by Ari Roth
This year, on Saturday, July 5th, Hawthornes Cafe on South Street will celebrate the 5th anniversary of its IPA Block Party, and it’s looking to be better than ever. The block party will boast a huge selection of beers. It will primarily focus on IPAs such as Yards, Harpoon, AleSmith, Dock St Rye, Shawnee, Kelso and more, but it will also include cider and wheat beers as well, such as Crispin Original Cider and Wolavers Wildflower Wheat. There will be five draft trailers: Jockeys, Firkin, and Origlio, along with several backup kegs and beer at the food tent. In addition to all of the great beers, the block party will also feature delicious food cooked by Hawthornes’ very own house chef. The mouthwatering food selection will include Mexican street corn, sausage and pepper sandwiches, soft pretzels, pulled pork, pressed veggie sandwiches and queso burgers.
The Hawthornes IPA Block Party will also feature live music throughout the afternoon and evening, featuring exclusively local artists, including Jason Jeffries and the Talltrees, a freewheeling jam band, and the steel drum ensemble Trinadelphia, along with DJ Dewey Decibal (a Hawthornes Cafe employee). The block party is also sponsored by PAWS (the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society), a wonderful organization and clinic dedicated to fostering and adopting pets who are placed in shelters. PAWS aims to reduce the number of abandoned pets who are put down and turn Philadelphia into a no-kill city.
Hawthornes Cafe is located at 738 S 11th St. The block party will run from noon until 8 PM, the day after Independence Day. There is no entry cost, but all beer tickets are $5 each, in cash only. Saturday is forecasted to be bright and sunny, with not a rain cloud in sight, so come to Hawthornes and celebrate with the best beer, food and music that the city has to offer.
