East Passyunk Avenue Will Host Inaugural Music Festival With Five Stages, Two Dozen Acts, Food, Art, and More!

East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District presents the inaugural East Passyunk Music Festival, sponsored by Samuels Seafood, Giordano Garden Groceries, Penn Beer and WXPN, on Sunday, September 10, 2023, from 11:00am to 6:00pm. The all day, all ages family-friendly music and food festival will take over East Passyunk from Broad to Dickinson streets. Enjoy a full day of live music paired with award-winning food and seasonal sips all under the beautiful end of summer skies. Look for some of the most well-known artists in the region to jam on one of the most celebrated food streets in America. Over two dozen artists and bands will perform at five stages and performance areas, with genres spanning from jazz, indie rock, world beats, funk horns, reggae, salsa, hip hop, country, opera and more. Early artists announced include South Philly’s own Cosmo Baker, DJ Diamond Kuts, the Avenue’s long-time favorite Brown Sugar, the East Passyunk Opera Project, the beats of Batala Philly, plus Korine, the Paul Green Rock Academy, City Rhythm, Lady HD, Jimmy Jorge and the Latin Express, Shakoor Hakeem, and Guachinangos. Restaurants serving outdoors will include Bing Bing Dim Sum, Ember & Ash, Barcelona, Pistola’s del Sur, Cantina Los Caballitos, LaScala’s Birra, plus many more to be announced maker and vintage pop-up market curated by Nice Things Handmade, Amelie’s Bark Shop new dog truck, family fun, face painting, balloon animals, bounce house, stilt-walkers, goat rescue, arts and crafts, shopping, retail specials, pop-up events and more. The event is free and open to the public, with food and drink pay-as-you-go. For more information, visit www.visiteastpassyunk.com and follow @eastpassyunk.

“We are excited to debut the first-ever East Passyunk Music Festival featuring more than two dozen top bands, musicians, live performers and DJs - including South Philly favorite Cosmo Baker and MTV’s DJ Diamond Kuts,” said new EPABID Executive Director Rebecca O’Leary. “This new event will be the first cross-cultural music festival on East Passyunk Avenue. We will pair some of the very best and biggest entertainers in the region with our nationally recognized food scene. Come out and enjoy a day of great music, delicious food and cold seasonal sips while strolling and shopping on East Passyunk. Bring the family- this event is for everyone.”

She added, “We are excited to host this inaugural all day event and move the needle with impactful, multicultural and multigenerational programming to attract more people from across the region to visit, shop and live on East Passyunk. We want to celebrate the best of the Avenue and all we are known for, but we also want to shine the spotlight on lesser-known elements of the Avenue, our amazing retail and small business mix, and our growing music scene. We hope to see our South Philly familiar faces, but also new faces from Center City, South Jersey, the Main Line and the farther suburbs. This is going to be a memorable event with top quality talent lighting up our stages - we hope to see you dancing in the street like only we do down here on East Passyunk!”

MUSIC LINE-UP

MC’d by Joe Conklin

For the Avenue’s history-making first music festival, EPABID and O’Leary tapped into the many talents of Pete Spina - who is chairing the festival music committee. Spina is known around the region as one of the founders of City Rhythm Orchestra. Spina also has many ties to South Philly, where he also serves as Music Director at St. Nicholas Church. Spina and the festival committee have been working hard for months to curate the perfect mix for the stages that will feature South Philly and Philadelphia favorites, mixed with up-and-coming new artists who work in a wide range of styles and genres, as listed below:

Juniper Street Stage / Giordano Garden Groceries Stage

11:00am Casey Parker Band - Popular Philly-scene singer brings a wide selection of covers and originals from Rock to Soul to Funk

12:00pm - Cordelia Blue - John Bickel and Luke Ferracone front an incredible 4-piece organ driven blues and soul experience

1:00pm - West Philadelphia Orchestra - An eclectic brass band inspired by Balkan, klezmer, free jazz, punk and more

2:00pm - Guachinangos - Exciting fusion of Mexican Jarocho and Colombian Cumbia rhythms and an electrifying stage energy

