DELIGHTFULLY QUIRKY EVENTS FILL PHILLY’S CALENDAR IN 2010 AND BEYOND

High Heeled Drag Race, Blobfest, Graveside Run And More Make Philly More Quirky All Year Long

PHILADELPHIA, February 22, 2010 – As if making an international name for itself in the 19th and 20th centuries with an underdog championship boxer movie character, dueling cheesesteak purveyors, the Mummers and, well, a cracked bell didn’t make Philadelphia quirky enough, it seems the 21st century will continue to propagate that fun-loving mystique with strange and wonderful annual events held every month of the year. Here’s a look at the city’s quirky side:
 
March 2010:
The luck of the Irish may have run out for some of the Emerald Isle natives and descendants interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery, where on St. Patrick’s Day, those whose eyes are still smiling come to learn what befell them and raise a pint in their honor. The after-work toast combines a tour of the historic cemetery, plenty o’ beer and spirited banter about the Land of Saints and Scholars. March 17. 3822 Ridge Avenue, (215) 228-8200, thelaurelhillcemetery.org
Tom James, the only person who can claim to have played with the very first Slinky, will celebrate the 67th birthday of his father’s enduringly popular invention at the Independence Seaport Museum with Slinky races, Slinky art contests, Slinky cake and sing-along “Happy Birthday” to Slinky. March 27. A Philadelphia naval engineer created the official state toy of Pennsylvania; hence, its star position in the Seaport museum exhibition It Sprang from the River! Everyday Objects with Maritime Secrets, running from March 26-January 3.
211 S. Columbus Boulevard, (215) 925-5439, phillyseaport.org
 
May 2010:
On the first Sunday in May, owners of real-live goats bring their cloven-hoofed friends to race other goats in the parking lot at Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery in Phoenixville. The winner gets a maibock named in his/her honor and the losers get to partake in the concurrent German Bock Festival, which is believed to be the most extensive lineup of Bock beers poured at any American brewpub in one day. May 2. 519 Kimberton Road, Pikeland Village Square, Phoenixville,
(610) 935-4540, slyfoxbeer.com
Alien spaceships mounted on welded bikes, giant pink poodles hurdling through the air and Mummers riding hand-cranked pirate ships. It can only be the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby, a competition that challenges budding physicists to invent the most outrageous and artistic yet functional human-powered vehicles they can dream up. May 22. Norris Street between Trenton Avenue & York Street, (215) 427-0350, kinetickensington.org
 
June 2010:
Partying ’til the sun comes up is the encouraged at the Kimmel Center during the summer solstice, when a 15-hour pagan-style celebration keeps the cultural venue open all night. Starting at 3:00 p.m., organized chaos reigns over a carnival of henna tattoo artists, tarot card readers, jugglers, global dance performances, a drag show and a Guitar Hero competition. For those who manage to stay awake, an open-drum circle greets the rising sun. June 19. 260 S. Broad Street, (215) 790-5800, kimmelcenter.org
 
July 2010:
In July, cult film geeks flock to the historic Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, where many scenes in the movie The Blob were filmed. During Blobfest, there’s a weekend-long street party with a costume contest, live reenactments from the movie and an amateur filmmaking contest. July 9-11. 227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, (610) 917-1228, thecolonialtheatre.com
Have fun stormin’ the castle at Eastern State Penitentiary on Bastille Day, when reenactors and audience members playfully recreate the storming of the Bastille at the nation’s first “modern” prison. Philly’s re-enactment of this historic event includes Marie Antoinette throwing more than 2,000 Tastykakes—a favorite Philly delicacy—out to the assembled crowd. A French-themed street party beforehand lets revelers fortify themselves for the attack. July 10. 22nd Street & Fairmont Avenue, (215) 215-236-5111, ext. 15, easternstate.org
Approximately 13 local breweries compete to see who can rid themselves most quickly of their entire supply of suds at Nodding Head Brewery and Restaurant’s annual Royal Stumble, celebrating its 11th anniversary in 2010. Brewers costume themselves according to theme, which in past years has consisted of sumo wrestlers and superheroes. July 10. 1516 Sansom Street,
2nd floor, (215) 569-9525, noddinghead.com
 
