
City Cast Philly
🛒 Philly Whole Foods union score major win
June 17, 2026 · — Siani Colón
Good morning, Philly! For those of you who wake up at the crack of dawn, do you catch the sunrise? Or do you prefer watching those summer sunsets? Sunday is the longest day of the year, officially marking the first day of summer (and Father’s Day, in case you needed a reminder to grab a gift). Help us celebrate the solstice by telling us your favorite place in the city to watch the sunrise or sunset! ☀️


What's CITY Talking About
Where Are Philly’s Festivals Going?
Philly’s calendar is jam-packed every weekend with street festivals, athletic competitions, and vendor markets. As the demand for these events rises, so have the costs. So some festivals have had to scale back or cancel altogether, unable to afford security or navigate the permitting process. So how can we make it easy to keep Philly partying? [🎧 City Cast Philly]
Philly Kicks Off World Cup With Strong Start
The biggest event in Philadelphia this month is running smoothly, city officials say. Some stats: 68,274 fans attended Sunday’s game at Philadelphia Stadium (The Linc) and over 100,000 fans have visited the Fan Festival at Lemon Hill over its first four days. Be sure to thank one of 3,000 volunteers in Philly helping to make it the best experience possible. [City of Philadelphia, Billy Penn]
Ward Leaders Grant Dem Chairman 11th Term After Unanimous Vote
To the surprise of absolutely no one, and despite friction between establishment Democrats and progressive dissidents, Democratic City Committee Chairman Bob Brady retained his seat after facing no challengers. Following his win, Brady said: “It‘s pretty nice to get it unanimous — nobody complains at all, no problems whatsoever, and that’s the way I like to have it.” [🎧 City Cast Philly, 🔒 The Inquirer]
Philly Labor Unions Demand New Contracts
Nurses at Jefferson-Einstein Hospital authorized a strike as its union continues to negotiate a new contract. Demands include more resources for caregivers and better security for staff. In other labor news, the National Labor Relations Board rejected Whole Foods' appeal to stop the unionization of employees at its Pennsylvania Avenue location. It’s the first-ever Whole Foods to unionize, setting the stage for contract negotiations. [CBS Philly, 🔒Wall Street Journal]
Greetings From the Year 2026
Philadelphians in the year 2276 will crack open a time capsule to reveal a letter from Gov. Shapiro, a booklet of the state’s historical achievements, and the lineup card from the Phillies’ 2026 Opening Day. How many more championships do you think we’ll have won 250 years from now? [Philly Voice]
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What Now: 2026 is in full swing!
ArtPhilly’s five-week city-wide festival is staging works and performances at a variety of venues and spaces, underscoring the city’s creative possibility and communal spirit. Emerging and established artists form an expansive curatorial program featuring performances, installations, podcasts and more. Upcoming is Long Live the Queen: A Her-Story of Drag from June 18-20, as composer Andrea Clearfield and drag artist/opera singer Cookie Diorio lead a 90-minute fusion of cantata, opera, drag, cabaret, and performance art.

Where Is It?

We’re back with another “Where Is It?” challenge, our game where you name the location of street art and landmarks around the city.
Do you recognize where this artwork is? It’s not too hard to spot if you know where to look; the entire building is covered with it now.
While you’re searching, you can:
- Take advantage of the nice weather and dine outside.
- Stock up on produce at the farmers market.
- Go for a swim.
- Watch a movie outdoors.
- Grab a soccer jersey and head to the FIFA Fan Festival.
- Create a viral TV moment.
- Explore other happenings in Philly this month.

What To Do
Wednesday, June 17
- 🧪 Climate Crisis in Chemistry History at Science History Institute (Old City)
- 🚴 All Ages Learn to Ride at Frankford Boat Launch (Tacony)
- 🏓 Pickleball at East Passyunk Community Center (East Passyunk)
- ☕ Latte Art 101 at OX Coffee (Queen Village)
- ✍️ Shut Up + Write: Pizza + Pints at Paulie Gee's Soul City Slice Shop (Washington West)
- 🥗 Healthy Cooking Class at Overbrook Environmental Education Center (Overbrook)
Thursday, June 18
- 🌞 Third Thursdays Plaza Party at Chapel Plaza (Navy Yard)
- 🍹 Aperol Hour at Café Click (Logan Square)
- 🏹 Archery for Adults and Kids at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge (Tinicum)
- 📜 Conceived in Crisis: Pennsylvania in 1776 at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (Avenue of the Arts)
- 👑 Long Live the Queen at Wilma Theater (Avenue of the Arts)
- 🎬 United We Heal Film Festival at Underground Arts (Callowhill)
- 🤡 Philly Clown Slam at Studio 34 (Cedar Park)
⚽ We have some advice for visiting World Cup fans: Do not put your jersey on the Rocky statue. Though you’d think the symbol for underdogs may be a source of luck, out-of-town fans who drape their jerseys on our beloved fake boxer often leave with a loss. That curse now applies to World Cup participants, after Ecuador lost here on Sunday. The influencer who made Rocky don their colors apologized, saying, “I think I messed up.”
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