The Roni Koresh Dance Company at last year's Avenue of the Arts
Festival. Avenue of the Arts Fest One weekend a year, the Avenue of the Arts lays down a tarp, locks
up its valuables and allows the uncultured, unwashed masses to
see what they've been missing. Festival promoters encourage you
to "Make it a Night" on Friday and Saturday night, Oct. 3 and
4, by seeing a show, eating dinner, and swishing a complimentary
glass of Korbel Champagne without a straw. Neither the show nor
the food are rare things on the Ave, nor are they free, but some
people need a festival just to get out of the house. The Philadelphia
Orchestra is an easy choice on the Ave of the Arts, but good stuff
is going on at the Wilma, Gershman YM/YMHA and Freedom Theatre,
too. During the day on Oct. 4 there will be free workshops, demonstrations
and tours of the local theaters and venues. The lecture and live
demonstration on the history of Philly boxers at Joe Frazier's
Gym (2917 N. Broad, noon-1:30 p.m.) should prove worth your while.
Finish up the high-class weekend with a very free event - 15 music
and dance stages, including three different places with live jazz,
in the middle of usually busy intersections just south of City
Hall. Call 731-9388 for information. - Pat Rapa Who says we never give back to our loyal readers? Just by picking
up this rag you get a snazzy pass to a weekend's worth of concerts
- some free, some almost free, some you have to fight for, but
hey, there are some shows worth fighting for. In most cases the first 20 folks get in free (with pass on p.
25) and five shows will be offered through enter-to-win ticket
giveaways featured throughout this issue. The tickets to vie for
include funkmaster Maceo Parker (Electric Factory), fair Lilith
goddess Sarah McLachlan (CoreStates Spectrum), slaphappy Primus
(The Factory) and blues legend Taj Mahal (T.L.A.). It's a great
time to check out the local scene for free - keep an eye on City Paper for dates, times and complete band listings. The ultimate clothing experience struts our way Oct. 21, courtesy
of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Chronicling the birth and rise
of haute couture, Best Dressed: 250 Years of Style will showcase a montage of garments comprising fashion history.
Showcasing the museum's collection of over 20,000 objects, the
exhibition takes you from 19th-century evening gowns by godfather
of high fashion Charles Frederic Worth through creations by modern-day
icons Halston and Issey Miyake. The show also extends beyond the
threads of the West - included are a Korean wedding outfit, a
Japanese geisha's costume, and Guatemalan, Greek and Czechoslovakian
ceremonial dress. And killing two fake furs with one stone, the book Best Dressed: Fashion Since Worth in the Philadelphia Museum of
Art will be released in conjunction with the exhibit. So pick it up
and take it home with you, because unfortunately, the clothes
have to stay. Oct. 21 through Jan. 4 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin
Franklin Parkway at 26th St., 763-8100. - Maggie Garfield Scary Stuff If you're looking for a real fright this Halloween, check into
the Eastern State Penitentiary. Though they won't lock you up
in solitary confinement for the rest of your life (that would
really be scary), they will be leading frightful Ghost Tours through
their wonderfully decrepit ex-prison. This year's Halloween tours will not only feature previews from
the upcoming Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, by Charles J. Adams III, and eerie stories about Edgar Allan Poe,
but will also allow visitors to enter Cellblock 12, which has
never before been open to the public. Plus, the prison will have
haunting sound effects and lighting, which will add to the prison's
already spooky atmosphere. After the prison tour, join the Painted Bride's Hallow-Funkin-Ween
Party where The Bride of Funkenstein (unfortunately no relation
to the George Clinton spawn) will award prizes for the scariest,
funkiest and most poetic costumes. Finally, a chance to wear what
you want and not be laughed at. DJ Rich Medina will fill the air
with the sounds of Halloween. And if that isn't enough Halloween for you, the Independence Seaport
Museum is hosting a Haunted Ferry Cruise. It's yet another chance
to wear a costume and listen to frightening tales - but on this
one you do it while sailing along to Penn's Landing. Ghost Tours at the Eastern State Penitentiary, 20th & Fairmount
Ave. Tours run Thursday through Sunday through Nov. 2, times vary.
Admission is $15 for adults; $8 for kids 7-15. Call 763-NITE for
details. Hallow-Funkin-Ween, Fri., Oct. 31, 9 p.m., Painted Bride,
230 Vine St. Admission is $10. For info call 925-9914. Haunted
Ferry Cruise at the Independence Seaport Museum, Fri., Oct. 24,
8:30 p.m., 211 S. Columbus Blvd. Admission is $5 non-members,
$2.50 members, $3 non-member children, $1.50 member children.
Call 413-8621 for details. - Susan Posternock
October
Oct. 3 and 4
The earSHOT Music Weekend
October 16-18
Age-Old Fashion
Oct. 21 through Jan. 4
October 1 - November 2