January 7, 2016

The Scene in 2016

Not a definitive list, but what we here at Cashman & Associates are predicting as highlights of the year…

1. THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Like a leap year, a presidential election only happens once every four years. Unlike a leap year, it has the potential to change the course of human history as we know it. President Barack Obama took the country by storm in 2008, prompting young voters to chant “yes we can” and establishing a new standard of social media interaction never before seen for a presidential candidate. Topics of debate for 2016 include tax reform, Syria, ISIS, military spending, climate change and health care. Speaking of politics…..
   
2. DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION As the birthplace of the America’s founding principles, Philadelphia is a city where you can smell the freedom (and you thought that was cheesesteaks). The Wells Fargo Center will be the primary venue for the convention, likely resulting in the most liberal gathering of people there since the Grateful Dead reunion. Highlights of the DNC will include appearances from Mayor Jim Kenney, as well as party front-runners Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders. The last political convention held in Philly was the republican national convention in 2000, when
   George Bush looked like this:
   
   Stephen Colbert looked like this:
   
   And for some reason, The Rock was there:
   
3. WALLSOME GALLERY OPENING Wallsome, a Philadelphia-based e-commerce brand will be launching their site in 2016. Spearheaded by the dynamic Keith Leaphart, Wallsome will also have an interactive design space for artists to collaborate within. The company specializes in large format printing projects, turning any image into oversized wall art (and any surface into a palette). We can’t wait to see our favorite local artists be transformed into DIY décor!
   
4. THE SUMMER OLYMPICS IN RIO It is time once again to witness the splendor and prowess of the world’s most skilled athletes. This year it’s against the beautiful backdrop of Rio di Janerio Brazil. 10,500 athletes from 206 countries will compete in the first Olympic Games to ever take place in South America. There will be 7.5 million tickets sold to watch the 42 sports being contested. See all the interesting facts here.
   
5. PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS PIFA 2016 is going to be a feat of sights and sounds. Kicking off in April, the city will be transformed to a creative wonderland of artistic expression and world class performances. Opening night will be kicked off by Article 13, an interactive performance exploring the migrant experience. Not to mention, fire. A lot of fire. Other must-sees include the massive lobby exhibit by 2015 MacArthur Grant winner Mimi Lien, Knitting Peace (a knit-centric acrobatic performance), and Paper Planet (a live paper forest). Many of these performances will be making their North American debuts. For more information, visit kimmelcenter.org/pifa (tickets are on sale now!)
   
6. ADELE’S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR Hello, it’s me. I’ve been wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet in the USA! Adele’s ’25’ sold at least 2.433 million copies in three days, breaking sales and prompting us to revisit the pain and agony left in the dusty corners of our collective broken hearts. The gifted songstress will kick off her US tour in Minnesota on July 5^th. Unfortunately, tickets to see her sold out within an hour, as over 10 million people flooded the Ticketmaster website. Any ‘Del fan who is still holding out hope will have to spend anywhere from 1k to 3k for tickets on third party sites. On the bright side, you can’t sob and chug chardonnay at a concert anyway, right?
   
7. AKA UNIVERSITY CITY/FMC TOWER AT CIRA CENTER SOUTH OPENING The FMC Tower at Cira South is going to be Philadelphia’s first vertical neighborhood. It’s set to be a mixed retail, commercial, and residential space with luxury accommodations and hotelier AKA at the forefront of the property. It’s basically a luxury city in the sky. Not to mention, it’s going to have a one-acre urban park open to the public. An urban green space with a view of the skyline… sorry LOVE Park, sounds like Philadelphia’s official new first date spot.
   
8. PABLO PICASSO AT THE BARNES Picasso, a favorite amongst those with an affinity for primary colors, will be displayed at The Barnes Foundation for the premiere of Picasso: The Great War, Experimentation and Change on February 21. The exhibition examines the changes in Picasso’s style during the First World War, bringing together 50 works by the artist, all from different museums and private collectors. Philadelphia isn’t shy to amazing art, but this will surely be an exhibit not to miss.
    
9. “FULLER HOUSE” PREMIERING ON NETFLIX Growing up, the Tanner family was a staple of sitcom hilarity. Who could forget the time Stephanie had to deny a cigarette from bad girl Gia, when Uncle Joey nearly quit comedy forever, or when Michelle had that trippy dream where her feet wouldn’t stop growing. Premiering on Netflix in February, we can expect cameos from the original Full House crew, besides Mary Kate and Ashley for obvious reasons (successful careers and pride, mainly). Check out the teaser trailer for the new series here.
    
   
10. SNAP KITCHEN OPENING IN PHILLY Imagine if there was a place where your vegan friend, your paleo friend and even your co-worker who self-identifies as a “Carnivore” could all eat together in harmony. May I introduce Snap Kitchen- fresh, healthy, take-away dining for those on the go. Snap Kitchen’s food is sustainably produced and freshly prepared daily. There will be 7 locations within the Philadelphia region, making it easy to eat well and live better. CrossFit & your own garden not required.