Make a Great Escape this First Friday

Nothing can take a person away from the stress of routine quite like some good food, good music or good art. And what better way to kick off the end of the work week than with the citywide celebration of First Friday? And don’t fret. While it may still be a little too chilly to make it down to Old City this week, in a few days’ time your nearby neighborhoods will open their doors to you for some First Friday festivities of their own.  

1. Nichols Berg Gallery
Address: 8611 Germantown Avenue
Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Event: Come to the Nichols Berg Gallery for a night of truly unique art as the gallery showcases encaustic work and a project fit for spring. A number of birdhouses were sent to artists across the country and returned with their own amazing artistic flairs. These birdhouses will be on display through First Friday until the Give Shelter Birdhouse Benefit, where they will be auctioned off to benefit Habitat for Humanity and the Interim House of West Mt. Airy.

2. Artista
Address: 7151 Germantown Avenue
Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p .m.
Event: Artist Dora Ficher will be Artista’s featured artist for the Month of March. Stop by to meet her and take a look at her incredible encaustic paintings at the gallery. And get 10 percent off all hats, gloves and other wearables in the store while you grab some food and enjoy the art.

3. Philadelphia Salvage
Address: 542 Carpenter Lane
Time: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Event: Come discover Philadelphia’s first architectural salvage and artist space at Philadelphia Salvage this week. The space’s upcoming exhibit, “Assemblages,” featured artists who are using mixed media and found materials for their pieces. Come out for some food, beer, music and great art.

4. InFusion Coffee & Tea
Address: 7133 Germantown Avenue
Time:  6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Event: InFusions will be hosting an exhibit featuring the work of their March artist Deborah Curtiss. Her paintings of male nudes will be on display as part of a complementary project featuring female nudes as the Sedgwick Gallery for the Quientessence Theatre’s performance of Don Juan.

5. Ten Thousand Villages
Address: 8331 Germantown Avenue
Time: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Event: Okay, so this one might be cheating, but it was too cool not to make this list. Though Ten Thousand Villages will not be doing anything special this Friday, on Saturday and Sunday the store will open its doors to a tea tasting and discount extravaganza in honor of International Women’s Day. What better way to extend the First Friday holiday than with a great-tasting weekend event?

But don't stop here. There are stores up and down Germantown Avenue that keep extended hours and have their own little festivities on First Friday. So throw on a pair of walking shoes and check them out!