3:00pm - Shakoor Hakeem - Boundary-pushing percussionist & industrial sound architect draws on Afro-Cuban musical roots to create imaginative soundscapes

4:00pm - Paul Green Rock Academy -Rising stars presented by the man responsible for changing the way that rock music is taught internationally

5:00pm - Korine - Morgy Ramone and Trey Frye blend new wave, early emo, and punk contrasting upbeat rhythms against evocative lyrics

Watkins Street Stage

11:00am - Red Touch Black - Psychedelic melodies, fuzz heavy riffs and dreamy synth from South Philly

12:00pm - The Last Generation on Film - Philly based ambient synthpop sound led by Jeff Familetti and Ryan Bayle

1:00pm - Brown Sugar - Exciting Philadelphia based Rolling Stones Tribute Band

2:00pm - City Rhythm - Great music and great fun as the 11-piece group plays blues, funk and standards with their award winning horns & vocals

3:00pm - Francis Mbappe and the Tribe - Enthralling Afro Beat music with funk in its conception, rock in the attitude, swing in the movement and soul in the spirit

4:00pm - Lady HD - Ciaran Wall mixes his Peruvian Psychedlic roots and Trip Hop/Philly Soul influecnces for an exciting fusion he calls "Fuzz Funk"

5:00pm - Jimmy Jorge and the Latin Express - Philly's top salsa band dazzles with their horns and captivating rhythms, plus a Latin dance lesson by the Society Hill Dance Academy

Mifflin Street Stage

11:30am - Matthew Gordon - Award winning Bluegrass duo

12:30pm - Valentina Janie - Captivating Philadelphia based singer-songwriter of rock, blues and soul

1:30pm - East Passyunk Opera Project - Bringing opera up close and personal to the community

2:30pm - Elegance String Quartet - Stunning renditions of classical music, acoustic covers of modern songs and rock tunes performed on electric string instruments

3:30pm - Batala Philly - Dazzling authentic Brazilian drums and costumes create a captivating performance

4:30pm - Mia Johnson - Popular Philly singer-songwriter also delivering pop favorites

Tasker Street Stage

Cosmo Baker - Globally known artist and top-tier DJ has toured 50 countries with his genre-spanning selection and explosive stage presence

Latchkey - Local DJs presented by fab Avenue shop

Lelu Lenore - Captivating performance to the tunes of Stevie Nicks

Moore Street

Presented by Flannel and Stogie Joe's - Local favorites from mainstay music presenters on the avenue

AWARD-WINNING FOOD AND DRINK

America’s Top 10 Foodie Street will have dozens of East Passyunk’s award-winning restaurants, bars, cafes and eateries serving out in the street under the blue skies. Look for everything from street food favorites, tasty handhelds, vegan delights, sweet and savory options, and South Philly classics. The early list of restaurants, bars and eateries will include:

Barcelona Wine Bar
Bing Bing Dim Sum
Cantina Los Caballitos
Ember + Ash
Flannel
Kouklet
LaScala's Birra
Noir Restaurant
P’unk Burger
Pistola's del Sur
POPE (Pub on Passyunk East)
Samuels Seafood
Stogie Joe’s
The Bottle Shop
Triangle Tavern

Also, look for Giordano Garden Groceries, Inside Out Pizza, Penn Beer and others.

ARTISTS, MAKERS AND VINTAGE VENDORS

Nice Things Handmade (1731 East Passyunk) will present a curated selection of more than 80+ artists, makers and vintage vendors, including:

