😋 Philly’s summer food events

🌡️ Heat Health Emergency

Our super hot weather is expected to continue into the weekend, and officials have declared a “Heat Health Emergency” that’s in effect through Sunday. [WHYY]

• Here’s a list of cooling centers where you can go to get out of the heat. [WHYY]
• How do you stay cool in the heat? My team shares some of our go-to strategies on today’s episode of the City Cast Philly podcast. 🎧

🚇 SEPTA Cracking Down on Quality-of-Life Violations

Fines are increasing for antisocial behavior on transit. SEPTA police plan to start issuing $100 tickets for smoking, $75 tickets for blasting music, and $50 tickets for disorderly conduct. The city’s Office of Administrative Review will handle collecting the fines. [Inquirer 🔒]

🐘 Trump To Campaign in Philly

Tomorrow, former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump will make his fourth visit to Pennsylvania this year. Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick plans to join him for a rally at Temple’s Liacouras Center. [Pennsylvania Capital-Star/NBC10]

⚽ FIFA Fan Festival Planned for Lemon Hill

East Fairmount Park will host Philly’s free official watch party for the 2026 World Cup. To prepare, the Lemon Hill site will receive power, lighting, and accessibility upgrades. [Billy Penn]

Spring was packed with many of Philly’s signature street festivals, but there’s no shortage of ways to expand your culinary horizons or grab a drink in an out-of-the-ordinary spot as we head into the summer.

Here’s a sampling of this season’s food-and-drink-focused events in Philly, from limited-time experiences to recurring pop-ups and promotions. Find even more on our website!

🍽️ African Restaurant Week

June 20-30 (Multiple Locations)

About a dozen local restaurants, with cuisine ranging from Liberian to Haitian to Ethiopian, are offering discounts to people who sign up on Eventbrite. African Restaurant Week organizers are also hosting a two-day food and music festival happening in LOVE Park this weekend.

🍻 Parks on Tap

Multiple Dates & Locations through Sept. 29

Parks and Rec’s traveling beer garden will land in a bunch of neighborhoods over the next few months, spending about five days in each location. The event is family- and dog-friendly, and offerings range from a chorizo and kimchi hot dog to spiked hibiscus lemonade.

🥭 Southeast Asian Market

Every Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (FDR Park)

There’s plenty to savor at this weekly pop-up market in FDR Park: papaya salad, turmeric coconut crepes, Cambodian cheesesteaks, barbecued meats, Vietnamese coffee, fried quail … the list goes on.

🥪 Wawa Hoagie Day

June 27, Noon (Old City)

Whoever said “There’s no such thing as a free lunch” had clearly never been to Wawa Hoagie Day. If you find yourself near Independence Mall next Thursday, why not jump in the long line of people waiting to be handed one of 25,000 free (yes, free) Shortis? Don’t ask yourself if the food is worth the hype — the hype is the fun part.

🍗 Chinatown Summer Festival

July 20, 1-7 p.m. (Chinatown)

Here’s your chance to sample some of the offerings of Chinatown’s rich food scene. There’s even a Bonchon Korean fried chicken eating contest on the schedule … need I say more?

Rookie Cops in Kensington, ‘Ikea Boat’ Must Leave, Philly Statue Showdown

It’s the Friday News Roundup! The City Cast Philly team discusses the increased police presence in Kensington, this week’s heat wave, and the ruling that the SS United States must leave its South Philly berth in September. Plus, I ask my teammates: If Philly’s public art came to life, who would win in a fight?