Summer in Philly: BBQ, outdoor restaurants and music, Disney sweepstakes

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Ducis Rodgers and Alicia Vitarelli host FYI Philly's guide to summer restaurants, fun.

Liberty Point opens as Philly's largest outdoor restaurant

Only a few weeks into opening, Liberty Point at Penn's Landing is making a splash on the waterfront.

At 25,000 square feet, the sprawling restaurant-bar complex features the best views in the city from three levels, with five bars and nightly entertainment.

The setting lets guests enjoy riverfront views while enjoying food and drink, with musical performers and dancing.

Doors open at noon every day, the kitchen closes at 10 p.m., and the main bar is open until 2 a.m.

Liberty Point | Facebook | Instagram

211 S. Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19106

215-315-9023

Deke's Barbeque serves up summertime favorites in Germantown

At Deke's Garage Roadhouse BBQ, Derek "Deke" Denmead and his wife, Jackie McBeth, are serving up all kinds of summer fun, including barbecue favorites.

They do Western Carolina style pulled pork sandwiches, St. Louis style spareribs and Texas style brisket.

But their brisket cheesesteak is pure Philadelphia!

They cook their meats on low temperatures for up to 14 hours, using hickory wood and Deke's dry rub, topped off with their famous Deke's "Q" sauce.

They have all the classic sides, including Jackie's original cornbread recipe.

They host live music every Sunday night and live comedy once a month. They also have cornhole, darts, and a pool table for everyday play.

Self-taught pit masters Deke and Jackie opened their first barbecue joint in 2010 in a two-bay garage in Roxborough/Manayunk. When their lease was up in 2017, they stayed in business with a roadside location along Ridge Avenue.

From April to October, they take their barbeque on the road with their food truck.

Deke's Garage Roadhouse BBQ | Facebook | Instagram

137 W. Berkley Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144

215-419-7427

Soul D'Lysh making modern soul food, history in Quakertown

Allysha Holmes is breaking ground in Quakertown at her restaurant Soul D'Lysh.

What started as a food truck is now a brick-and-mortar spot, where you'll find staples that made her truck a big hit.

Among the favorites are jerk chicken alfredo, salmon cheesesteak, a crispy chicken sandwich, extra crispy wings and homemade banana pudding.

Her store is decorated with teal colors to signify the wedding colors of Allysha and her husband, Keith.

You'll also see an American Flag given to her by a local Congressman to celebrate her business. The flag was flown over the State capital to honor the first Black owned business in Quakertown in more than 30 years.

Soul D'Lysh | Facebook | Instagram

500 West Broad Street, Quakertown, PA 18951

Fishadelphia offers fresh catch from the shore to the city

Dr. Talia Young is an environmentalist who has spent most of her career studying fish.

She has also been a teacher for years, so when she created the program Fishadelphia as part of a fellowship, she made students part of the business.

Now she oversees the enterprise that connects communities: fisheries at the Jersey Shore and consumers in the Philly area.

Customers buy plans to pick up fresh catch every other week, procured by the students and adults who prep coolers full of pre-ordered fish and shellfish brought into the city just days before.

Plans start at $25 and are available year-round, though a community rate is offered at a deep discount to those who qualify.

Fishadelphia | Instagram | Facebook

267-666-0924

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SNACKTIME Brass band brings joy to Philly streets

On just about any day of the week, somewhere in the city, you'll find the SNACKTIME band leading Philadelphians in a dance party.

The group is the creation of tenor saxophonist Ben Stocker and tuba player Sam Gellerstein.

Best friends since 2010, they grew up together in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Both came to Philadelphia to study music and then started teaching and playing wherever they could. Until the pandemic hit in March of 2020.

Nobody had any gigs. Nobody had any work and as they thought about how they could still safely play, they thought 'if people can't go to the show, why not bring the show to the people?'

So, with outdoor dining becoming a thing, they gathered some of their musician friends and started going to Rittenhouse Square and playing for people eating outside.

A joyous brass band parading down the desolate streets of Center City bringing a little light to a dark time.

Two years later, SNACKTIME has performed at Sixers games and last year's Flower Show.

This year, they're back at the Flower Show. They'll perform along with DJ Diamond Kuts at Flowers after Hours, the last Saturday night of the show.

PHS also invited SNACKTIME to curate a mini music festival for the Flower Show.

They booked 28 bands in all, three each day of the nine-day Flower Show.

So you can stroll the gorgeous gardens from some of the world's leading landscape and floral designers. Take a break to get something to eat and listen to a live band for a few hours, and then go back and explore some more gardens.

For those who want a little SNACKTIME in their daily life, the band is dropping its debut album July 15th, entitled Sounds From the Street Live.

And the Florida natives want to be synonymous with Philadelphia

SNACKTIME |Website. |Instagram |Youtube

PHS Philadelphia Flower Show |Flower Show Tickets

June 11-19

FDR Park, 1500 Pattison Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 191451

Flowers After Hours |Flower After Hours tickets

Saturday, June 18, 8:30-11:30pm

Really Reel Ginger opens in Reading Terminal Market

You may know Really Real Ginger and their fresh ginger juices from the Flower Show, where they're usually a vendor and they'll be there again this year.

