The year of the dragon soars into summer 2024 as the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival returns to Franklin Square from June 20 – August ...

The year of the dragon soars into summer 2024 as the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival returns to Franklin Square from June 20 – August 18, 2024 with magnificent steel-framed and silk-wrapped giant lighted artistic sculptures.

The popular 200-foot-long dragon returns along with never-before-seen giant lantern displays.

In addition to the light installations, visitors can enjoy live cultural stage performances, see the choreographed fountain light show in the historic Rendell Family Fountain, taste expanded food and drink options including Asian cuisine and American comfort food, drink a toast at the Dragon Beer Garden, and shop for Chinese folk artists’ crafts created on site as well as Festival-themed merchandise.

Tickets Info

Monday through Thursday tickets:

· $25 for adults
· $16 for children (ages 3-12, 2 and under are free)
· $23 for youth (13-17), senior (65+), and active military (with I.D.)

Friday through Sunday tickets (timed tickets required):

· $28 for adults
· $16 for children (ages 3-12, 2 and under are free)
· $26 for youth (13-17), senior (65+), and active military (with I.D.)


The Festival will illuminate Franklin Square nightly at 6th & Race Streets in Historic Philadelphia from June 20 - August 18, 2024. During the Festival, Franklin Square is open and free during regular daytime hours.

The Franklin Square Playground will be fully open and free both daytime and during the evening hours, accessible from 7th Street. The lanterns are able to be viewed for free during daytime, while a ticket is required for nighttime entrance after 6 pm (no re-entry). The park will close daily at 5 pm to prepare for the nightly Festival. Advance tickets are strongly recommended.

Guests can also play Philly Mini Golf and ride the Parx Liberty Carousel at a discounted rate. A portion of the proceeds from the Festival benefits Historic Philadelphia, Inc. for the programming and care of this important public space and its many year-round free events.

Student Design Contest

The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival Student Design Contest presented by Temple University gives area students the opportunity to design a lantern for the 2024 Festival. Children ages 8-14 are invited to submit a drawing of a dragon to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

Winning drawings will be crafted into lanterns and displayed during the Festival. The students will be able to take the lantern home with them at the conclusion of the Festival.

Deadline for submission is May 28, 2024.

Learn more, visit - www.phillychineselanternfestival.org

American Ballet Theatre (ABT)’s 2024 Summer season performances will run from June 18 through July 20, 2024. Featuring the New York Premie...

American Ballet Theatre (ABT)’s 2024 Summer season performances will run from June 18 through July 20, 2024.

Featuring the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, as well as repertory favorites Onegin, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet, plus the return of Tony Award® winner Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate.

Tickets go on sale Monday, April 22 at 12:00 P.M. at the Metropolitan Opera House box office.

Family Programming

ABTKids, American Ballet Theatre’s annual one-hour introduction to ballet for families, is scheduled for Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 A.M. with ABT Principal Dancer Misty Copeland set to host.

A limited number of $150 VIP tickets are available for purchase that include premium seating, a souvenir gift bag, and a post-performance meet-and-greet with an ABT dancer.

All other tickets for the ABTKids performance are $30. ASL interpretation will be provided.

Pre-Performance Workshop

The 2024 Summer season will also include the return of ABT’s Pre-Performance Workshop series at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Young fans will have the opportunity to participate in an hour of hands-on activities, designed as an introduction to the works they will see on the Met stage.

Workshops will take place at 9:15 A.M. before the ABTKids performance on Saturday, June 22, and at 11:00 A.M. before the matinees of Swan Lake on Thursday, July 4 and Saturday, July 6.

Workshop tickets are $20 and require a corresponding performance ticket.

New York Premiere

ABT will present the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works on Tuesday evening, June 25 at 7:30 P.M. featuring ABT Guest Artist and former Principal Dancer Alessandra Ferri.

Woolf Works, an award-winning ballet triptych, re-creates the emotions, themes, and fluid style of three of Virginia Woolf’s novels: Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. Enmeshed with elements from Woolf’s letters, essays, and diaries, Woolf Works expresses the heart of an artistic life driven to discover a freer, uniquely modern realism.

