Thanksgiving Day Parade, new Yards Taproom, and other things to do in Philadelphia Nov. 17 to 23

The nation's oldest Thanksgiving parade (take that, New York) is back. Among this year's floats are Clifford the Big Red Dog, Daniel Tiger, Strawberry Shortcake, and the Penguins of Madagascar 2; special guests include Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. The parade kicks off at 20th Street and JFK Boulevard, then proceeds east to 16th Street before traveling up the Parkway to the Art Museum. Bring a blanket, a chair, and a hot beverage, and settle in to watch the fun. — Staff report

8:30 a.m. Thursday, 20th Street and JFK Boulevard. Free.

Yards moves to the edge of Northern Liberties with a soaring, 70,000-square-foot taproom, event space, 100-bbl brewery, and canning line at 500 Spring Garden St. The taproom and event space open Thursday, Nov. 16, while brewing and canning will pick up in early 2018. This marks the return of chef Jim Burke, whose menu includes beer-influenced pub food. (Foie gras poutine! And yes, there most certainly is a shake — malted or banana-coffee — that brings all the boys to the Yards.) The bar features 20 total taps, including all Yards signature beers plus limited releases available only on-site. Picnic-style seating faces the brew house (to the right in the photo) as well as the canning line (along the rear window), and there's a mezzanine private-event space overlooking the proceedings. — Michael Klein

Opening weekend hours 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. yardsbrewing.com

Tired of chasing your favorite food trucks across Philadelphia? This weekend you can find a collection of some of the city's best trucks all in one place. You can pick from trucks selling everything from roast beef and BBQ to fried cheese curds and homemade ice cream. Admission is free, but the food is not — so bring your appetite and some cash. — Thea Applebaum Licht

Noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Roosevelt Mall, 2329 Cottman Ave.

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With the aim of making knowledge a visceral experience, Adam Savage (of MythBusters fame) and Michael Stevens (host of the YouTube channel Vsauce) team up to display their toys (a fog machine) and tools (ping pong balls) in the service of education and blowing stuff up. Yep — it's science! — Michael Harrington

8 p.m. Sunday, at the Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Streets, $35 to $150, 215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org

For their piece Hold Still While I Figure This Out, the innovative dance troupe improvises new choreography and a new set, with live sound design by Jorge Cousineau. "Each time we perform the work, it is from scratch," says company cofounder Scott McPheeters. "We choose a starting point — usually an image from a book or online, along with a piece of text chosen from a book." See a unique show each night. — M.H.

8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at FringeArts, 140 N. Columbus Blvd., $14 to $20, 215-413-1318, fringearts.com

Haydn poured his mastery into the late oratorio "The Seasons," an exuberant, stirring work Yannick Nézet-Séguin has dreamed of conducting here. Soprano Regula Muhlemann, tenor Werner Gura, and Curtis-trained bass Matthew Rose are the soloists, along with the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir. — Tom Di Nardo

2 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday, Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall, Broad and Spruce Streets, $42-$158, 215-893-1999, philorch.org

Jack Moore, the familiar and amiable WRTI-FM host, puts on his conducting hat for an interesting program. Between Ravel's "Alborada del Gracioso" and the flowing Sibelius First Symphony, pianist Donna Coleman will perform a piano concerto by Schumann — not Robert, but his wife, Clara. "The Raven," based on Poe by John Mahony, is a premiere. — T.D.N.

7:30 p.m. Friday, Wissahickon High School Auditorium, 521 Houston Rd., Ambler, $18, amblersymphony.org

The adventurous New York City-based ensemble premieres Teddy Poll's Quartet, written in honor of esteemed local composer Robert Capanna, plus Ervin Schulhoff's String Sextet with guests Samuel Rhodes, viola, and Marcy Rosen, cello, and works by Alvin Singleton and Agustín Fernández. — M.H.

3 p.m. Sunday, at the American Philosophical Society, 427 Chestnut St., $20, 215-569-8080, pcmsconcerts.org

This celebrated soprano (and sometime conductor), known for her fearless commitment to neglected and unfamiliar vocal works, makes her long-awaited Philly debut. Accompanied by Reinbert de Leeuw, she'll convince us of the glories in songs by Alma Mahler, Hugo Wolf, Alexander von Zemlinsky and the three luminaries of the Second Viennese School — Schoenberg, Berg and Webern. — T.D.N.

