6 Hot Happenings Coming to Philly This Summer

From new reads to Grammy Award-winning performances and seasonal eats, Philly is leaving locals with a summer to remember.

The sparkling strawberry lemonade mocktail.

CHEERS
Craving summer cocktails that are equally refreshing as a dip in the pool? Look to W Philadelphia’s WET Bar’s (wetdeckphilly.com) new summer menu. “Taking inspiration from the vibrant botanicals of the summer season, the new menu brings a further sense of serenity to Philadelphia’s Center City escape,” says Ed Baten, the hotel’s complex general manager. While lounging around the heated year-round rooftop pool and oasis, visitors can enjoy sips like the Guava Tea cocktail with Leblon Cachaca Rum, guava, strawberry and lime juice or the Matchatini with Grey Goose, matcha, chocolate mocha liqueur and Baileys. Not feeling boozy? The WET Bar serves up an array of mocktails that quench your thirst, like the Blood Orange Mule and Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade.

Melanie Smith is also an actress, dancer, singer and songwriter.

READ
In need of a pick-me-up? New Hope-local Melanie Smith’s Unfinished Business: 8 Steps to Heal Your Trauma, Transcend Your Past and Transform Your Life (workwithmelaniesmith.com) self-help book, released on August 8, is here to help. The work offers a step-by-step guide on overcoming grief, healing trauma and finding happiness while transforming your life in the process. “There is nothing like seeing someone happy and thriving again,” shares Smith. “I adore people, their stories, and their dreams of being their best selves and finding their true purpose.” After owning and operating the internationally renowned Yogaphoria, an inner health club in New Hope, Smith gathered years of education, experience and data that sparked her research to write the upcoming tome. Now, the author gets to help an even greater population come to know themselves at the deepest level—something she describes as her most crowning achievement.

A caricature of Bob Angelo.

TACKLE
Football season may be over, but as we know, Eagles fans never take a day off. While our all-star team prepares for another successful year, pique your interest with Bob Angelo’s The NFL Off Camera (tupress.temple.edu)— releasing July 7. After working more than four decades as a producer, director, writer, editor and cameraman at NFL Films in Mount Laurel, Angelo directed and conducted thousands of interviews with players, coaches, team owners and broadcasters. “I want readers to experience the ‘humanity’ of pro football people,” says Angelo. “Their experiences and insights make for some… fascinating storylines, many of which I’ve detailed in my book.” His new tome explores nearly 100 of these interactions, including those with Jim Brown and Jared Allen, uncovering their grand personalities and some of the industry’s most intriguing myths.White Manor Country Club in Malvern hosted a recent AGS 2023 Tour tournament.

SWING
"Putt your way to victory this summer with Amateur Golf Society (AGS) Match Play (amateurgolfsociety.com)—a series of one-day match play events presented in partnership with the Philadelphia Section of the PGA. Hosted at Green Valley Country Club the week of July 10 and Philmont Country Club the week of August 14, AGS grants golfers the opportunity to play competitive golf on their own schedule. “This unique format affords increased access and opportunity for golfers to play more golf,” says founder and general manager Dan Hershberg. “Whereas competition has been traditionally limited to the best players in a given area, our net, women’s and senior flights allow for members of all abilities to hone their craft and spend more time playing a game they love.” Become an AGS member to get exclusive access to event tee times before they open to the public, along with perks and sponsors that are truly a hole-in-one.Explore works like this photo at Eurana Park in Weatherly in 1982.

EXPLORE
Philadelphia Museum of Art (philamuseum.org) has an exclusive treat for art enthusiasts this summer—the only Judith Joy Ross exhibit in the country. The award-winning Eastern Pennsylvania photographer creates portraits of people she encounters in public or within institutional frameworks. Through August 6, discover glimpses of late 19th/early 20th century America, including around 200 photos of notables like Senator Robert C. Byrd and people in Weatherly, Bethlehem, Philadelphia and Paris.
This year, Drake won best melodic rap performance for his guest appearance on Future’s “Wait for U.”

SING
After a five-year touring hiatus, everyone’s favorite rapper is back on the road with the summer’s hottest ticket: Drake’s “It’s All a Blur” (drakerelated.com). The Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter is going on a 29-date arena streak with artist 21 Savage, landing at the Wells Fargo Center for two nights on July 31 and August 1. Dance to hits like “Rich Flex” and “Knife Talk” from the four breakout albums he released since 2018. Be sure to secure a premium Platinum Seat ticket for the best views in the house.