In addition to the opening night performance, Ferri will make a guest appearance on Friday, June 28, during ABT’s 2024 production of Woolf Works at the Metropolitan Opera House. This performance, as one of ABT’s 2024 Summer season celebratory evenings, will be dedicated to honoring Ferri and her career.

2024 Summer Season Celebratory Evenings

This season, ABT unfolds a series of celebratory evenings, complete with a post-show toast on the Grand Tier of the Metropolitan Opera House. Admission is extended to that evening’s ticket holders with the purchase of an additional reception ticket.

In the month of June, ABT will celebrate Opening Night of the Summer season on Tuesday, June 18, the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works on Tuesday, June 25, and an evening honoring Guest Artist and former ABT Principal Dancer Alessandra Ferri on Friday, June 28.

During July, the Corps de Ballet Celebration will take place on Friday, July 5, while Herman Cornejo’s 25th Anniversary Toast will take place on Friday, July 19.

Reception tickets can be purchased for $98.

For more information, visit www.abt.org/SummerEvents

ABT Masters Series

This summer, ABT launches the ABT Masters Series, a day long immersive experience for ballet fans to study one of ABT’s 20th century classical works.

Designed for adults 20-years or older with beginner to advanced-beginner ballet experience, participants will start the day at ABT’s 890 Broadway studios for body conditioning and ballet technique classes before diving into a 90-minute repertoire workshop, exploring the history of the session’s ballet, its movement, and characters, all taught by ABT Artistic Staff members and notable ABT alumni.

That evening, participants will attend a pre-show talk with an ABT dancer before watching the corresponding ABT performance in an Orchestra seat at the Metropolitan Opera House.

The 2024 ABT Masters Series will run on Saturday, June 22 and Saturday, July 13 alongside performances of Onegin and Romeo and Juliet, respectively.

The day-long experience can be purchased for $250, including workshop fees, pre-performance talk, and one Orchestra ticket to attend the evening performance at the Metropolitan Opera House.

For more information, visit ABT’s website.

Tickets

Single Tickets
Tickets start at $30. Single tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House will be on sale beginning Monday, April 22 at 12:00 P.M.

Ticket holders for the 2024 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House may exchange tickets up until noon the day of the performance at no charge, minus any difference in the ticket price. We regret that there are no refunds or cancellations.

Discounted Tickets and Student Ticket Policy
American Ballet Theatre offers $12-30 advance tickets and day of rush tickets for any full-time undergraduate or graduate student. A valid student ID is required.

Tickets are subject to availability and require advance registration on the Met website. Limit two tickets per person, per performance.

American Ballet Theatre offers $35 orchestra day of rush tickets to the general public for all performances. Two tickets may be purchased for one performance every seven days. Tickets are subject to availability and require advance registration on the Met website.

American Ballet Theatre offers theatergoers under 30 years old $30 advance tickets to select performances. A limited number of tickets are available. Tickets are subject to availability and require an ID for pick up. Limit two tickets per person, per performance.

*All casting, programming, and pricing are subject to change.

On April 30, the American Indian College Fund will highlight Indigenous cuisine at New York City EATSS (Epicurean Award to Support Scholars)...

On April 30, the American Indian College Fund will highlight Indigenous cuisine at New York City EATSS (Epicurean Award to Support Scholars) event from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at The Lighthouse Pier 61, Chelsea Piers.

A world without chocolate, blueberries, or guacamole seems unthinkable, yet these favorite foods we enjoy were unknown outside the western hemisphere before 1492.

Indigenous foods have added delicious and nutritious dimensions to cuisine for nearly six centuries—yet if you had wanted to try high-end cuisine prepared by Native chefs, there is not one restaurant in all of New York City featuring Indigenous cuisine.

The following Indigenous celebrity chefs will serve up their favorite creations to guests:

• Chef Ben Jacobs (Osage Nation), a nationally renowned chef and co-founder of Tocabe, An American Indian Eatery, the largest Native American restaurant chain.
• Chef Andrea Murdoch Condes (Andean Native; Caracas, Venezuela), the owner of Four Directions Cuisine, uses food to trace her own culture while educating the public about the expansive world of Indigenous food systems.
• Chef Bradley Dry (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) has been a chef for 12 years, cooking traditional Cherokee dishes. He specializes in preparing food for special events and people, including powwows, Folklorama, and the cast and crew of Reservation Dogs.
• Chef Sherry Pocknett (Mashpee Wampanoag Nation) specializes in the Bounty of the Season, Native American Indigenous food, and New England cooking.
• Chef Anthony Bauer (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) is the owner of Traditional Fire Custom Cuisine and has 25 years of experience in the food service industry.

