PHILADELPHIA, PA - Longtime Fishtown resident, business owner, and advocate for the neighborhood Anthony Talarico is thrilled to announce the First Annual Fishtown Music & Arts Festival on Saturday, October 8, from 11 am – 10 pm. Attendees can expect a fun and effervescent scene complete with performances from top local bands performing, area artists and artisans, culinary options ranging from local award-winners to food truck faves, as well as cocktails, local brews, programming for kids, and more, on Front Street, between Girard and Thompson Streets, under the El.


An entry fee of $15 will grant attendees access to the stage outside Front Street Café with live music playing non-stop from 12 pm – 10 pm, featuring bands such as Best of Philly® winner SNACKTIME and DJs such as Goodie/Shakedown creators Rob Paine & Frank Collazo, in addition to Ben Arsenal, Out of the Beardspace, Minka, Sylo, DJ Xtina, and Wassup Gina. Food and beverage vendors will be open to the public with favorites such as Kensington Quarters of 13th Street Kitchens, Kismet Bagels, Front Street Café, Middle Child Clubhouse, and Lightbox Café. At the same time, cocktails come from Stateside, with microbrewers Tonewood bringing an array of acclaimed local craft beer from their brewery in Camden Co., NJ.


Additionally, attendees are encouraged to bring folks of all ages, as the festival will offer family-friendly features such as a play zone with a live performance for children. A plethora of arts and crafts vendors, curated by Ritual Shoppe and Holly Simple Studios, will be set up along the parameters offering locally-made, handcrafted goods, wares, art, décor, jewelry, and more.

“I moved here 15 years ago after college,” says Talarico. “Philly pride is the catalyst for this vision and the festival. Our goal is to highlight the uniqueness of Fishtown and our local Philly community. We will ensure this event has something for all our local residents and their families.”

Talarico has spent the last eight years dreaming up this festival and enlisted longtime friend/business partner Onur Yilmaz to put a plan in motion once Covid restrictions started lifting. Over the past six months, they spoke to local business owners for their support, with many offering sponsorships, participation, or simply a monetary donation to help get the festival off the ground. The teamwork exhibited by Fishtown and its residents helps hammer home all the key objectives of this event, a grassroots festival for Fishtown by Fishtown.