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Cool, Refreshing Drinks and Tasty Bites at The Watering Hole in the Philadelphia Zoo
Story by Jill Beckel, photos by Cassie Hepler The Watering Hole Beer Garden & Oasis is your new summer spot to be! Explore Philly visited The Watering Hole on a hot summer day at the Philadelphia Zoo, which is now open to the public. Sponsored by Victory Brewing Company, it’s a great place for guests to relax, grab a refreshing specialty beer, glass of wine and a bite to eat while also enjoying the great outdoors in this open-air hangout. As the Philadelphia region’s leading family destination, the zoo welcomed more than 1.3 million visitors last year. One of the region’s foremost conservation organizations, it is home to nearly 1,300 animals, many which are…
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Cats and Coffee Are the Purrfect Pair at Japanese Inspired Kawaii Cat Cafe
Photos, story by Jill Beckel Cats, freshly brewed coffee and sweet treats – what more could one want? The Kawaii Kitty Café is the perfect place to stop in for a quick cup of joe or relax and play with a cute cat. Located on 759 South 4th Street in Philadelphia, it just opened at the end of June. Explore Philly stopped in just a week after the opening and got to meet the proud owners, Kristin Eissler and her boyfriend, Joe Ronca. How did they come up with such a unique name? According to their website, “In Japanese, the adjective Kawaii translates to ‘Cute, Pretty, Charming, Dear, and Pet’…
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The Cat’s Out of the Bag: Le Cat Cafe Saves Cats for Loving Homes
Photos, story by Jill Beckel To say that the talent of Explore Philly are cat lovers is an extreme understatement. We love cats, sharing cat videos and memes, and pretty much anything cat-related. When we got a chance to check out Le Cat Café, we practically purred with joy. Le Cat Café opened March 9, 2016 on 2713 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia. The owner, Kathy Jordan, has been doing animal rescue work since 2002. She loves cats and has 12 of her own at home! Le Cat Cafe is a non-profit organization that hopes to find homes for lots of deserving cats in addition to offering a unique cafe experience to its cat-loving visitors. In…
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Over 3,800 Collages Decorate ‘City of Murals’ Thanks to Mural Arts Program
Photos, story by Jill Beckel It was a beautiful city morning when Explore Philly got the chance to go on a Mural Arts tour. Mural Arts tours are perfect for year-round social gatherings, business outings or fundraising events. We took a walking tour, but there are train and trolley tours offered as well. Our lovely tour guide of the day, Elise, gave us some background about the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. It began in 1984 when the mayor of Philadelphia opened an anti-graffiti network for kids and young adults. He hoped that this would dissuade kids from vandalizing Philly buildings with spray paint graffiti, which was becoming a huge problem…
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The 2nd Annual Rad Awards Honored the Raddest Women in Philly
Photos, story by Jill Beckel The 2nd Annual Rad Awards event was the place to be if you wanted to hang out with some seriously smart, cool chicks (and dudes) all night. The event was held on a cool spring night Tuesday, May 3rd at Stratus Lounge. Everyone was dressed in their most fashionable attire and ready to mix and mingle. Stratus staff served up some tasty light bites, gin cocktails and Prosecco. According to their website, Rad Girls is “a celebration of spirited women who are constantly achieving, innovating, and inspiring. It is an ongoing conversation between empowered women. Let’s celebrate success. Most importantly, Rad Girls is about collaboration. It is about making…
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Trevor Noah Wins Lots of Laughs at SugarHouse Casino
Story, photos (unless otherwise noted) by Tim Beckel The crowd at the SugarHouse Casino’s Event Center left full of laughs after enjoying Trevor Noah’s standup routine on a Spring Saturday. Noah, host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, performed his stand-up for a sold out crowd and touched on topics outside the usual current events slant of his show, including his experiences traveling and many riffs on the differences between the U.S. and his native South Africa. The night started with Angelo Lozada warming up the crowd as the opening act. Lozada has been a stand-up comedian for many years, but joked that he needed an immigrant from Africa to help him get his break. In addition to…
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Carnival Games, Ferris Wheel Rides and Fun with Flyers Fans and Their Families at the Annual Philadelphia Flyers Wives Carnival
Story, photos by Jill Beckel Rides, games, food and fun were abundant at the 39th Annual Flyers Wives Carnival which took place on Sunday, March 13th at the Wells Fargo Center. Among the newly-added attractions were a center-ice carousel, carnival games, and the opportunity to purchase player autographs prior to the carnival. This annual event welcomed thousands of Flyers fans to mingle with players and enjoy a family-friendly afternoon all while supporting a great cause (local charities). To the delight of both young and old, last year’s six-story-high Ferris wheel also returned to this year’s carnival. Fans had the chance to play lots of carnival games including water guns, fun house mirrors, balloon darts, a strongman attraction,…
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Philly’s Oldest Tavern Continues Tasty Tradition of Nosh, Drink at McGillin’s Old Ale House
Photos, story by Jill Beckel Explore Philly stopped into McGillin’s Old Ale House on a chilly Thursday evening in February. Known as the “oldest continuously operating tavern” in Philadelphia, it was established in 1860 on 1310 Drury Street. According to their website, “McGillin’s Olde Ale House threw open its doors the year Lincoln was elected president. That’s shortly after the Liberty Bell cracked and long before ground was broken for Philadelphia City Hall. The beer taps have been flowing since 1860 — making it one of the oldest taverns in the country.” With such a rich history, McGillin’s Old Ale House is a must-stop for locals and tourists alike. The bar is filled with history…
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Explore a Fragrant Portrait of History at This Year’s Philadelphia Flower Show
Photos / Story By Jill Beckel Spring has sprung at the annual Philadelphia Flower Show which has opened in all its splendor at the Philadelphia Convention Center. This year’s Flower Show theme is Explore America, marking 100 years of the National Park Service. It “celebrates the centennial of the National Park Service and our country’s majestic natural landscapes, rich history, and vibrant culture.” If you missed last year’s flower show, the theme was “Celebrate the Movies” for comparison. The Flower Show celebrates an amazing world of great gardening and design that dates back to 1829. Each year, acres of gorgeous gardens and outrageous floral arrangements come together for the world’s largest indoor flower exhibition. The…
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Kun-Yang Lin Dancers Explore What Philly Really Means in “HOME/S. 9th St.”
Story, photos by Jill Beckel (unless otherwise noted) What does “home” mean to you? Is it your childhood home, your current home or maybe a place you visited once that felt like the home you never had? Maybe it’s a mix of a lot of feelings and images. Home is not the same for everyone. The world premiere of Home/S. 9th St. took place at FringeArts right near Penn’s Landing with shows on Nov. 19th, 20th and 21st. The notions of “home” and “American-ness” were discovered in part through stories of residents living on Philly’s diverse South 9th Street where the Kun-Yang Lin Dancers rehearse at CHI Movement Arts Center. Kun-Yang Lin teaches CHI Awareness Technique…