Metro Philadelphia

15 hours ago | metrophiladelphia.com | Molly Given

Every summer, the Wawa Welcome America Festival takes over the city, and with it comes a slew of different events for all ages over a 16-day period. This year, the festival will feature a lineup of free multicultural happenings, with the grand finale being a star-studded concert on July 4th on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with LL Cool J and Grammy Award-winning R&B singer and songwriter—and Philadelphia native—Jazmine Sullivan.

1 day ago | metrophiladelphia.com | Molly Given

A new festival is headed to the City of Brotherly Love, and its focus aims to transform how we engage with aging, dying, and grieving. The Philadelphia Death & Arts Festival is officially set for May 29 to June 1 at the Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Ave.), and with it comes a multi-day creative schedule packed with unique performances, end-of-life educational workshops, panels, and advocacy opportunities. “The festival offers many ways to engage with mortality: your own, or a loved one’s.

2 days ago | metrophiladelphia.com | Molly Given

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Visit Philly has debuted a new multi-part video series aimed at celebrating the city’s diverse AAPI community as part of their ongoing project, ‘In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union.’ ‘Within Us‘ delves into the dominant narrative that “overlooks the depth that makes Philadelphia’s AAPI population so dynamic.’ As a release notes, this series was created to amplify stories that reflect a community whose businesses, cultures...

2 days ago | metrophiladelphia.com | Jack Tomczuk

A prominent Philadelphia rapper known for promoting positive messages was gunned down during a robbery Sunday afternoon in Juniata, authorities said. Qidere Johnson, 30, of North Philadelphia, who went by the moniker LGP Qua, was shot just before 4:40 p.m. near the intersection of M and Luzerne streets, according to police. When officers arrived at the scene, he had already been taken to Temple University Hospital, where he died a short time later, the PPD said.

2 days ago | metrophiladelphia.com | Molly Given

Philadelphians will have access to 35 local, national, and international independent features this weekend, with the FirstGlance Film Festival making its return to the Film Society Bourse. Taking over the weekend (May 16-18), the event features screenings, Q&A’s, afterparties, and a closing night live awards ceremony, hosted by award-winning director/filmmaker and FirstGlance alum Raphael Sbarge (who some may recognize from the TV series ‘Once Upon a Time‘).