Philly AIDS Thrift Presents 21st Anniversary Block Party and Fall Fest With Live Music, Celebrity Dunk Tank, Pie-Eating Contest, & More
Philly AIDS Thrift Presents 21st Anniversary Block Party and Fall Fest With Live Music, Celebrity Dunk Tank, Pie-Eating Contest, & More
Philly AIDS Thrift will host its 21st Anniversary Block Party on September 26, outside its South Philadelphia store on the 700 blocks of S. 5th Street and E. Passyunk Avenue, between Bainbridge and Monroe Streets. The free, family- and dog-friendly event will run from noon to 6 p.m. and will include live music and performances, food trucks, local craft beer, a celebrity dunk tank, a pie-eating contest, more than 30 vendors, and games for all ages. The event also serves as the organization’s kickoff to the Halloween season.
Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou, Executive Director and Co-founder of Philly AIDS Thrift, said the Block Party reflects much of what the organization values about Philadelphia, including its music, food, local artists and businesses, and sense of community. She noted that the organization has donated more than $5.7 million back to the community over its history, including more than $400,000 in grants awarded this year to 33 local organizations, such as Bebashi – Transition to Hope, The Attic Youth Center and the William Way LGBT Community Center. Kallas-Saritsoglou said the organization began 21 years ago with a small group of AIDS activists and a small storefront without heat, and has since grown through the continued support of shoppers, donors, volunteers and staff.
Michael Byrne, Philly AIDS Thrift’s Board President, said the Block Party reflects the organization’s community-driven roots, noting that the store has grown since 2005 from a small neighborhood thrift shop into an organization that has provided millions of dollars in support to HIV/AIDS service organizations across the Delaware Valley.
DJ Robert Drake, a longtime presence at the Block Party, will serve as emcee and DJ throughout the day. Drake has hosted programming at WXPN since 1988, including “Land of the Lost” and the annual Christmas Eve broadcast “The Night Before,” and was a producer on the Peabody Award-winning “Kids Corner.” He is also a Lambda Literary Award-winning author.
Additional performers include Philly Elmo & PME Drumline, led by Positive Movement Entertainment founder Tony Royster; Killeé, a Philadelphia funk-and-soul artist; and UgLi, a queer- and trans-fronted Philadelphia punk band.
This year’s Celebrity Dunk Tank will feature Adam Proctor, Philly AIDS Thrift’s longtime manager; Phila Lorn, James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner of Mawn and Sao; Jen Zavala, chef and owner of Juana Tamale and a former Top Chef contestant; Eric Schuman, WXPN host of “Indie Rock Hit Parade”; and Stef Jolles, co-owner of Crash Bang Boom. Attendees will also have the opportunity to dunk additional Philly AIDS Thrift staff and volunteers.
Philly AIDS Thrift will host its sixth annual pie-eating contest, emceed by Philadelphia news anchor Jim Donovan. MANNA will provide the pies as part of its annual “Pie in the Sky” fundraiser. The contest is open to all attendees, with sign-ups available the day of the event; spots are limited.
Donovan, a 15-time Emmy Award winner, was Philadelphia’s first openly LGBTQ+ television news anchor and retired from CBS3 in December 2025 after more than 20 years at the station. MANNA, founded in Philadelphia in 1990 during the AIDS crisis, has grown into a leader in the “Food is Medicine” movement and celebrated delivering its 25 millionth medically tailored meal in June 2026.
More than 30 local vendors, artists and makers will line the block, including South Street Art Mart, Crash Bang Boom, South Fellini and Tamme Handmade. The event will also include activities such as face painting, balloon animals, a high striker and balloon pop.
Food offerings will include Polish-American dishes from Mom-Mom’s, Mexican fare from La Camelia, and craft beer from Evil Genius Beer Company.
