Dinosaurs, Festivals, And Fountains: 5 Events In PA To Check Out This Weekend

PENNSYLVANIA — Looking for something to do around Philadelphia and the Main Line this weekend? Patch rounded up a variety of things going on in southeast Pennsylvania for kids, families, and anyone else in the mood to get out and about on this last weekend in August.

It's also the last weekend for Clear the Shelters, a national pet adoption campaign — so if you are looking for a four-legged family member, your local animal shelter may have someone just perfect.

Here are five events this weekend in Pennsylvania.

Illuminated fountain performances at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square (ongoing Thursdays-Saturdays through Sept. 24)

This nighttime spectacle at Longwood Gardens' main fountain garden is "unlike any other." It runs Thursdays through Saturdays through October.

Friday's show is new this year, and is Taylor Swift-themed. Saturday's show is "Caribbean Life."

"Find a place to sit—or stand back in awe—as water in all shapes, sizes, and heights combines with music and infinite colors. Before or after the 30-minute show, stroll through the five-acre garden for a nighttime experience evoking old world charm."

During the day, the gardens are open and there are daily fountain performances.

Gay Street Open-Air Market in West Chester (ongoing through Oct. 29th)

This ongoing event shuts down an entire street of West Chester from Friday morning through Monday morning, for a weekend of al fresco dining and shopping with dozens of downtown businesses.

The Open-Air Market first began during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has remained a mainstay, with restaurants extending into the street so people have more room to eat outside. And after 10 p.m. there are "plenty of choices for entertainment, dancing, and nightlife."

Weekend Breakfast With Giraffes / Zoo Snooze at Elmwood Park Zoo (Weekend slots available)

Whether your family members are early birds or night owls, they can get up close and personal with some of the animals at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown at these events.

"Zoo Snooze," an overnight campout, allows wildlife fans to "discover what happens at the zoo after the sun goes down." A ticket includes both dinner and breakfast, as well as a flashlight tour of the zoo. As of Friday afternoon, tickets are still available for Saturday, Aug. 26, and the next campout date after that is Friday, Oct. 6.

And on select weekend mornings, the zoo welcomes guests for "Breakfast With the Giraffes," where you can dig into a breakfast buffet and then feed the three towering giraffes who'll be your dining company. The zoo said tickets are sold out for this Saturday, but are available on Sunday, Aug. 27.

Other weekends to dine with the giraffes in 2023 are: Sept. 2 and 3; Oct. 7 and 8; and Oct. 21 and 22.

Jurassic Quest roars into Philly (this weekend only)

Dinosaurs galore! Jurassic Quest, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, invites you to step millions of years back in time to walk with larger-than-life dinosaurs.

"There’s no better place to make pter-iffic memories playing with adorable baby Dinos, excavating fossils, or even training a raptor while surrounded by behemoths like sky-scraping Spinosaurus and, the King himself, Tyrannosaurus rex," the Jurassic Quest site says.

The event is from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Click here for more information and tickets.

St. Ann Carnival and Italian Festival (wraps up this weekend)

This well-loved carnival in Bristol will end its six-day run on Saturday. The St. Ann Carnival and Italian Festival features rides, carnival games and prizes, bingo, basket auctions, and Italian music. And of course, there are plenty of Italian dishes: including pizza fritte, sausage and meatballs, clams, Italian baked goods, and more.

The carnival is open from 6-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and is held on the St. Ann's Church grounds on Pond Street and Dorrance Street in Bristol. Click here to read more on Patch.