Rewind!
There is no substitute for showing up. It was a Sunday, and I was tired, and I really didn't want to go.
And then I went anyway, and the Mummers were putting on their costumes near Rouge. (For out-of-towners, Rouge is a restaurant next to Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia.)
And was there a Mummers picture I hadn't taken? I've been shooting them for decades.
I didn't think I had anything new to say about the Mummers. I was wrong. My thanks to Prema Gupta and the whole Open Streets team at Center City District. And to the performers (particularly the fabulous guitar player) and the many civilians who just showed up and had a good time. Sunday, September 28, was a good day.
This time out, Open Streets West Walnut is running for six Sundays instead of four - all of September and also October 5 and 12.
As a bonus, I came across a gentleman sitting in the middle of Walnut street, quietly holding center stage for Ukraine. I mustered my best Slava Ukraini, which wasn't very good, and we had a brief, pleasant chat. I was cautiously optimistic about Ukraine's future; he was inclined to wait and see.
There was a cheer from the television farm on 18th street. The Eagles had done something good. They went on to win the game.
See also Open Streets: West Walnut, On the Art Museum Steps, Can Open Streets Go Year-Round?
And here are some older stories on streeteries: We're Actually Winning, Checking in With Outdoor Dining, Winter Shelters in Rittenhouse, Philly Plein Air.
