Written By Whitney Blomquist
Philly International Festival of the Arts: Bringing Philadelphian’s Together
The Philly International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) brought out Phillies finest. From toothless men in suits made of silver dollars, to sexy sailormen adhering to the 2013 theme, “If you had a time Machine…”
The PIFA Street Fair is the grand finale of a 31-day art festival that includes smaller events like dance performances, concerts, lectures, theater shows, and interactive family activities from all over the world. PIFA is a huge street fair, one that shut down Board Street between Chestnut and South. That’s about seven blocks of Board Street and it was seriously jammed packed with people all day! The Kimmel Center, who put on the event, estimated 200,000 people to visit the festival throughout the day. There was something for everyone, whether it was an ice-cold beer or a dinosaur petting zoo.
PIFA made me appreciate Philadelphia’s diverse culture. I had the opportunity to work a booth at the event and got to chat with a ton of really intelligent people about how influential the arts are for Philadelphia students and residents. The art scene in Philly is forever growing and that idea was extremely visible at the PIFA Street Fair. Knowing I live in a city with so many inspirational people makes me feel optimistic and motivated.
The only problem I had all day was finding a vegan food truck…. I think I might open one that just goes to Philly festivals—it would be a hit!
For more information about PIFA 2013 and for details on future festivals check out: http://www.PIFA.org
