
Saturday, Jul 18, 2026
It's peak summer, so this week leans free and outdoor: a West Philly jazz festival that's been going 20 years (with a kids' drumming circle) and two movie nights out on the grass. And if you're up for a short drive and a splurge, there's a thousand-plus-drone Harry Potter show lighting up the sky over Chester.
Saturday Noon-7 PM · Saunders Park Greene · West Philadelphia · All ages

Join 850+ Philly parents in the Inner Circle and get the next one on Thursday.
West Philly's Lancaster Avenue jazz festival turns 20 this year, and it's built for families, not just jazz heads. There's a children's activity village and a community drumming circle running right alongside the main stage. The music goes all afternoon and closes with saxophonist Camille Thurman and the Darrell Green Quartet, part of a tribute to John Coltrane, who got his start a few miles north in Strawberry Mansion. Free, rain or shine; come hungry for the food trucks.
Good to know
Just show up · free and outdoor, so bring water, sunscreen, and a blanket for the lawn
Friday 7 PM · Hope Park · Kensington · All ages
The city's free Movies in Philly Parks series screens the animated Hoppers at Hope Park on Friday. Unlike most park screenings, this one starts right at 7 instead of waiting for dark, so you can get the kids home closer to a normal bedtime. Grab a patch of grass and bring snacks.
Good to know
Just show up · bring a blanket and bug spray; it starts right at 7, not at dusk
Saturday Noon · Cira Green · University City · All ages

If the little ones aren't up for a night screening, Sunset Social runs a free Saturday matinee up on the Cira Green rooftop, and this week it's Studio Ghibli's Ponyo at noon on a 60-foot screen. They run cheap concessions ($3 cheeseburgers, $2 hot dogs), and it's about a mile from the jazz fest if you want to stack the two. Flat, stroller-friendly, dog-friendly.
Good to know
Just show up · rooftop screen, food on site, easy with a stroller
Friday & Saturday 9:15 PM · Subaru Park · Chester · Ages 5+

This is the splurge, and it's worth naming plainly: it's in Chester (about 25 minutes down I-95), it starts late at 9:15, and tickets run around $30 for kids and $50 for adults. What you get is 1,200 drones lighting up scenes from the Harry Potter films over Subaru Park, scored by a live violinist. If you've got a Potter kid who can hang past bedtime, it's the kind of thing they'll remember. Doors at 7:15; no strollers, and parking's paid on site.
Good to know
Make a plan · ~25-min drive to Chester, a late 9:15 start, and it's ticketed, but a real event if you want one
That's it for this weekend.
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See you next Thursday.
— TinyJawns 🏠
