South Street Fest 2023

Philadelphia’s favorite block party festival is back!

When: Saturday, May 6th, 11am – 7pm
Where: South Street spanning 2nd to 8th Streets — East entry point at the Headhouse Plaza, West entry point at 800 South Street

Enjoy international food & drinks, handmade crafts, and eclectic vendors that you know and love, plus several city blocks filled with new experiences and festivities to enjoy! South Street Fest is multiple festivals all-in-one, and this is just a sampling of what we’ll have out on the street! ⤵

🐸 Brauhaus Schmitz’s 10th Annual Maifest!

🐸 Free Comic Book Day with Atomic City Comics and The DreamEerie!

🐸 An exclusive South Street donut from Federal Donuts!

🐸 A family-friendly Kids Zone sponsored by the Philadelphia Union!

🐸 Artist Row, showcasing 20+ up-and-coming artists and artisans with a focus on women and BIPOC creators!

🐸 2nd Street Jawn + Kentucky Derby Lane outside Paddy Whacks Pub, Bridget Foy’s, Bistro Romano, and The Twisted Tail!

🐸 Over 30 live entertainers will be performing on every block from noon until 7pm!

🐸 And so much more!!

Photo by Philly PR Girl / Shannon Pepe.

Come hungry! South Street Fest is a smorgasbord of local restaurants serving cuisines from all around the world: from Vietnamese to Venezuelan, Korean to German, and American to Italian! Returning for this year’s festival, Puyero Venezuelan Flavor will be cooking up their classic (and irresistible) arepas! Fan favorite spots like Banh Mi & Bottles, Bistro Romano, Bridget Foy’s, and MilkBoy South Street will also be out on the street with sips and snacks!

Thirsty? Enjoy a performance from School of Rock Philadelphia while drinking drafts outside Woolly Mammoth! As you explore the festival from end to end, canned cocktails from our Silver Sponsor, Stateside Vodka, will surely quench your thirst! Vendors will also have custom cocktails, seasonal beers, fresh juices, and more!

Shop ’til you drop! Iconic South Street businesses like Repo Records, BridgeSet Sound, Garland of Letters, Urban Princess, and Eye’s Gallery will be joining the festival fun alongside newer businesses like B-Bop Vintage, Black and Nobel, and Sam Shaw’s Treatery!

Looking for family-friendly fun? This year’s Kids Zone will feature an interactive inflatable from the Philadelphia Union, plus giant chess and giant Connect 4 from Queen & Rook Game Cafe! Located on the 200 Block of South Street, our Kids Zone will be steps away from another exciting feature of this year’s festival!

We are proud to announce the launch of South Street Fest’s Artist Row, which will also be located on the 200 Block of South Street! With generous sponsorship from the Queen Village Neighborhood Association and Society Hill Civic Association, Artist Row will feature 20+ new and emerging artists and artisans curated by Queen & Rook Game Cafe, South Street Art Mart, Crown of Creation, and YOWIE, with a focus on women and BIPOC creators who may not otherwise have the opportunity to bring their craft to the next level. Creator and maker spaces like 3rd Street Gallery will also be out on the street! A full list of artists can be found below.

Photo by Philly PR Girl / Shannon Pepe.

At the west end of the festival, Brauhaus Schmitz’s 10th Annual Maifest brings the German vibes to South Street with delicious biers, brats, and dancing around the Maypole! The 700 Block of South Street will be jam packed with Maifest activities, including live music from “Die Heimatklänge Band,” performances around the Maypole by the United German Hungarian Dance group, a Liter Lift competition presented by the world famous Hofbrauhaus, and so much more! This event is free to attend and pay as you go, with VIP experiences available for purchase. Tickets include an all-day buffet, liter mug, food/drink tokens, access to private bathrooms, and “haus swag.”

On the 600 Block of South Street, The DreamEerie and Atomic City Comics will be partnering together for a Free Comic Book Day celebration! Festivities include a costume contest (with a theme of comics, movies, and TV shows), two games of trivia, plus music from DJ Mighty Mike Saga. They’ll also be giving away incredible prizes, such as gift cards, a pair of tickets to a 3D showing of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and a pair of tickets to see The Cure at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, 6/24. Oh, and one more thing—this will also be the Grand Opening of The DreamEerie!

At the east end of the festival, throw on your fascinator hat and head over to the 2nd Street Jawn + Kentucky Derby Lane! Kick back and relax with good food, great drinks, and live music at the intersection of 2nd and South Streets, a.k.a. the 2nd Street Jawn! Here you’ll find Bistro Romano, Bridget Foy’s, as well as Paddy Whacks Pub with a live DJ and canopy pop-up bar, complete with TVs, bar stools, and all your favorite beers on tap! From there, turn up 2nd Street towards Lombard and you’ll find Kentucky Derby Lane outside The Twisted Tail! Their Derby Day celebration will include live music, a grill tent, margaritas and mint juleps, an outdoor jumbotron screen, and two contests: Best Ladies Hat and Most Dapper Gent!

Photo by Philly PR Girl / Shannon Pepe.

Photo (right) courtesy of Federal Donuts.

Other South Street Fest highlights include:

🐸 Street artist Amberella will have an Instagrammable installation on the wall outside Jim’s Steaks! South Street is proud to announce an “Open Call for Open Walls” at the corner of 4th and South Streets. The temporary walls outside of Jim’s will serve as  “free walls” for street artists, and all are invited to contribute to this communal art space!

🐸 Federal Donuts will be serving a special donut called “The South Street”! Only available during South Street Fest and exclusive to their South Street location, this irresistible donut is a chocolate cake donut with sweet cream cheese glaze, topped with rainbow nonpareils!

🐸 Last call for our Keep An Open Mind exhibit at the South Street Off Center! This show will be closing at the end of May, so remember to stop in and take a look around while you’re at the festival! The SSHD staff will be on the street handling out free goodies, and our gallery will be open to the public all day long.

🐸 Kimmel Cultural Campus will be offering exciting show-themed giveaways and enter-to-win opportunities including tickets to see Beetlejuice, among other Shows.

🐸 Looking to join the festival? We are still accepting last minute vendors! Apply to participate and vend at South Street Fest! Visit bit.ly/ssfest-signup for more information, or email [email protected]!

Photo by Philly PR Girl / Shannon Pepe.

Thank you to our sponsors who helped us create such an amazing event: Stateside Vodka, Philadelphia Union, Federal Donuts, Philly PR Girl, Queen Village Neighborhood Association, and the Society Hill Neighborhood Association!

         

   

* = Indicates SSHD business

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RSVP to this FREE event: Facebook | Eventbrite