8 p.m. Tuesday, Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall, Broad and Spruce Streets, $25, 215-569-8080, pcmsconcerts.org

Andreas Delfs leads these impressive performers in Liszt's Rakoczy March and Beethoven's monumental Fifth Symphony. Violinist Nina Vieru and violist Adelya Shagidullina solo in Mozart's sublime Sinfonia Concertante, and competition winner Jason Vassiliu performs the violin solo in the Bartok First  Rhapsody. — T.D.N.

7:30 p.m. Thursday, Temple Performing Arts Center, 1837 N. Broad St., free, 215-204-7609, temple.edu/boyer

The Curtis Opera Theatre performs Tchaikovsky's affecting opera, based on Pushkin's great tale of an aloof and arrogant nobleman who rejects a country girl, only to discover when he meets her later, as a prince's wife, that he loved her along. — M.H.

7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, at the Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., $25 to $50, curtis.edu

He helped launch a rockabilly revival in the 1980s, but Brian Setzer has probably become more identified with Christmas than with (Stray) Cats. The Gretsch-slinging singer's Christmas Rocks! show has become a holiday tradition — this is the 14th year for it — and he has produced four albums of yule-related music. He's still trading in retro sounds, except now he does it with a 19-piece orchestra instead of in a three-man combo, and the Music swings with brassy panache as much as it rocks. — Nick Cristiano

With the Texas Gentlemen, at 8 p.m. Friday at the Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. Tickets: $39 to $89. 225-893-1999.

No one can say that delightful, soul-hop vocalist Jhene Aiko hasn't always come with her share of surprises. Dropping a new album (Trip) with no advance warning is no big deal then, yes? What has been a shock is that, for a formerly fluffy R&B-rap vocalist, Aiko's new album is a daringly heavy excursion filled with deeply nuanced vocal flips and references to addiction and the death of her younger brother, along with a smattering of well-placed guests such as Brandy and Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd. Trip is a worthy follow up to 2014's Souled Out, and well worth the wait. — A.D. Amorosi

8 p.m. Friday, Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St., $30, thetroc.com

Since releasing a third album, the rousing Walk Into a Storm, in mid-September, the Lone Bellow have been on the road nearly nonstop. The U.S. tour ends here Friday, which may prompt the trio to be in an especially celebratory mood. Not that they need extra cause: Zach Williams, Kanene Donehy Pipkin, and Brian Elmquist specialize in gospel-infused folk rock, and nearly every song on the album builds into an energetic anthem. Recently relocated from Brooklyn to Nashville, the band drafted producer Dave Cobb, known for his work with Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and other country insurgents, for a clean, punchy approach. All signs point to a fun show. — Steve Klinge

8:30 p.m. Friday, Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St. $23. 215-232-2100, utphilly.com

Horror and cult movie director John Carpenter — the auteur behind Halloween and also Assault on Precinct 13, Christine and Big Trouble In Little China — is getting more attention these days for the sinister minimalist music he composed for his own films, whose influence has been felt in metal and rap. He's released two Lost Themes albums of original compositions in recent years, and the new Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998, features rerecorded versions of his compositions with a band that includes his son and godson. The 69-year-old keyboard player will play them with a live band and slasher-movie clips that'll scare you half to death at the Troc this weekend. — Dan DeLuca

8 p.m. Saturday, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. $35-$200. 215-922-6888, thetroc.com

The future bass toast of Seattle — Odesza's Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, who go under the nom de plumes Catacombkid and BeachesBeaches — have been making chillwave safe and warm for party kids since its 2012 start. Part of that heat comes from the liquid tone and summery vibe of hits such as "Sun Models" and "Light." There's a soulfulness, too, to the duo's choice of vocalists such as Leon Bridges ("Across the Room") and Regina Spektor ("Just a Memory") – both from Odesza's newest album, A Moment Apart — that shows these chill artists are seeking to come in from the cold. — A.D.A

8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., $56.95, electricfactory.info