President and CEO Cheryl Crazy Bull and her daughter and granddaughter will be on hand to discuss how a higher education is a revolutionary act for Native people along with their own transformative college experiences.

Raye Zaragoza of the Akimel O'otham Nation will headline the event with an exclusive concert for attendees and Native dancers will perform.

Attendees can also shop original Native artwork created by students attending the premiere Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

For tickets, visit - www.standwith.collegefund.org/new-york-eatss

The American Indian College Fund

The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 33 years. The College Fund supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers.

The College Fund believes “Education is the answer" and since its founding in 1989, the College Fund has provided more than $284 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support.

Learn more, visit - www.collegefund.org

Elmer’s (the glue brand) is unveiling their digital inspiration hub, Elmer's Creations, along with never-seen before crafting ideas and ...

Elmer’s (the glue brand) is unveiling their digital inspiration hub, Elmer's Creations, along with never-seen before crafting ideas and invited me to visit Sloomoo Institute NYC to experience all the fun.

Note: I was invited as media to this event and received samples. However any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.


While I'm not necessarily a fan of "slime", I'm a big fan of craft ideas family can enjoy.

So I made sure to stop by all the different stations to learn more about new Elmer’s products and how to use them in craft ideas.

For the best experience, only Elmer's glue is recommended as each creation is crafted and perfected using Elmer's proprietary formulations

The stations I visited included

• Watercolor Salt Art, simply using Elmer’s White School Glue, Iodized salt, Watercolor paint
• Clingies, Create a window decoration on sheet protectors. Try different designs for different occasions!
• Mellow Mallow, Turn fluffy slime into a DIY fidget ball.
• Peel Off Nail Polish, Create a nail polish using glue that easily peels off!

Elmer's Creations Digital Hub

While I learned about these craft ideas, there's lots more to be found in the Elmer's Creations digital hub with hands-on activities that encourage the magic of making and personalization for all ages. The hub was inspired by parents' desires for more hands-on, sensorial learning.

Elmer's Creations provides the resources families need to start making and experimenting with sensory play, which helps to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills and builds children's creative confidence in a safe and enjoyable way.

In a new survey conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Elmer's, more than 90% of parents believe hands-on or sensory play is an important part of their child's brain development (96%), an important contributor to their creativity (95%), confidence (94%), social skills (93%), and critical thinking skills (95%), Elmer's pourable glues will be the key ingredient for families' new favorite crafts with Elmer's Creations.

Each Creation includes inspirational crafts with directions and supply lists, while also encouraging the freedom to create your own way. Kids are encouraged to add their own colors, create unique designs and use the Creations as a catalyst for endless possibilities.

To learn more, visit - www.elmers.com/creations

European children’s brand Stapelstein is now available the U.S. and provides various ways kids can use their imagination in open and active ...

European children’s brand Stapelstein is now available the U.S. and provides various ways kids can use their imagination in open and active playtime.

Note: I was invited as media to this event and received sample. However any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.


To get some hands on time with the products, I attend a preview event at Hatch Soho, where Stapelstein® Founder and Designer, Stephan Schenk shared more about the brand and his view of imaginative play.

“We’ve poured our passion into creating products that foster out-of-the-box thinking, promote movement and activity, and bring families and communities closer together,” says Schenk.

A few things I learned about Stapelstein products included

• Without rules and prescriptive play, children of all abilities and ages are free to experiment and discover playtime in ways that widen their perspectives.


• The collection for the U.S. includes Stapelstein Originals (stacking elements) and the Stapelstein Board (balance and stacking board). These products can be used alone or together to create a variety of games, structures, and landscapes all while encouraging open play and creativity.


• They are free from harmful substances, food-grade (safe for little mouths to teethe on), odorless and entirely recyclable. Crafted in Germany with climate-neutral production methods, Stapelstein products are made from eco-friendly EPP foam (expanded polypropylene) in a production process solely using pure air and water vapor, making them lightweight and durable.

To learn more, visit - www.stapelstein.com