Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and open up your online calendar. This is how you catch "Festival Fever."
The next 60 days represent the official start of the spring and summer festival season in Greater Philadelphia, and there are even some new events worth checking out. In this case, March flowers pave the way for April showers (of festivals).
While technically not a festival in name, the
Philadelphia International Flower Show is indeed among the world's most festive and largest gatherings of flower, garden and landscape lovers and kicks off Springtime in Paris on Saturday with a black-tie gala to benefit the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and PHS members preview. The event, according to a recent study by KPMG, has a regional economic impact of $61 million.
Also this weekend, the
Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival opens tonight with
Japan Night at the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Art After 5 program with a special performance by Me&Mars.
Next month features a pair of new events--the
Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (April 7-May 1) and the
Philadelphia Science Festival (April 15-28), plus the 27th annual
Philadelphia International Children's Festival (April 7-9) and the revamped
Philadelphia CineFest 2011 (April 7-14).
Visit visitphilly.com for info on festivals throughout the rest of the spring and summer. And if you know of any under-the-radar gatherings or new events worth checking out, let us know.
JOE PETRUCCI is managing editor of Flying Kite. Send feedback here.