Weekend event picks: RiverCity Festival, OutFest & more

It's a big weekend for arts, block parties and festivals. Get at it while you can, Philly!

The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen wants to show you what they've been working on. Their fall Fine Craft Fair takes place in Rittenhouse Square (18th and Walnut Streets) where artisans will be selling their hand-crafted furniture, pottery, jewelry, photography and other pieces all weekend. Fair hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.

The Philly POPS open their 2015-2016 season with Frank Sinatra classics over the course of four performances, 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct 10 and 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11. Come early to Friday's show at the Kimmel Center (Broad and Spruce Streets) for a pre-show conversation with Maestro Michael Krajewski and guest vocalist Michael Andrew.

If extreme sports are your thing, come watch someone else do it at the Wells Fargo Center (3601 S. Broad St.) on Friday, Oct. 9. The stunt starts of Nitro Circus will put on a 7:30 p.m. show featuring daredevil productions like motocross flips, BMX tricks, and out-of-the-box stunts.

Saturday, Oct. 10 is a jam-packed day for East Passyunk. Starting at 8 a.m. in the parking lot between Tasker and Morris Streets, dozens of antique and vintage vendors will be selling furniture, collectibles, jewelry, pottery and more. From there, neighborhood shops like Urban Jungle (1528 East Passyunk Ave.), South Philly Comics (1840 East Passyunk Ave.), and Frame Fatale (1813 East Passyunk Ave.) will bring their goods to the pavement for a sidewalk sale starting at 11 a.m. They'll also be offering refreshments, music and additional sales.

While your mind may be on pumpkins, another fall harvest item is in season. Woodford Mansion (33rd and Dauphin Streets) invites families to take part in all things apple on Saturday, Oct. 10 with cider making, apple tasting, bee-keeping demos and more from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Music! Food! Moon bounce! There are plenty of reasons to love the RiverCity Festival on Saturday, Oct. 10. Starting at noon, you'll hear the sweet sounds of local acts Kate Faust, Teen Men, City Rain, The Fractals, Tutlie and Shark Tape while sipping on brews from Neshaminy Creek Brewing, Philadelphia Brewing Co. and more. For the tots, you've got the aforementioned moon bounce, magic performers, face painting and more. The entire day takes place at Penn Treaty Park (1341 N. Delaware Ave.).

Chinatown North is an arts and culture hub, and through Asian Arts Initiative's annual Pearl Street Block Party, you'll get to see a bunch of performances and showcases in one place. From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, see dance performances, a micro farmers market, pinwheel installation, mural painting, and more. It all goes down on the 1200 Block of Pearl Street.

Singer, author, actor and daughter of Dean Martin, Deana Martin comes to the Kimmel Center (Broad and Spruce Streets) to perform Rat Pack classics and to share stories of her childhood. Before the show, enjoy cocktails and Garces hors d'oeuvres at a reception starting at 6:30 p.m.

Celebrating the big 2-5 is Philly's OutFest, a blockbuster party in the Gayborhood honoring National Coming Out Day. From noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, the Gayborhood from 12th and 13th Streets between Walnut and Pine Streets will be packed with vendors and performances from Woody's, Bob and Barbara's, "Donna Summer" and "Rod Stewart" and more.

Another city neighborhood takes it to the streets on Sunday, Oct. 11 as well. Old City will be flooded with visitors begging for a peek of the hood's fashion, art, design and food. Bites and beers come from 2nd Story Brewing Co., Buddakan, Old City Coffee and more. Local galleries will be showing new works in addition to local makers' offering handcrafted pieces. The noon to 6 p.m. Old City Fest runs along North 3rd and Arch Streets.

Picks from the Inquirer's Michael Harrington

Verdi's "La Traviata," a classic tale of a good woman of dubious reputation who sacrifices her happiness for the sake of others, is presented by Opera Philadelphia at the Academy of Music (Broad and Locust Streets) at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.

The exhibit "'Til Death Do Us Art" features work in various media created by seven committed couples who happen to be artists. The show finishes up its run this weekend at Studio B (39A E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10.

Carl Hancock Rux's "The Exalted" tells the story of Carl Einstein, a German-Jewish art scholar and expert on African sculpture and cubism who became a target of the Nazis. The show goes on at the Kimmel Center's SEI Innovation Studio, (Broad and Spruce Streets) at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10.

Now that Hurricane Joaquin is done menacing us (thanks for taking that right turn, dude), we can get back to the usual fall fun we had to postpone. To wit: the rescheduled Roxtoberfest, an autumn festival in Roxborough with beer-tasting, food, games and music including Ladybird, Richard Bush and the Peace Creeps, and Cliff Hillis. It's on Ridge Avenue between Green Lane and Leverington Avenue from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Anyone who's seen pianist Dave Burrell play know he doesn't do anything in half-measures. To celebrate his 75th birthday, he performs in the Dave Burrell Full-Blown Duo — with the other half being the equally out-there avant-garde drummer Andrew Cyrille (soon to turn 76). The show goes on at the Art Alliance (251 S. 18th St.) at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10.

For more Things to Do, check out our calendar for the most up-to-date happenings.