14 Hour Long Citibank Summer Solstice Celebration Comes to the Kimmel Center Saturday June 18th

Kimmel Center on Avenue of the Arts

In just a few days you will get to experience the annual Citibank Summer Solstice Celebration to kick off summer season. The Kimmel Center will host a 14 hour-long musical extravaganza on Saturday, June 18, noon-2am.  The line up includes more than 40 confirmed artists including a wide range of musical talents and other fun activities.

Tickets for Summer Solstice Celebration are $10 for adults and $5 for children under age 12. Ticket price includes all-day admission and are available for purchase online at www.kimmelcenter.org, by calling 215-893-1999, or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings.

If you missed PIFA, this is our chance to see the free Eiffel Tower Light Show.  In fact you have four chances to be dazzled by the Paris inspired light show, 3:30pm, 6:15pm, 9:50pm, 2:30am in the Commonwealth Plaza.

Make sure you come hungry because from 5pm to 9pm, The Lounge by Wolfgang Puck will also provide pizza, beer and wine samplings for $35. The samplings include three drinks featuring a variety of local brews and wines and three slices of gourmet pizza; BBQ Chicken w. red onion and cilantro, Fresh Mozzarella w. tomato and basil, and roasted vegetables w. fresh herbs. Yummy! Foursquare users — get $5 off your Pizza and Beer/Wine sampling by checking in!

There are a countless number of other events that will be taking place through out the day on Saturday so check the website to make sure you don’t miss out.  Below is a list of things that interested me most so I wanted to share with you also! Of course I had to include the happy hour happenings because I already miss Philly Beer Week.  Besides I think that good food and drinks paired great entertainment is an unbeatable good time! 

HAPPY HOUR HAPPENINGS

Rennie Harris RHAW

5:30pm | Commonwealth Plaza

Rennie Harris’ youth driven second company RHAW features the newest and brightest street dancers as a future arm of Rennie Harris Puremovement. Downplaying the abstract while pushing its dramatic aesthetic RHAW focuses on the various styles of street dance such as Locking, Popping & Boogaloo, B-boy/girl, House and Hip hop dance. Hip hop hopefuls will forge new paths as well as present hip hop in its “RHAW-est.” form!

SA VA Boutique Fashion Show

Summer Nature Worship for Summer Solstice

6pm | Perelman Theater                 

Combining the true SA VA sensibilities of effortless style and sustainability in celebration of the longest day of sunlight.  Especially for the Kimmel Center Festival, SA VA will be presenting a 30 piece runway show mixing their Summer ready-to-wear collection and couture collection.  The Shibori dyed fabrics lends well to both true SA VA style and textures in nature. Live music accompaniment by electric violinist Caryn Lin!

First Person Arts Story Slam

7:30pm | Perelman Theater

First Person Arts StorySlams are twice monthly, real-life storytelling competitions that take place at L'Etage Cabaret and World Cafe Live. For those brave enough to approach the mic and share a story, this year's theme is Summer Vacation. Sign-ups will take place outside of Perelman Theater prior to performance time. http://www.firstpersonarts.org/

Miloš Karadagliæ

7:30pm | Rendell Room

Born in Montenegro in 1983 and a multiple prizewinner, Miloš Karadagliæ has established himself as one of today’s most gifted young guitar virtuosos. In July 2010 he signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and his first recording will be released in the U.S. on June 21^st. Come and check out the chart topping classical guitarist everyone in Europe is raving about!

Phil Roy with Marc Vetri

8pm | Verizon Hall 

Music and food has always been one of life's greatest pairings. Phil Roy and Marc Vetri met five years ago and immediately recognized a commonality in each other. Phil, a songwriter and recording artist, had been expressing his culinary talents by inviting fans into his Philadelphia home on a monthly basis, cooking 4-course meals, and treating them to a musical performance.

Marc, one of the most acclaimed chefs' in the country had long been a serious guitar student. He possessed a unique talent that most people rarely got to hear. Together, Phil and Marc created a series of "dinner concerts" at Marc's Philadelphia restaurant, Osteria. By popular demand these intimate evenings have now entered their third year.

Minas Troupe

8:30pm | Commonwealth Plaza

Philadelphia’s Brazilian jazz band Minas is pulling out all the stops for Solstice.  Husband-wife team Orlando Haddad and Patricia King bring together an exciting blend of music, dancing and capoeira with a full 10 person ensemble. Feel the excitement and energy of Brazilian beats and sultry bossa novas as they take us into the night!

Nicole Reynolds

9pm | Rendell Room

Singer songwriter Nicole Reynolds was born into a family of Pittsburgh steelworkers. She wrote her first album Wolves Won't Eat Us while living in Philadelphia in 2006. Her next three albums, This Arduous Alchemy (2007), Unordinary Mine (2008), and A Fine Set of Fools (2009), were all written while she lived and worked on a small organic sheep farm in western Pennsylvania. Don't miss her sweet vocals paired with intense lyrics and a unique folksong style often compared to the likes of Kimya Dawson or Mirah.