Atom Kaye- Original Art and prints
Awesome records – Records
Arts & Feels – Home accessories
ArtesinA – Fair trade art and social good
AY Design – Jewelry/Art
Alley Cat Clay – Ceramics
Bad Vibes Mostly – Stickers and prints
Bird and Brush Art –  original art Home goods
Bold & Broad – Greeting Cards and Planners
Box Turtle Press – Handmade Books/paper
Casscabell – Art and painting
Catalyst Accessories- Resin art
Crafty Colleen – Upcycled home goods
Corvid: Alternative Art Store – Clothing
Confluence Craftworks – Stained glass
Dumpster Fires For You – Candles
Dye hard fan – Philly apparel
Elizabeth Kross Photography – Photography
Fells Handmade – Polymer Jewelry
Fenny craft - Needlework
Full Moon Blends – Bath and Body
Golden Key Prints – Clothing
GB Jewelry – Jewelry
Holland & Milan Organics – Bath and Body
Intentions Candle Shop – Candle
Jay McQuirns – Illustrations and stickers
Jeremy Berkman Graphic Design – Graphic design prints
Knot Too Shaggy – Fiber art
Lauren Matesich Art – Upcycled art/vintage
Leah Creation Jewelry – Jewelry made from Records
Lily Lough Jewelry – Jewelry
Little Kitty Vintage – Vintage
Mama Makes Scents – Bath and body
Maker Missya – Decorative Cement home goods
Meg Ann's Designs – Jewelry
Modern hex – upcycled handmade clothing
Moss and Bug – Fiber art
Natural Order Handmade – Bath and Body
PALS – Socks
Puppeht’s Presents – Resin art
Philly Ain’t Bad – Clothing
Philly Candles - Candles
Philly Yo' Self – Prints
Pixerina Crochet – Fiber work
Pink July – Jewelry
Redwood Durable – Leather accessories
Rock and Pop Vintage – Vintage
Rudy Toot Studio-  Ceramics
Sacred Drip – Resin Jewelry
Shadowfishtank – Illustration, pen and ink
S H Candles – Candles
Speech Bubble Apparel – Original Designs
Strange Little Beast Ceramics- Ceramics
Stoop Sale – Records
Studio Bladel – Laser Cut Jewelry
Tiger Snake Vintage – vintage
The 666 Cat – Original art and painting
The Satin Lady Vintage – Vintage
The B Side LLC –  Greeting Cards
Tommy Carroll – Original Drawings and Paintings
Urban Princess Boutique – Woman’s clothing
Vik Hart – Art and Illustrations
Xenia Studio – Jewelry mixed medium
Yuuka universe – polymer jewelry
And dozens more to be announced!

SHOPPING, VENDORS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

Look for some of the biggest and most celebrated retail shops on East Passyunk to be out on the street with sidewalk sales, merchandise and signature items, including:

A Novel Idea
Amelie’s Bark Shop Truck
August Moon
Capri Dessecker Team
Civil Stock General Store
Birds Of Prey Artistry & Aesthetics
Creations by Coppola
Delicious Sweets
Filitalia International
FRAME FATALE
Good Buy Supply
Head Hunters Hair Design
Ismaels Boutique
Latchkey LLC
Meraki Luxe Spa
Mockingbird Salon
Occasionette
Philly Typewriter
RE/MAX One Realty
Sermania Jewelry LLC
South Fellini
Sweat Fitness
Tattoo One Five Art Gallery & Studio
Tildie's Toy Box
Tiny Tildie's
Train and Nourish
TRUMARK FINANCIAL CU

The festival footprint will also include dozens of community groups, sponsors and other booths, including PARC, Fulton Bank, WXPN and many more. Make sure not to miss limited edition concert posters and t-shirts designed by South Philly based artist, Martha Rich.

FAMILY FUN

Bring the entire family for all-ages family fun during the festival, including Philly Goat Project, face painting, balloon animals, bounce house, Bubble Lady, stilt walkers - and more to be announced closer to the festival.

FESTIVAL BASICS

The inaugural East Passyunk Music Festival is presented by East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District, with support from major sponsors Samuels Seafood, Giordano Garden Groceries, Penn Beer and WXPN. The event is free and open to the public, with food and drink pay-as-you-go. For more information, visit www.visiteastpassyunk.com and follow @eastpassyunk on social media.

Stay tuned in early September right after Labor Day for a full list of music acts, times and stage assignments, plus more vendors, crafters, makers and, of course, tons more food and drink to announce. Mark your calendars and watch for even more details to come! 

East Passyunk Music Festival
Presented by East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District
Sunday, September 10, 2023
11:00am to 6:00pm
East Passyunk from Broad to Dickinson streets
Free to attend, food/drink pay-as-you-go

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