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Top Five Spring Events

Philly Beer Week, Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival, Roots Picnic and more

Spring is Philadelphia’s favorite season. Not only do the Phillies come out swinging when the sun comes out; so too do the city’s outdoor festivals, week-long events and happy hour specials. And in a three-month span of fantastic events, here are our five favorites. Party on.

1. Philly Beer Week

Dates: June 3-12, 2011
Locations: Throughout Philadelphia

Just how much does Philadelphia — nicknamed — America’s “best beer-drinking city” — love beer? We have a ten-day festival devoted to the nectar of the gods, featuring special dinners and tastings, tours of Philadelphia’s best pubs and breweries, home-brewing technique demos, a cask ale festival and more. Bottoms up.

Strategic Drinking: If you love beer as much as we do, you’ll want to catch all 600 events — but since that’s impossible, pick five events you really want to attend.

2. The Roots Picnic

Date: June 4, 2011 starting at 2 p.m.
Location: The Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing

Philly’s own Grammy®-winning hip-hop band The Roots bring together artists from various genres for a day-long concert at the Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing. In its fourth year, the picnic includes all-star performances by Grammy®-winner Esperanza Spalding, the Dismemberment Plan, Wiz Khalifa, Nas and, of course, The Roots.

Drink Your Fluids: The concert lasts long into the late-spring night (read: it may be hot), so drink plenty of water throughout. And get there early to ensure a good spot in the crowd.

3. Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival

Dates: May 21, 2011
Location: Rittenhouse Square

If you love being outdoors in the springtime, this is the way to celebrate it. A festival of food, music, fashion, arts and entertainment, the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival is one of the first signs of summer in Philadelphia.

Restaurants set up shop in booths lining Walnut Street, selling delectable samples from their dining rooms at a fraction of the normal cost. Popular Restaurant Row establishments will be joined by other neighborhood hot spots, making for a true gustatory adventure.

Kids Stuff: There’s plenty for kids, including parachute games, children’s musicians, storytellers, face painting, balloons, children’s dance DJs and more.

4. Festival of Fountains at Longwood Gardens

Dates: May 28 – September 4, 2011
Location: Longwood Gardens – 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA

Longwood Gardens demonstrates its role as a cultural center for the performing arts during its annual Festival of Fountains. Throughout the spring and summer, the Gardens come alive with music, special performances and fantastic fountain displays. Nearly every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, visitors can gaze in awe more than 10,000 gallons of water pour through the fountains each minute, with jets shooting as high as 130 feet amid lights of every color.

5. TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship

Dates: June 5, 2011
Location: From the Parkway to Manayunk — click here to view the race map.

The world’s most competitive cyclists turn their sights on Philadelphia for the 27th annual TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship every June, when about 300,000 fans line an arduous road course to watch hundreds of elite pro cyclists whip through some of Philadelphia’s most beautiful streets.

The scenic course includes the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Kelly Drive, and, of course, the infamous Manayunk “Wall,” a 17% grade hill rising sharply off the banks of the Schuylkill River.