NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

WHYY Connections Festival to Feature Concert Headlined by Dr. Dog, Sneak Peek of Ken Burns' Prohibition

The Baseball Project, Birdie Busch, Kuf Knotz, Toy Soldiers and More to Perform Sept. 3, the Second of Two-Day Arts and Culture Celebration

WHYY, in partnership with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC), will celebrate the region's arts and culture with a free two-day festival on Sept. 2 and 3. The event will take place at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. For more information about the WHYY Connections Festival, visit WHYY.org/connectionsfestival.

The event will kick off the evening of Friday, Sept. 2, with a preview screening of renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns' latest film, Prohibition. Guests will enjoy a performance of prohibition-era jazz by The Hot Club of Philadelphia and hear remarks from Prohibition co-director Lynn Novick and other celebrity guests. The screening will be free and open to the public. WHYY will host a prohibition-themed reception for WHYY members before the film screening. More details for the screening/WHYY Member reception are forthcoming.

On Saturday, Sept. 3, WHYY and DRWC will host a concert event headlined by Philadelphia indie-rock band Dr. Dog. Rounding out the bill for the concert will be The Baseball Project, featuring Peter Buck, guitarist for R.E.M.; Scott McCaughey of the Minus 5 and the Young Fresh Fellows; Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate and Gutterball and Linda Pitmon of Miracle Three and Golden Smog. Also performing will be hip-hop artist Kuf Knotz; singer-songwriter Birdie Busch; and roots-rockabilly group Toy Soldiers. Additional performers will be announced soon.

The concert will also feature live dance, painting and other art demonstrations. WHYY Members will have access to an exclusive member-VIP area throughout the concert. More details on the concert/WHYY Member benefits are forthcoming.

"WHYY is very excited to host the first WHYY Connections Festival in partnership with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation," said Bill Marrazzo, WHYY president and CEO. "This event, which is shaping up to be the largest event in WHYY's history, showcases the commitment of WHYY and the DRWC to provide Delaware Valley residents with access to the artistic and cultural experiences that enrich our lives."

"The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation has a commitment to producing free public programming on the RiverStage at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing and is pleased to expand our Summer season program by beginning this new partnership with WHYY. We hope to make this new festival an annual tradition," said Tom Corcoran, President of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.

The 2011 Summer Program of Free Events at Penn's Landing is funded and produced by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC). All events produced by DRWC are FREE to the public on the new RiverStage on the Great Plaza, the heart of Penn's Landing, Philadelphia's premier Delaware River waterfront entertainment destination. The DRWC is a nonprofit corporation created in January 2009, exclusively for the benefit of the City of Philadelphia and its citizens. The fundamental purpose of DRWC is to design, develop and manage the central Delaware River waterfront in Philadelphia. DRWC is transforming the waterfront into a vibrant destination location for recreational, cultural, and commercial activities for the residents and visitors of Philadelphia.

For more information and event details, please call (215) 922-2FUN or visit www.delawareriverevents.com. This website is a virtual resource for the waterfront which can help visitors plan to easily park, play and stay all day at Penn's Landing.

WHYY is Greater Philadelphia's leading public media provider, serving southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and all of Delaware for more than 50 years. WHYY takes pride in bringing its audience news when it needs it, entertainment when it wants it and education when it counts -- on television, radio, the Web and in the community.