Weekend event picks: End of Spruce St. Harbor Park, festivals, zombies

The first weekend of fall is packed with entertainment from wine to festivals to zombies. It's all here.

Three days of poetry reading, book making and workshops for the poetically inclined begins at 2 p.m.  on Thursday, Sept. 25 at Tyler School of Art at Temple University (2001 N. 13th St.). Philalalia, the city's first small press and poetry fair continues on Friday, Sept. 26 and Saturday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Spruce Street Harbor Park (Spruce Street and Columbus Boulevard) calls it quits for the season (for real this time) to make way for a waterfront winter wonderland. The park'll be buzzing with games and live entertainment from Friday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 28. Expect a free concert on Saturday with Bardo Pond, Spacin' and Needle Points. The outdoor oasis' hours are 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. all weekend.

If you thought your grandmother was old-school, then just wait until the "Olde World" comes to Wildwood on Friday, Sept. 26 and Saturday Sept. 27 for this Italian festival, taking place at Fox Park (Ocean Avenue between Burke and Montgomery Avenues, Wildwood). Bring your spaghetti-hungry appetite for an eating contest on Saturday. The festival begins at 5 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday.

"Parks and Recreation" star (and soon-to-be published author) Aziz Ansari is selling out big stadiums on his latest bout of huge arena tour dates. He comes to the Wells Fargo Center (3601 S. Broad St.) for an 8 p.m. show on Friday, Sept. 26.

Fulfilling dreams of all "The Walking Dead" fans is the Zombie Mud Run at Morey's Piers (3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood). Sign up as either a zombie or human, traverse through obstacles, try not to get eaten alive. All participants get unlimited access to rides after. Gates open on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7 a.m. with waves of competitors beginning every half hour from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

This undergrad bash features all the fun of an on-campus get together minus the creepiness of a frat house basement. Campus Philly's CollegeFest features music, vendors and food by honeygrow, Cheese E. Wagon and more. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27 in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway).

Atlantic City's still kicking this fall season with a two-day wine tasting event. Stroll down the Atlantic City Boardwalk from Iowa Ave. and Brighton Park for samplings of over 125 wines, both local and international, bourbon tastings, seminars, pairings (with chocolate!), food, art and live music. The Do AC Boardwalk Wine Promenade runs from noon until 5 p.m. on both Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28.

Hula-hooping, sets from Birdie Busch & the Greatest Night and Commonwealth Choir, and art activities from PAFA, Magic Gardens and Fleisher Art Memorial's Color Wheels are what you can expect from Saturday, Sept. 27's Art-Reach Fall Festival. Tickets get you all of this, plus unlimited bites from Vernalicious, Mama's Meatballs, Hot Diggity, Lil' Pop Shop and Sugar Truck Philly. Get to Ridgeland Mansion (4100 Chamounix Dr.) between noon and 4 p.m.

Another week, another German Oktoberfest with beer, Bavarian eats, music, dancing and soccer. This one's at United German Hungarians (4666 Bristol Rd., Feasterville-Trevose) on Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28 with 1 p.m. and noon start times, respectively.

Asian Arts Initiative joins other area businesses and organizations in showing off their goods (you know — art, food, music) on the 1200 Block of Pearl St. for a good ol' fashioned block party from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Sly Fox beer paired with homegrown talent. American Babies, Cheerleader, Hoots & Hellmouth, Shrimpboat and Whiskeyhickon Boys share the bill at Can Jam Music Festival on Saturday, Sept. 27. This free concert kicks off at 2 p.m. at Sly Fox Brewing Company in Pottstown (331 Circle of Progress Dr., Pottstown).

It's finally prom season! Zombie Prom season, that is. Get undead and take a date to the Trocadero Theatre (1003 Arch St.) on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. for music from The Young Werewolves, Live Not On Evil, Dave Ghoul, DJ Kiltboy and DJ Mighty Mike Saga.

New this year to the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival is a kid-friendly zone, a beer garden, and yoga classes. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., expect mobile food favorites like Nomad Pizza, Samosa Deb, and Surf and Turf Truck among the 40-plus food vendors lining up along Main St. Manayunk on Sunday, Sept. 28.

Dancing in the street. Colorful floats. Festive Music. Thousands of spectators line the Parkway at 16th St. to watch the Puerto Rican Day Parade go down at noon on Sunday, Sept. 28.