Kimmel Center to Host Pifa Street Fair, 4/23

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts announced today the details of the celebrated Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) Finale Street Fair. The culminating event of the 16-day festival transforms six blocks of Broad Street (between Chestnut and South Streets) into Philadelphia's ultimate FREE block party featuring dozens of performances, rides, a zip line, popular food vendors, and this year's centerpiece - an enormous waterfall in the center of Broad Street across from the Academy of Music. The 2016 PIFA Street Fair will take place on Saturday, April 23 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

"We are thrilled to share PIFA's grand finale, an amazing free event, and the Kimmel Center's gift to Philadelphia," said Anne Ewers, President & CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. "The Street Fair is an incredible opportunity for the city to come together and enjoy the streets and sights they know so well in a new way, all while interacting with international performers, beloved local vendors, and one another!"

Dozens of performing troupes and entertainers, amusement rides, food vendors, and more will headline the PIFA Street Fair. Attendees can expect:

PERFORMER HIGHLIGHTS

· Squonk - Pittsburgh's Squonk Opera presents Lady Pneumatica, a 40-foot tall inflatable accordion sculpture of a woman that plays music.

· Flippen Out - Extreme trampoline athletes/acrobats/artists performing high-energy stunt shows.

· The Living Vines - Back by popular demand from the 2011 PIFA Street Fair, the Living Vines performers walk around on stilts, dressed in vine and flower costumes camouflaging themselves as part of their surroundings.

· Golden Mantises - Also back by popular demand from the 2013 PIFA Street Fair these beautiful, larger-than-human bugs with costumes made from handmade wicker baskets delight audiences.

· Cirikli Birds - Colorfully plumed wooden puppet birds controlled by stilt performers who interact with the audience.

· Wheelmen - Old-timey characters on old-fashioned bicycles.

INTERNATIONAL PERFORMERS

· Kamchàtka - A Spanish troupe that simulates a group of immigrants from 100 years ago who've just arrived in a new land, with their suitcases in-hand. Watch these performers discover their surroundings for the first time.

· The Mamas - A group of North African street performers who depict four giant mothers carrying their babies on their backs with puppets and stilts, bejeweled and in colorful dresses.

· Les Gonfles - French dancers who perform a beautiful choreographed routine in inflatable outfits.

· Aerosculpture - Invented by French artist Jean-Pierre David, the Aéroplume is an airship with fluttering wings piloted by an individual performer that will "fly" around the Kimmel Center.

· AND MORE!

RIDES

Street Fair patrons can Zip Line down Broad Street and ride amusement attractions like the Ferris Wheel, Swings, and The Tornado.

ATMOSPHERE, INTERACTION, AND DINING

· Waterfall - In addition to several grassy areas, trees, water fountains, and other natural elements, a 25-foot waterfall will be installed in the center of Broad Street, across from the Academy of Music where patrons can enjoy a picnic with a view.

· Food Vendors - In addition to more than 30 food vendors, Garces Events will have a beer garden set up on Spruce Street, as well as a food stand, opposite the Kimmel Center. Food vendors to include: The Cow and the Curd, Scratch Biscuits, and Hai Street Kitchen.

The PIFA Street Fair is free and open to the public.

A 16-day celebration of art, PIFA showcases innovation and a breadth of local and international performances and installations, all curated by the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. With more than 60 events across genres and art forms, PIFA is bookended by Article 13 - a grand-scale fire, sand, and water installation that tells the story of migrants from around the world and serves as the grand opening of the Festival - and the celebrated PIFA Street Fair.

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