South Street Block Party Weekend

South Street is taking over nine blocks of the neighborhood on Saturday, October 17, for the South Street Block Party Weekend. The district is calling it 'The Big Pivot,' a reworked alternative to the Fall Fest that was cancelled, and the news only broke a few days before the festivities. It's a long day that runs from 12 PM to 8 PM, with each block taking on its own theme, live music, and local vendors. Costumes are encouraged for the Renaissance Faire-inspired celebration on the 100 block, and the whole thing is free.

The 400 block is built around MilkBoy South Street's 10th anniversary, with a full day of music: Keaton Thandi at 12 PM, Roberta Faceplant at 1 PM, Flint Hill Band at 2:05 PM, Wayback at 3:10 PM, Plush in the Box at 4:10 PM, Tonks at 5:15 PM, and Squigglers at 6:50 PM. Over at the 700 block of S 5th St, Philly AIDS Thrift celebrates its 21st anniversary with live music, food trucks, games, and a celebrity dunk tank. Headhouse Plaza hosts Pops on the Plaza, featuring the Philly Pops Little Big Band at 2:30 PM and a performance from the Settlement Music School.

The rest of the blocks each have their own thing going. The 100 block is the Renaissance Faire, the 200 block is BYOC South Street with Bridget Foy's, the 300 block is Open Streets, and the 500 block features Nocturnal's pop-up skate park, which also hosts an exclusive Nike shoe launch. The 600 block is Wooden Shoe's 50th anniversary party, and the 700 block combines that anniversary celebration with Brauhaus Schmitz's fall beer garden. Beyond the street blocks, the Philadelphia Open Studios Tours will be running through neighborhood galleries. It's a lot to cover in one afternoon, so you'll probably want to pick a few blocks to hang out in rather than trying to hit all nine. The whole thing runs from 12 PM to 8 PM on Saturday, October 17, and it's free.