Owners Iliyaas and Hadia Muhammad just opened up a new shop at Reading Terminal Market making ginger-infused products, rooted in generations of recipes and ingredients from West Africa.

Iliyaas says, "It's a health and wellness full-ginger experience, which you benefit from the functionality of the ginger root which is anti-inflammatory, nausea, bacterial and fungal."

The couple has also created a whole line of ginger skin-care products.

They say the Ginger Oil can help with headaches. The Ginger Shea Butter Mix contains mango butter, papaya and carrot.

Inside every shampoo and conditioner, there's real pieces of ginger.

Hadia says the African Black Soaps have medicinal purposes. There's also ginger-infused bath salts and scrubs.

It's a product line expansion that comes after 11 years of selling just juices, made with fresh ginger.

Recipes Iliyaas learned growing up in West Africa.

There's a Ginger Crumble that Iliyaas has been making since she was a little girl. They also carry snacks and candies rare in Philadelphia.

Really Reel Ginger goodies are available for online deliveries, and you can find their products at a variety of retail locations across Philly.

Really Reel Ginger | Instagram

Reading Terminal Market

51 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

Mindful Moments with Thai Mama, Dr. Lena Adams Kim

Dr. Lena Adams Kim is the host of the podcast, Mindful Moments with Thai Mama, bite-sized musings on mindfulness.

They range in length from 2-10 minutes and cover topics such as anxiety, chronic pain and what's known as the Buddhist half smile-a gentle upturn of the sides of your mouth that elicits a sense of peace and calm.

Lena spent a good deal of her childhood in Thailand and became certified in mindfulness a decade ago to heal herself from anxiety.

For the past 30 years, she's been a senior communications specialist at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

When the pandemic happened, she sensed a level of devastation and sadness within her workplace so she started hosting virtual mindfulness sessions for her co-workers in Philadelphia before turning it into a podcast so people could listen at their leisure.

It was so impactful that the EPA decided to share her podcast with employees nationwide, and there is now talk of expanding across the entire federal government, creating an easy tool for the government and everyday people to find a sense of peace in a chaotic world.

Mindful Moments with Thai Mama: Dr. Lena Adams Kim | Podcast home | apple podcast |spotify

Create your dream outdoor oasis with Cambridge Pavers

The experts at Cambridge Pavers have decades of experience turning backyards into outdoor oases.

With everything from home offices and retaining walls to lounging rooms and patio pubs, there is a project that could add value to your home.

For those working on a budget, designers can create a project that builds over time, adding layers each year that fit the budget.

The website offers free software where homeowners can use the Design Scape Visualizer to find the right project and fit the pieces on the actual patio plot.

Cambridge Pavers, Inc. | Facebook | Instagram

NMAJH reopens with new exhibits, tackling social issues, racism

The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History has reopened with brand new exhibitions and installations, and a mission of using art to raise questions about important social issues.

The Weitzman grounds are filled with art, color and culture.

"You will see up in our atrium, a series of fists," says Josh Perelman, Chief Curator at The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

The work is called Power.

"Referencing the moment when Apple diversified the colors of emojis," says Perelman.

It's part of a new exhibition by contemporary artist Jonathan Horowitz called The Future Will Follow the Past.

"Someone who maneuvers through POP Art, through issues of social justice," says Perelman.

Horowitz's Rainbow Glitter American Flag references Jasper John's American Flag series.

"Appropriating the idea of America, as a home to people of all faiths and backgrounds," says Perelman.

The re-opening is designed to narrate the history of the past two years of the pandemic.

"We are excited to be starting a new chapter," says Emily August, Chief Public Engagement Officer at the Weitzman.

And to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month in May.

"Our museum is honored to lead the national effort, we organize programs," says August.

There's now a giant 8x16-foot OY/YO sculpture by Brooklyn-based artist Deborah Kass.

"It's Philadelphian. It's a greeting, it means 'I' in Spanish. It's Yiddish, 'Boy, my back hurts' like, 'Oy, the pandemic'," says August.

A piece by Nicholas Galanin called Indian Land alludes to the iconic Hollywood sign.

"That sign was originally supposed to say Hollywood Land, promoting a new segregated community," says Perelman.

The works in the museum tackle issues like antisemitism, racial violence, homophobia, women's rights and COVID.

"It is an American History Museum through the lens of Jewish experience," says August.

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Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History | Facebook | Instagram

101 South Independence Mall East Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

The Future Will Follow the Past by Jonathan Horowitz on display through December 2022

Museum entry is free for the near future, donations accepted

SHOW EXTRAS

Memorial Day weekend marks the start of on the water fun at Independence Seaport Museum.

You can paddle around Penn's Landing or take kayak excursions up and down the Delaware River, varying in difficulty and ranging 3-10 miles.

Independence Seaport Museum | Facebook| Instagram

211 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106

215-413-8655

At CALLO/WHILL GREENS, you can create your own skincare, customized to your skin's specific needs.

Every Friday through June 17, Owner Christie Desir leads the workshops she calls Beauty From The Inside + Out.

You can bring your own booze and sip on the former Miss Haiti Universe's beauty elixer while choosing from more than 50 ingredients to blend into your skincare product to use at home.

The Beauty From The Inside + Out Workshops | Facebook | Instagram

1800 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19130

610-615-8605

Fridays 6-7:30pm, through June 17