Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
Another weekend comes around and there are still plenty of shows running during the last few days of the Philly Fringe Festival. There are also a number of activities, whether rain or shine, that make a trip into the city quite an adventure.
The Franklin Institute, a beloved ‘hands-on’ museum that has been delighting children and science nerds since 1824 (or at least that’s how long the institute has existed), is now showing a new National Geographic exhibit on pirates. Ideal for a rainy day’s skullduggery, the exhibit includes pirate treasure, weaponry, a full-size ship, and, of course, a full-length motion picture in the Franklin’s Imax theatre.
For a sunny day one of the best of Philadelphia’s weekend activities is a trip along Boathouse Row (following the Schuylkill in front of the art museum) where you can watch rowers sculling along the river. You can admire Fairmount Park, the largest contiguous urban park system in the country, and count how many sculptures you can find. Among others, you’ll notice Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and John B. Kelly, the Olympian rower. You can rent a bike or skates at Lloyd Hall on 1 Boathouse Row, or walk along the river and take a picnic lunch.
Finally, if you are hoping for an evening out and want to take in a classic comic operetta, try “Candide,” Voltaire’s satirical masterpiece as set to music by Leonard Bernstein. The story follows its optimistic protagonist through disillusioning encounters with a world of corruption and hypocrisy with amusing results. The performance is by the Arden Theatre Company and will be running at 8pm on Saturday, 2pm on Sunday.
Whatever swashbuckling or witty repartee you enjoy this weekend, be sure to take advantage of a little time off. You never know what sort of treasure you might find.
