Public is invited to celebrate Philadelphia's robust arts and cultural scene, interacting with dozens of regional cultural organizations and enjoying free performances.
The Kimmel Cultural Campus celebrates the kickoff of Philadelphia's robust arts and cultural season with Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest, a day of FREE festival-style performances, the chance to interact with more than 50 arts organizations from across the region, and $20 tickets to a selection of over 100 events!
The sequel to 2021's Arts Launch event, which brought thousands of arts and entertainment lovers to the Kimmel last fall for the first time in two years, Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest shines the spotlight on the rich and diverse arts and culture scene across the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love.
"Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest is an opportunity to showcase the many artists and arts organizations that make our arts and culture sector special," said Matías Tarnopolsky, President and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. "Philly is a vibrant and extraordinary place filled with creativity and talent, and we believe in the truth of rising tides lift all boats - we are better and stronger together as an arts community. September 17 is about celebrating that."
Taking place Saturday, September 17, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., attendees are invited inside the largest Kimmel Cultural Campus building - the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts at 300 S. Broad Street - where organizations from across the region will participate in the festivities - either by performing or presenting information about their upcoming programming and recruiting staff & volunteers. Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest guests are welcome to explore activities and demonstrations showcasing a variety of genres ranging from hula hoops and tap dance, to jazz, Broadway and classical. Performances will be held on the Plaza stage under the 150 ft high glass dome, as well as within Perelman Theater. There is something for everyone (including giveaways)! Click here to check out the performances planned thus far, or visit https://www.kimmelculturalcampus.org/events-and-tickets/events/philadelphia-fall-arts-fest.
Attendees will be treated to a special in-person flash sale offer: $20 tickets to over 100 events across the upcoming 2022-23 season. Flash sale offerings range from jazz favorites like Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Monterey Jazz Festival; to family favorites like Disney's Winnie the Pooh, Disney Junior Live on Tour: Costume Palooza, and Annie; plus, laugh-inducing events like Friends! The Musical Parody and the latest from comedian Amanda Seales with Black Outside Again Tour; Broadway blockbusters like The Lion King, Les Misérables, Come From Away, and Jagged Little Pill; and epic performances from The Philadelphia Orchestra, including Strauss and Price, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, Mozart's Requiem; and the Glorious Sound of Christmas. Sales will be conducted at the Kimmel Center building box office (located downstairs on the lower level). For a list of events included in this special flash sale, visit our website here or via https://www.kimmelculturalcampus.org/events-and-tickets/events/philadelphia-fall-arts-fest.
"The arts are powerful - able to uplift, transform, and draw us together - and what better place to celebrate that than on our city's Avenue of the Arts," said Kelly Lee, Chief Cultural Officer and Director of the Office of Arts Culture and the Creative Economy for the City of Philadelphia. "I am looking forward to seeing so many of our region's diverse arts and cultural organizations all in one place. The Fall Arts Fest will be a one stop shop to get information about all of the great performances and exhibits for the upcoming season."
Select participating organizations include BalletX, Esperanza Arts Center, Jazz Philadelphia, Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble, Musicopia, Usiloquy Dance Designs, and so many more. A preliminary schedule, as well as a full alphabetized list of participating performers and cultural organizations, is below.
Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra will perform music from Mozart and Mendelssohn, and audiences will be treated to a performance from the Kimmel's musical theater high school students - called ShowStoppers - performing selections from Willy Wonka Jr.
Kimmel Cultural Campus Resident Companies will participate, including Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO!, and The Curtis Institute of Music. Opera Philadelphia will partner with the Marian Anderson Museum to present singers and accompanist (vocalists will perform selections from Bonds and Price that span multiple genres, from tin pan alley to spirituals to cabaret), while a museum scholar will perform "My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord". Artifacts from the Marian Anderson Museum will be on display in the Kimmel Center. Philadelphia Ballet will also have a surprise costumed character, and PHILADANCO! will perform an excerpt from "This Place", choreographed by Ray Mercer. Curtis Institute of Music will present pianist Élias Ackerly, performing Beethoven's Sonata No. 6 in F major, Op.10 No. 2, and Liszt's Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F minor.
Plaza activities include The West Powelton Drummers presented by Musicopia. Attendees are invited to interact and join in the hula hooping with Philly Hoop Starz Dance Troupe, while Keep Music Alive will present an instrument petting zoo. Broadway activities include an Annie photo-op, CATS coloring sheets, and a special map Come From Away activation.
Additionally, Kimmel-partner Garces Events will activate a champagne cart in the Plaza for refreshments, and concessions will be open; while WURD Radio will be onsite once again broadcasting live from the Kimmel.
There will also be a special Philly Fashion Week exhibit, featuring two designers, Conrad Booker and Prajje Oscar, and six models, giving attendees a glimpse of what to expect for Philadelphia Fashion Week 2022. Join in as they redefine fashion in Philadelphia and showcase the best of what the city has to offer.
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