I love fall (obviously, I talk about it a freakin ton), because everyone comes back from the beach and that means there are a lot more scheduled events and just general fun to be had. I’ve been living in Philly for over five years now (and had this blog for almost four), so we could say I’ve participated in my fair share of outings. With that being said, there are three events I will never, ever miss, and one of them happens to be coming right up: Bloktoberfest! (!!!)
If you’ve never been to Bloktoberfest before, you may think, it’s fall, there’s flannel and beer, what’s the big deal? But it’s just such a day, my friends and I clear our calendars as soon as they announce the date each year and get ready to indulge on the fun.
Here’s the deal: on Saturday, October 15th (next Saturday), from 12pm – 8pm, South Street West is shut down from Broad to 18th Streets. Lining the already great aisle of restaurants (Magpie, Little Spoon, Cambridge, Rex1516, etc.) are food trucks (so. many!) ready for all the taste testing you can manage. There’s no cost to get “into” the event, so each stand is pay-as-you-go. Some of the restaurants do run deals, like this special turkey sandwich I scored last year from Rex.
On top of the obviously incredible food selection, are naturally, the beers. Bloktoberfest vets (I hate myself for saying that) pre-purchase their beer wristband (it’s $5 cheaper online) and pick up day-of. I’d say if you’re planning on staying for a good portion of the day or just love to drink, get the 5-pack now ($25), to be safe. Portions of the drink ticket sales go to charities, too, so you’re drinking for a good cause.
From there, each brewery has their own stand with kegs flowing. Walk up, trade in a ticket, and sample the brews. The beers we’ll be indulging in this year include Pizza Boy, Shorts, Starcut, Wiseacre, Lakefront, Half Acre, Ballast Point, and Boulder (the full list is here, if you’re into pre-scoping out your beverages to that level of detail). If you’re not a beer human, some of the restaurants usually offer special cocktails, so keep your eyes peeled.
To give you a sense of the day, I’ve decided to include an Emily-and-friends-at-Bloktoberfest-through-the-years photo series here. Please enjoy.
2013: Before I learned to fill in my eyebrows.
2014: The variety of ensembles here prove fall’s outfit planning struggles.
2015: We seem to all be on the same page by year 3.
So if you’re free next Saturday, I hope this love letter to my favorite fall event has convinced you to venture over to South Street West for a brew or five. And if you see me there, let’s take a selfie or something, please?
Oh and also: if you’ve been following me for awhile, I’m curious if you’ll be able to guess the other two events that I never miss. Let’s hear em in the comments. xx
