Treat Dad to a whiskey workshop, a pampering session, a kid-friendly concert, and lots of food.
Father’s Day gifts at Occasionette in East Passyunk / Photograph courtesy of PUNCH Media
Father’s Day is coming up on June 19th, and whether you want to celebrate the dads in your life or enjoy some quality time with your kids, there are so many ways to celebrate. Here are some special events, meals, and gift ideas to make your day memorable.
Mix it up
Sign Dad up for a two-hour whiskey-themed workshop at Cocktail Culture Co. He’ll learn to make cocktails inspired by candied bacon and barbecue; plus, he can test his palette with a comparative whiskey tasting featuring bourbon, rye, and international whiskeys. Online bookings close 24 hours prior to classes. From $250 (for two guests), June 19th, 3-5 p.m., 16 South 2nd Street.
Stir it up
Enjoy a kid-friendly concert at Brooklyn Bowl as the Rock and Roll Playhouse brings the music of Bob Marley with a side of fun (think glow-sticks, freeze-dance games and a parachute). Food and drinks will be available during the concert (sip a craft beer while your kids groove on the dance floor), and you can stick around for Family Bowl at 1 p.m. $15, June 19th, noon, Brooklyn Bowl, 1009 Canal Street.
Kids and their parents can rock out at a Rock and Roll Playhouse concert at Brooklyn Bowl Philly / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Pamper him
Treat your dad (or yourself) to some rest and relaxation with a spa package. Four Seasons Philadelphia has various “Gentlemen’s Pampering” services, including a calming 60-minute anti-stress massage. Meanwhile, Nirvana is offering a $140 Father’s Day special that includes a 60-minute customized massage followed by a 30-minute sauna.
Or book him at DAPR, with its speakeasy vibes, for a hot shave, Yume scalp massage, or just a really good haircut. (DAPR is closed on Father’s Day itself, but if you’re looking for a treat-yourself gift, look no further).
Make some sweet memories
Brewerytown playspace Kith + Kin teamed up with artist Nimble Craft and local baker Cutie Pie Philly to create a special Father’s Day cake kit that’ll make it easy for the kids to create something delicious with Dad. The $45 kit includes a four-inch funfetti cake with chocolate-chip-cookie-dough filling and vanilla buttercream, along with art materials to decorate it. Order online; kits will be available for pick-up only at Kith + Kin on Saturday, June 18th from 9 a.m.-noon. $45, pick up June 18th, 9 a.m.-noon, Kith + Kin, 3060 West Jefferson Street.
Dine like a king
Brunch at Forsythia in Old City / Photograph by Lexy Pierce
Restaurants around town have special Father’s Day meals and deals for the dad in your life. First off, Victory Brewing Company is featuring a special barbecue brunch menu, and dads get their first beer free. And speaking of free, dads at Ardmore’s Rosa Mexicano get their entrée free with entree purchases for the rest of the party.
Looking for more special meals? Devon is serving a special three-course Father’s Day prix-fixe menu (also available for carryout); Wm. Mulherin’s Sons’ brunch specials include an elevated Steak & Eggs just for Father’s Day; Patchwork has a $49 Father’s Day pairing of a 32-ounce dry aged ribeye with a Dad’s Hat old fashioned; and Forsythia’s brunch has a special cocktail called “Bacon, Eggs, and Toast,” made with bacon-washed bourbon, brioche honey, soft meringue, and coffee. There’s even a Father’s Day dinner cruise on the Delaware.
We haven’t even gotten to beer gardens yet. In addition to all the fabulous kid-friendly beer gardens around town, Frankford Hall is stepping it up even further by adding in Father’s Day crafts with PlayArts during brunch.
If you prefer to feast at home, Di Bruno Bros. has prepared meals, gourmet groceries, baked goods, special Father’s Day gift baskets, and treats. The collections include a “Godfather Hoagie Gift Crate” and a special cheese board.
Hit up a museum
Father’s Day and Juneteenth coincide this year, and the African American Museum in Philadelphia is having a block party with free admission. / Photograph by A. Ricketts for Visit Philadelphia
Fathers (and father figures) can get free admission at Please Touch Museum; and everyone can get free admission at the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Constitution Center and the African American Museum in Philadelphia (which is also having a Juneteenth block party).
Also offering free admission (advance online reservations required) and a celebratory mood is the Barnes Foundation, which is hosting Barnes on the Block from 4-9 p.m. The block party includes art displays, family-friendly art-making, live performances, food trucks, a beer garden and more. Once the sun sets (8:30 p.m.), We Embrace Fatherhood, a coalition of West Philadelphia fathers, activists, and artists, will project an outdoor public art installation onto the facade of the Barnes Foundation. The project by West Philadelphia-based photographer Ken McFarlane is called From the Root to the Fruit: Portraits of Black Fathers and Their Children, and celebrates Black fatherhood.
The Museum of the American Revolution, while not free, has Juneteenth activities as well as a miniatures display, if your dad is into that kind of thing. Visitors can explore displays of military miniatures and scenes from the Revolutionary era created by approximately 50 painters and sculptors, talk to the artists about their process, and even buy supplies and kits to make their own miniatures.
Gifts and more gifts
Hit up some local favorites like Open House in Midtown Village and Occasionette in East Passyunk for curated Father’s Day collections to make your life a little easier. We love the gear at Shibe Vintage Sports — owned by some Philly dads, bonus! — who also put together some Father’s Day picks. And for the coolest elder millennial or Gen X dad in town, check out East Passyunk’s brand-new Latchkey, a haven for ’80s and ’90s vinyl and nostalgia.
