Hall & Oates headline HoagieNation in Philly
The following events are planned for this weekend throughout the region:
• Musikfest, the largest free-admission music festival in the nation, opens Friday and runs through Aug. 15 in downtown Bethlehem. Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. opening day, then noon to 11 p.m. for the remainder of the festival. There will be continuous music on more than a dozen free stages in the Historic Moravian and Southside Arts districts of Bethlehem. In addition, headliners will perform ticketed concerts at the Wind Creek Steel Stage. This weekend’s ticketed performers are Darius Rucker tonight, Phillip Phillips on Friday, Preservation Hall Jazz Band on Saturday and Sam Hunt on Sunday. For the full schedule and to purchase tickets, visit musikfest.org.
• HoagieNation, a celebration of Philly food, music and culture featuring live music on two stages, will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. at TD Pavilion at the Mann & Skyline Stage. The lineup includes Daryl Hall & John Oates, Squeeze, Kool & The Gang, The Wailers, Craig Robinson & The Nasty Delicious, The Soul Survivors and Down North. Attendees can visit the Hoagie Pavilion, with free hoagie tastings from Philly delis as part of “Hoagie Happy Hour.” There will also be food trucks, local craft beer and spirit offerings, Philly personalities and more. Tickets start at $53 and are on sale at Ticketmaster.com or the Mann Box Office. Tickets from the 2020 date will be honored. More information can be found on manncenter.org.
• SoulJoel’s Comedy Dome, Royersford, presents Kevin Nealon on Friday and Saturday at 6 and 9 p.m. Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and has received critical acclaim for his role in the Showtime series “Weeds.” He is currently seen as one of the stars on the CBS-TV comedy series “Man With a Plan.” Tickets are $35 for general admission and $45 for VIP. For tickets and the full schedule of events, visit souljoelscomedyclub.nightout.com.
• Box of Rain celebrates the birthday of the late Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia with “Essential Dead 68-74” on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the LNC Huntingdon Valley, an outdoor events space on the grounds of the Theodore Pitcairn Estate, Bryn Athyn. Doors open at 6 and tickets are $30 in advance at musae.me or $35 at the door.
• Ardmore Music Hall’s Jerry Week tribute to Jerry Garcia features concerts by Splintered Sunlight today at 8p.m., Everyone’s Dead on Friday at 8 p.m., Steve Kimock & Friends on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Rock and Roll Playhouse’s Grateful Dead for Kids with Steal Your Peach on Sunday at 11:45 a.m. For tickets, visit ardmoremusichall.com.
• Red Horse Motoring Club’s Pottstown Nights Car Show, with the theme “Hot Wheels on High Street,” will be held Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. in Pottstown. A half-mile of High Street will be shut down. There will be a 50foot Hot Wheels track for kids to race. Each child will get a free Hot Wheels car to race with. There will be food and two beer gardens.
• The outdoor Summer Concert Series at Rivet: Canteen & Assembly, Pottstown, presents Jimmie’s Chicken Shack with opener Alright, Junior on Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. There will be food trucks, local brews, and a showcase of classic cars in conjunction with the monthly Pottstown Nights Car Show. Admission is free. In the event of rain, the show moves indoors. For more information, see visitrivet. com.
• The First Friday program at the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, features a tribute to Bob Marley by the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. This program marks the return of First Friday and onsite musical performances, which have not been offered since early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tickets are $28 for general admission, $10 for members and college students. Cocktails and Caribbean fare will be available for purchase. Tickets include admission to the Barnes collection and the critically acclaimed “Soutine / de Kooning: Conversations in Paint” exhibition, which closes Sunday. For more information and to register, visit www.barnesfoundation.org.
• Journeyman presents a tribute to Eric Clapton today at 6 and 9 p.m. at the Sellersville Theater. On Friday it’s Roomful of Blues at 8 p.m., and the 5th Dimension performs Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. On Sunday, Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters headline a show at 8 p.m., with openers The Youngers. For tickets, visit st94.com.
• Genesius Theatre presents the musical “Hair” tonight through Monday, 7:30nightly, under the tent at Willow Glen Park, Sinking Spring. The production features Matt Kleckner and Corey Clark as the iconic hippie duo of George Berger and Claude Hooper Bukowski. On Friday and Saturday, Konopelski’s Truck N Brew is open at Willow Glenn starting at 5p.m. for the audience to purchase food and drink. Soda, water and snacks will be available at the other performances. Tickets cost $25 for general admission seating at genesiusdifference.org or at the door.
• The Jazz on the Avenue series at Yocum Institute for Arts Education, West Lawn, presents
Three Flights Up on Friday at 7 p.m. Featuring Isaiah Nygard, piano; Cormick Costello, bass; and Aaron Rudderow, drums, the trio recently was named the recipient of the 2021 Chuck Loeb Memorial Scholarship. Tickets are $15 at yocuminstitute.org/jazz-on-theavenue.
• The Berks County Fair continues through Friday at the Berks County Fairgrounds, 1216 Hilltop Road, Bern Township. Entertainment highlights include line dancing with DJ Chicken Nugget today at 8 p.m. and Truck and Tractor Pulls on Friday starting at 6p.m. For more information see theberkscountyfair.com.
• The First Friday Downtown Beer Garden runs from 5 to 10 p.m. at Fifth and Penn streets, Reading, and will feature music by The Funkitorium. The monthly events also have interactive art, craft brews, drinks by the Reading Occasional Cocktail Club and a food truck.
• The Muhlenberg Township Summer Concert Series presents the Smokin Soles Dance Band on Friday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on the lawn at Jim Dietrich Park. Take along lawn chairs. You are welcome to bring your own food or purchase from two on-site vendors. Admission is free.
• Community United Church of Christ, 3330 St. Lawrence Ave., St. Lawrence, hosts Cruise Nights every Thursday through September from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., weather permitting. Food is available. The menu varies from week to week and may include hot dogs, BBQ, sausage or meatball sandwiches, milkshakes or sundaes and snacks.