Ultimate Summer Fun Guide: September

September-time rolls.

Saturday, Sept. 1

The Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival (Aug. 31-Sept. 2) draws pickers from far and wide. The vibe is spontaneous, from impromptu jams to the tradition of letting a stranger sit in your folding chair while you walk around. And the talent's top-notch: Today's lineup includes Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. Salem County Fairgrounds, Woodstown, N.J., 866-468-7619, www.brandywinefriends.org/dvbgf. —NP

Sunday, Sept. 2

Can't afford to travel the world this summer? Take in an afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton and see a different side of Philly. Dress to the nines (or come as you are) and indulge in a lazy afternoon in the Rotunda. The pot of tea comes with gourmet sandwiches, French pastries and tea cakes; the people-watching and air-conditioning are complimentary. Reservations suggested, The Ritz-Carlton, 10 S. Broad St., 215-523-8000, www.ritzcarlton.com. —MJ

Check your transgressions and curb the lewd behavior because the convention center will be buzzing with Baptists as The 127th Annual National Baptist Convention kicks off. Watch tempers flare when the conventioneers hit the Reading Terminal Market and get into a theological throw-down with the Amish. Sept. 3-7, 215-474-5785, www.nationalbaptist.com. —DW

You say your green thumb wilted this year? Why not admire photographs of botanical beauty? Contemporary Photography and the Garden — Deceits and Fantasies (June 23-Sept. 16) features the work of 16 artists who believe the garden exists as a space for symbolism and metaphor. Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Del., 302-571-9590, www.delart.org. —DW

I was too young for the original Woodstock, and a bit too old for Woodstock II. Yes, I was up there, in Saugherties, N.Y., and I remember later describing it to someone as "Rwanda with bands." Maybe, now that I've married, reproduced and gotten boring, I can settle in to the safe, reassuring hippie gathering that is Woodstock Night at Pennypack Park. Well, maybe it's not so much a gathering as it is one band, Yasgur's Farm, a classic rock cover/tribute thing. Considering the concentration of cops who live in the vicinity, you'll probably want to leave the brown acid at home. Pennypack Park at Welsh Road and Cresco, www.pennypackpark.com. —DS

Set your alarm, get out of bed, brush your teeth, and just do it — whatever your particular "it" may be. It's National Do It! Day (Fight Procrastination Day). "Celebrate" by completing a few simple steps. 1.) Get out of your pajamas and put on real clothes. 2.) Make a list of things you must accomplish. 3.) Make phone calls, send e-mails, do your job. Fight procrastination today. Or tomorrow. Or maybe the next day. —DW

Will the eerie chill of Eastern State Penitentiary trump the camp of Secret Cinema's screening of Scared Straight behind the walls? Expect nervous laughter. 8 p.m., doors at 7, $8, www.easternstate.org/events. —JB

I'd argue that Elvis Costello, who appears at the Mann a month to the day after that Bublé guy, is the modern-day Sinatra. He's worked with everybody. He doesn't give a shit about audience expectations. And the motherfucker can croon like he's dying of a bullet wound. The Mann Music Center, www.manncenter.org. —DS

Embrace the taste of summer with a sweet, crunchy corn on the cob grilling party. Have friends collect varieties at farmers markets — the Black and White Horse Pikes in South Jersey are good places to search for the perfect ear. The final chow-down is sure to be worth all the dental floss. —JS

There's little that says summer like The Beach Boys. And no one says Beach Boys more than the eclectic, reclusive Brian Wilson. Call out from work and stage what I like to all a Brian Wilson Holiday: Grab a mix-a-six from the Foodery and spend the day holed up in your apartment. You can watch TV, catch up on your Netflix queue or go for realism and have imaginary conversations with Van Dyke Parks while refusing to follow up your generation-defining album. —BH

