Kiddin' Around: Chinese Lantern Festival
The long: Franklin Square's hosting a seven-week 10th birthday celebration with a nighttime display of big, bright, Sichuan-made silk Chinese lanterns. Open since Friday, the ticketed event has had crowds lined up on Race Street.
The long: Franklin Square's hosting a seven-week 10th birthday celebration with a nighttime display of big, bright, Sichuan-made silk Chinese lanterns. Open since Friday, the ticketed event has had crowds lined up on Race Street.
The short: Magical, mystical, light-up, pop-up garden.
The demo: Anyone who's curious about the colorful displays peeking over the temporary fences. (Thursdays-Saturdays, the dragon-side beer garden serves craft beer and cocktails - Thai basil lemonade tastes even better spiked - to attract grown-ups.)
The standouts: Glowing gate and floral archways on the way in, 200-foot dragon, four-story pagoda. Kids congregate around animated pandas, zebras, bees, and giraffes.
Moment to yourself: Though it's early to say, midweek will likely draw smaller crowds. Stay as late as you can to see it best.
Alternate moment: Try, for a second, to imagine what this square looked like 10 years ago.
Best advice: Buy tickets in advance. It's an easy phone purchase.
Daytime: If bedtime's an issue, come during the day to walk among the no-touching marvels.
Still open: Playground (through a separate entrance), mini-golf and carousel for a fee.
The history: Lantern displays date to the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-907). Doubtful rainbows and penguins were involved that long ago, but mythical Kylin horse-creatures might have been.
The grub: Quick, great satay, bao buns, and beef noodles from a cash-only stand near the stage. Almost-as-quick slaw-topped burgers, cheesesteak eggrolls, and fortune cookie shakes that really taste like fortune cookies, from SquareBurger near the fountain.
The performances: Two nightly, 30 minutes each, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 7 and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, range from single-player huqin to elaborate face-changing dance (from May 3).
Preshow: The square closes from 5 to 6 p.m. for show prep. But the playground entrance on 7th Street stays open throughout.
If you SEPTA: Market-Frankford El to 8th St., or a short walk from 5, 9, 21,17, 33, 42, 47, 48, 57 or 61 buses.
If you drive: If you can't score an on-street spot, head below the Independence Visitor Center (off 6th Street between Arch and Market) for a post-5 p.m. rate of $7.50 Sunday-Thursday, $5 Friday and Saturday, with festival validation.
The basics: Franklin Square, entrance at 6th and Race Streets, through June 12, 6-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 6-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, $17 adults, $12 ages 17 and under, free ages 2 and under, $15 seniors and military. 215- 629-4026, historicphiladelphia.org.
Lauren McCutcheon is not proud to report that among all 27 impressive lanterns, her 4-year-old was most impressed with . . . the mini-golf.