August 2010:
Superstitious types can drink their trepidation away at Friday the Firkenteenth, an all-day cask ale event held at The Grey Lodge Pub every Friday the you-know-what. This year, 30 firkins will be tapped beginning at 9:00 a.m. because, as any amateur exorcist knows, it’s never too early to ward off the demons. August 13. 6235 Frankford Avenue, (215) 825-5357, MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "greylodge.com" claiming to be greylodge.com
Creepy crawlers of all shapes, sizes, colors and attitudes invade The Academy of Natural Sciences for Bug Fest. Insect lovers can touch a furry tarantula or cheer for their favorite cockroaches during a roach race. Scientists are on hand to convince even the most disbelieving visitor that insects are important creatures for our planet—even if they’re not the most cuddly. August 14-15. 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 299-1000, ansp.org
WMMR radio station listeners grab their feisty grandmas and steer them to the 3rd annual Granny Grand Prix, a go-cart rally that pits nine grandmothers against one another in a race to the finish. The popular hosts of the Preston & Steve morning show broadcast live during each of the three heats and final round, as women as old as 92 zoom through five to eight laps full of blue-hair-raising turns and denture-dropping speeds. Tentative date August 20. Location to be determined, (610) 771-0933, wmmr.com
 
September 2010:
Thousands of artists converge on Philly at the end of the summer for the wild and wacky art party known as The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe. For two weeks, dancers, actors, playwrights, musicians, visual artists, videographers and puppeteers roam the city’s streets and fill its performance halls. At night, festival-goers head to the Festival Bar for dancing, drink specials and visual media installations. Location of the bar is to be determined. September 3-18.
(215) 413-9006, livearts-fringe.org
Celebrate all-things mushroom with more than 100,000 fans of the fungus at the Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, the mushroom-growing capital of the nation. A weekend of dinners, tastings, symposia and crafts all revolve around mushrooms. September 10-12. mushroomfestival.org
On Talk Like a Pirate Day, otherwise respectable citizens and their offspring can get away with repeatedly saying “Aargh” and calling annoying drivers “blitherin’ bilge rats,” as long as they earn their pirate stripes at Independence Seaport Museum’s “Pirate U,” where failure to be amused at the fun and games might send students on a journey off the edge of a plank.
September 19. 211 S. Columbus Boulevard, (215) 413-8655, phillyseaport.org
 
October 2010:
The 2nd Annual Rest in Peace 5K Run may likely agitate those who are themselves attempting to rest in peace underneath the race course: the historic, 78-acre Laurel Hill Cemetery. Runners and spectators dress in Halloween costume to scare away unwanted onlookers from beyond the grave as participants sprint through tombs and statuary, then find their own final resting place at a nearby venue for an after-party and prizes. October 9. 3822 Ridge Avenue, (215) 228-8200, rip5k.org
At The Franklin Institute Science Museum-sponsored competition taking place during the Annual Robotics Explosion, amateur robot designers from all over the country face off in action-packed, three-minute battles that showcase robotic ingenuity, engineering creativity and resilience as enthusiasts try to out-battle one another. And this year visitors can view the “Hall of Robots” display of space probes designed to travel to other worlds. October 9. 222 N. 20th Street,
(215) 448-1200, fi.edu
Running back and forth on one short city block may not sound like too much exertion—
unless the contestants are wearing high heels. And they’re men. A campy highlight of New Hope’s annual Halloween celebration is the High Heeled Drag Race, which requires contestants to run up and down a hill wearing heels and optional drag fashion while carrying some sort of absurd object like a pumpkin or a bird cage. Halloween weekend (exact date to be determined). Mechanic & Main Streets; (215) 862-9990, newhopehalloween.com
 
December 2010:
6,000 tipsy Santas sprinting through a pre-determined city neighborhood? No, it’s not the sequel to “Bad Santa,” it’s The Running of the Santas, the annual bar romp (which began in Philadelphia) that sends Santa-suit-clad 20-somethings bumbling down the street in an attempt to reach the next pub before the other 5,999 Santas do. December 18. runningofthesantas.com
 
January 2011:
Setting the standard for quirky events, the Mummers Parade kicks off every New Year with more than 15,000 men, women and children donning elaborate costumes and makeup to strut up
Broad Street in a way that creates a fantastic spectacle. January 1. Broad Street from
Washington Avenue to City Hall, mummers.com
The perpetually sold-out Wing Bowl pits amateur speed eaters against one another in a race to see who can gobble the most chicken wings in a set period of time. Every year, the competitors feast in front of a rowdy crowd of 25,000 spectators (many of whom arrive up to 12 hours in advance), judges, radio DJs and “Wingettes” the Friday morning before the Super Bowl. February 4. Wachovia Center, 3601 S. Broad Street, (215) 592-0610, 610wip.com
 
February 2011:
Mating. See how the animals do it during Lovin’ on the Wild Side, an up-close-and-personal tour of the Philadelphia Zoo that probes the mating behaviors of everything from tigers to tortoises. Brunch and champagne are served between some of the voyeuristic peeks. February 12-13.
3400 W. Girard Avenue, (215) 243-5254, philadelphiazoo.org 
 
Ongoing:
Rollerblading Bingo Verifying Divas (BVDs) costumed as characters from Sex and the City, The Real Housewives of New Jersey and 1970s sitcoms preside over Gay Bingo, where drag
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