Fall is a great time for festivals in the city. The weather is crisp and cool, and a street festival is a perfect way to enjoy it before winter rolls in. This past Saturday, the Midtown Village Fall Festival returned for its 11th year, and I was able to attend. It took place from 12pm-8pm on 13th street between Market Street and Locust Street. The weather was projected to be cloudy with a chance of rain, but it was going to go on rain or shine, and the 50,000 people that attended the event lucked out and stayed dry. The best part was, admission was completely free.
The streets were packed with vendors and some were even giving out free things, such as coupons for coffee and sunglasses. The restaurants and bars on the street set out tables in front and sold food and drinks for special deals. There were over 20 restaurants and vendors, and six beer gardens for the over-21 crowd. I’m under-aged, but my friends who aren’t really enjoyed the different drinks that they had to offer. I was very excited to see that the restaurant Jamonera was selling cheese curds al fresco, because they’re one of my favorite on-the-go snacks.
There were 5 stages playing live music throughout the festival, which gave it a really fun vibe and you could hear music almost everywhere you went as you walked around. Philly Jesus even made an appearance and danced along with pedestrians to one of the bands. After I left, I found out there was karaoke going on outside of one of the restaurants, which I missed, much to my disappointment. I always love an excuse to sing loudly and badly in front of strangers.
Overall, the festival was very entertaining and fun. It was one of the biggest street events that I’ve ever gone to in center city and it was a great way to celebrate the arrival of fall. I would highly recommend attending next year, especially for those who are 21 and over, because there definitely was a lot to do for that crowd.