🎆 Get your Fourth on | Things to Do

It’s a short week for the Fourth of July — and the good news is, rain is no longer in the forecast. I’m gonna be finding myself a pool, a cold beer, and a good playlist to relax. What are your plans for the holiday? Let me know!

This week’s lineup:

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, Email me at [email protected])

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There are so many opportunities to see fireworks popping off across the Philadelphia region, whether you’re staying in Center City, hanging out in the suburbs, or enjoying the holiday at the Jersey Shore. Find a fireworks show near you.

🎇 The big show: Wawa Welcome America’s annual free concert on the Parkway brings LL Cool J, Jazmine Sullivan, Álvaro Díaz, and Jojo to town for the 4th. Catch up on what you need to know before you go.

🚪 Holiday time: Some of holiday prep includes double checking what’s open and closed around town. Find answers with our handy service guide.

👑 Fit for a crown: Philly’s drag royalty has a new rising star. Meet Henlo Bullfrog, the strange, messy, fantastical drag king who’s competing in the first-ever nationwide reality competition show for drag kings, King of Drag. His makeup game is sickening, in the best way.

🎲 Friendly competition: Who doesn’t love a good game night? My colleague Beatrice Forman caught up with the mastermind behind Questlove’s celebrity parties, Cathy Rong, who shared her tips on hosting the perfect game night.

☀️ Festive fun: Scope out the season of great festivals (Chinese Lantern, BlackStar Film) and markets (Punk Rock Flea Market, Flea Market at Headhouse Square). Here are the big fests you shouldn’t miss this summer.

🎸 Lost and found: Bruce Springsteen dropped a whopping seven new albums of music that he discreetly recorded over the past few decades, including Streets of Philadelphia Sessions. Inquirer pop music critic Dan DeLuca reviewed each one.

📅 My calendar picks this week: July 4th Freedom Festival, Sonic Sunsets, The Art of Sushi Making

This week’s recommendation comes from Inquirer classical music critic Peter Dobrin:

See the Philly Pops with Ben Folds on July 3 at Independence Mall.

The thrill of hearing the most patriotic of tunes against the most patriotic of backdrops — Independence Hall — disappeared after 2022 along with the Philly Pops. But now the No Name Pops is slated to take on the Philly Pops name and, with it, the resumption of this free concert. Pops music director Chris Dragon leads a program with singer-songwriter Ben Folds, who was artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra from 2017 until earlier this year when President Donald Trump took control of the Kennedy Center. The Pops is doing patriotic pieces, Broadway songs, movie favorites, and classic pops; and Folds will perform his own material. Seating is limited, so bringing a blanket or chair is recommended.

⚾ New mascot: Late night comedian John Oliver loves a wild stunt and this season he focused his attention on the zaniest sports organization — Minor League Baseball. He chose to totally rebrand, rename, and create a new mascot for the Erie SeaWolves, now named the Erie Moon Mammoths for a hilariously cool reason.

🏀 Finally: For all its reputation as a big sports town, Philly has no major women’s professional sports franchise. That’s about to change as the WNBA this week announced plans to create a women’s basketball team. What should it be called? We want to hear your opinions.

📅​​ A day in the life: We caught up with Streets Dept founder Conrad Benner to hear about his version of how to have a perfect Philly day, from visiting local galleries to hanging out on South Street.

🍹 Try something new: There’s a bar (Milpa) within a bar (La Jefa) within a restaurant (Tequilas) that all opened recently in Center City. Here’s why we think it’s the best new cocktail bar.

📚 Beach reads: There’s nothing like lounging on the sand and getting through your summer reading list. We stopped by the Jersey Shore to see what beach-goers are reading this season.

Pop music critic Dan DeLuca breaks down the best upcoming shows:

🇺🇸 Friday: James Todd Smith, the Long Island-born rapper whose moniker stands for Ladies Love Cool James, belongs on any list of the most important rappers of all time. He’s probably now better known as an actor for his roles in House and NCIS: Los Angeles, but the “Goin’ Back to Cali” and “Mama Said Knock You Out” hitmaker returned to hip-hop with authority on last year’s The Force, which was produced by his fellow old-school rapper Q-tip of A Tribe Called Quest. LL will have his work cut out for him at the free Wawa Welcome America Fourth of July concert, because he’s following a hometown favorite in Jazmine Sullivan, the powerhouse “Bust Your Windows” vocalist from Strawberry Mansion, whose fans are eagerly awaiting a follow-up to 2021’s universally acclaimed Heaux Tales.

🎤 Saturday and Sunday: Last October, a bus hyping Tyler, the Creator pulled up to Shank’s in South Philadelphia and bought hungry Philadelphians $4,000 worth of cheesesteaks. The Odd Future founder, rapper, producer, and fashion designer wasn’t actually there for that promotional stunt, but he will be in town on Saturday and Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center when he returns to Philly for the first time since he co-headlined Made in America in 2022.

🎸 Thursday to Sunday: This week, the King of Prussia Concerts Under the Stars series moves from its normal location next to the Upper Merion Township Building to nearby — and much larger — Heuser Park for three multiband bills. On Thursday, it’s electronic jam band night, with partly Philly-based band Lotus teamed with Circles Rounds the Sun, and Ghost-Note. Then on Saturday, it’s a folkie affair with longtime Philly favorite Dar Williams’ River Roads Festival. The veteran singer-songwriter will share the bill with Indigo Girls, and the always amusing Milk Carton Kids, plus opening acts the Nields, Raye Zaragoza, and Sug Daniels. The show begins at 1:30 p.m. On Sunday in the park, it’s a roots music and bluegrass jam day with Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country.

Read more music picks.

This week I’m going to dig into the final epic fantasy book in R.F. Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy. What are you reading these days? Let me know!