tickets: $40 to $70 per person; 4 p.m. EST. Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts/ Perelman Theater, 300 S. Broad St. Email: vanesslowerybrown@gmail.com, 215-821-9070 or www.ensembleartsphilly.org/
A photograph in the Bouquet of Stories: Celebrating Philadelphia’s Gardening Heritage exhibit shows that flowers and plants were delivered directly to inner-city communities by the Philadelphia Green Gardenmobile in the 1980s. Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Exhibit Focuses On Diverse Communities Shaping Philly Gardens
Friday, November 6, 2026 to Saturday, January 30, 2027. Mark your calendars. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and The Athenaeum of Philadelphia have teamed up for the exhibit Bouquet of Stories: Celebrating Philadelphia’s Gardening Heritage. Experience Philadelphia’s gardening legacy. Learn about stories of underrepresented communities that helped create spectacular city gardens. View a collection of rare objects and photographs – contemporary and nostalgic. Explore the stories of the growers and change-makers who have created green community spaces through the generations. The exhibit’s promotional material notes: “From immigrant seed traditions and trailblazing women to neighborhood greening movements and the world-renowned Philadelphia Flower Show, the exhibition reveals how gardening has served as an act of creativity and resilience while highlighting Philadelphia’s enduring influence on American horticulture.” It will be part of PHS’s 200th anniversary celebration.
Free, Mondays: 9 a.m. EST to 7 p.m. EST, Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays: 9 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST, Wednesdays: 10 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST & Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST. The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, 219 S. 6th St. 215-925-2688 or https://philaathenaeum.org/exhibitions/
What Just Happened?: Recent Events Around Town
Lavonne Nichols took home the Creative Entrepreneurship Trailblazer Award at the InnaStar Trailblazer Awards ceremony last Saturday.
And The ‘Creative Entrepreneurship Trailblazer Award’ Goes To….
FunTimes Magazine’s multimedia host and digital storyteller, Lavonne Nichols, took top honors as the recipient of the Creative Entrepreneurship Trailblazer Awards at the InnaStar Trailblazer Awards Ceremony in Allentown, Pa., last weekend. It didn’t take long for Lavonne to express her creative self. To the audience’s delight, she broke into a heartfelt acapella version of the hymn To God Be The Glory to open her acceptance speech. The nonprofit InnaStar knows a difference-maker when they see and hear one. They recognize stellar individuals like Lavonne who demonstrate creative excellence, cultural impact, and bold leadership in the arts, entertainment and wellness industries.
And as anyone who knows Lavonne can attest, she certainly is a brilliant bright light, a “change-maker whose work uplifts, inspires, and transforms.” Lavonne has 20 years of experience helping women in vulnerable communities who have faced trauma. The fortysomething is the CEO and founder of Say Something Good, LLC, a singer, author, and certified Women’s Empowerment & Trauma Recovery coach. She advocates for trauma survivors and healing through an arts-based approach. She leads every project with commitment and compassion. She is an accomplished public speaker, writer, professional communicator, entertainer, and a shining star at FunTimes. Find out more about Lavonne: https://www.saysomethinggoodllc.com/speaking
