About two weeks ago, my roommate and I took about an hour to look up and write down all kinds of different Philly events that are going on late September/early October. Saying this was time well spent is an understatement. We were able to pencil in our calendar with all kinds of events that we could have missed out on simply by not knowing they were going on.
The first event on our calendar was the Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show. Founded in 1928, it is the country’s oldest outdoor art show. Twice a year, artists from all over the country come together to share their art underneath tents that span the entire perimeter of Rittenhouse Square. Occurring twice a year in the spring and fall, the arts fest took place this weekend from September 16th to September 18th. My roommate and I love a good art show so we knew that we couldn’t miss it. About two days out, we planned to go with a few friends and then that same day my mom called asking if I wanted to do lunch. Instead, I told her about the art show, and next thing I knew, our group to go expanded by one more person.
The arts fest was wonderful – more than 100 artists from across North America came to display sculptures, paintings, photographs- everything! There were so many vendors and tents displayed around the square that we only made it to about a third of them. Local students in the area displayed their work in the middle of the square. As a design student myself, I always love to see what other student artists are up to. The weather was absolutely gorgeous – the sun was out and there was a slight breeze. The grassy shaded park of Rittenhouse Square and the city’s towering buildings was a simply picturesque background to the perimeter of artwork that was displayed along the concrete sidewalk. Eventually, we found ourselves escaping the rising heat in the Barnes & Noble on the square and finishing off the day at the Cheesecake Factory.
The whole day was truly a great experience. It was one of those days that seems to go just right. I loved perusing the art and spending time with some of my favorite people, and it made me realize that we are so lucky to live in a place where so much goes on. With fall festivities just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to check out what’s happening all around us. I highly recommend checking out the Visit Philly website for more information about upcoming events in the area. So, go and explore all that Philly has to offer this fall- there is so much to see and do!
PHOTO CREDIT: Abbey Pitzer