Genuflect on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, by visiting Fire and Ice: Marine Corps Combat Art from Afghanistan and Iraq (July 7-Oct. 21), featuring the work of Marine Warrant Officer Michel Fay, whose watercolors, oils and drawings depict military life. Fay is one of only three combat artists currently serving in the Marines and has been on tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, 215-340-9800, www.michenermuseum.org. —DW

Perhaps this would be a good time to check out the Mütter Museum Cell Phone Audio Tour. "Beep. And here's another jar with a diseased head in it. Beep." Free with admission, Mütter Museum, 19 S. 22nd St., 215-563-3737, www.collphyphil.org. —PR

Every year you say you're going to do it: Eat a dog an inning. And every year you crap out in the fifth. Get in touch with your inner Kobayashi at the final dollar-dog day of the season. And pray the Phillies and Rockies don't go into extra innings. 7:05 p.m., Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way, 215-463-1000, www.phillies.com. —BH

While in line at Dunkin' Donuts for your coffee fix, treat yourself to some "O"-shaped love. And don't go for wimpy glazed or pathetic powdered. Oh no. It's National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day. Order every cream-filled delicacy on the menu, and enjoy each gooey, make-you-sick minute. —DW

The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus is some kind of burlesque magic vaudeville freakshow sponsored by Magic Hat beer. Don't bring the kids. 7:30 p.m., $15, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, www.bindlestiff.org. —PR

Why not slip into the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but skip the main-attraction stuff upstairs and stay strictly in the dark (and very temperate) lower area. Here you can see special exhibits, buy something pretty you don't need, have a snack to recover from all this activity while staying cool — literally and figuratively. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., pay what you wish (Sundays), 26th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway, www.philamuseum.org/visit. —JA

Head to the Linc for the start of the Kevin Kolb era. Watch the Eagles' top draft pick wear a baseball cap! Amaze as he carries a clipboard! Thrill as he observes his mentor, Donovan McNabb, and jots down notes, such as: "Short passes are short in relation to long passes, not short in relation to where the receiver is standing." 8:30 p.m., Lincoln Financial Field, www.philadelphiaeagles.com, broadcast on ESPN. —BH

Tuesday, Sept. 18

The Genesis reunion kicks The Police reunion's ass. Nuh uh. Yuh huh. Time and price to be announced, Wachovia Center, 3601 S. Broad St., www.livenation.com. —PR

Catch the Franklin Institute's Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs before it, ahem, wraps up on Sept. 30. Philadelphia is the Tut tour's final stop, featuring 50 artifacts from his tomb as well as 70 artifacts excavated from the tombs of other Egyptian pharaohs who ruled during the Golden Age. $17.50-$27.50, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., 215-448-1200, www2.fi.edu. —DW

Who says Bingo is just for old, blue-haired ladies? Raid your piggy bank and make your way to Aramingo Bingo Palace. The Great Northeast bingo hall offers patrons over 18 the chance to win cash. So grab some friends and let the bingo chips fall where they may. 2401 E. Tioga St., 215-744-2276, www.aramingobingopalace.com. —DW

Sure, St. Patrick's Day is March 17, but the Irish Fall Festival begins today in North Wildwood. The four-day event celebrates Irish heritage and culture with food, live entertainment, crafts and a piper competition. (Yes — a piper competition. Wonder how they judge that.) Oh, and did we mention there will be beer? 8 a.m.-11 p.m. daily, free, Old New Jersey Ave., North Wildwood, 609-729-0075, www.wildwoodsnj.com. —DW

It's time for the b-boys/b-girls to make some noise. Freshout Media's Flava Fest will be in full effect providing a backdrop for a graffiti showcase, emcee and dance battles (with prizes) as well as live performance art — all set to the sounds of DJs Phsh, Luke Raws and the oh-so-fresh Skeme Richards. If the battles aren't your thing, you can still flex them skills on the dance floor. Shake it fast, watch yourself! All day, Free-$8, various locations, 215-965-9478, www.freshoutmedia.com. —DD