The 48 Record Bar Garden Party brings two of Old City’s hidden gems together for one night only. 48 Record Bar, the swanky listening room and cocktail bar perched above Sassafras, is trading its usual spot for the hidden greenscape of Elfreth’s Alley — widely recognized as America’s oldest continuously occupied residential street — for the 48 Record Bar Garden Party on Friday, August 7, from 5 to 8 pm—free admission, open to the public.

A Playlist You Can Drink: DJs, Cocktails, and Vinyl in America’s Oldest Residential Street

At the 48 Record Bar Garden Party, the cocktail menu is built to play out like a mixed playlist, genre-hopping from smoky and bittersweet to tropical and experimental — paired with live-spun sets from DJ Daniel Giangrandi and guest selector Joey Sweeney, 48 Record Bar’s own Creative Director. A Pop-Up Vinyl Mini-Market rounds out the evening, giving music lovers a real reason to dig through crates between tracks, not just sip and listen.

“Even before we had a venue, 48 existed as a pop-up,” says Sweeney, “so it’s very much in our DNA to bring music, cocktails and camaraderie to spaces where they might not otherwise be. But to get to do it in this very out-of-the-way beautiful, historic garden, with some of our very favorite neighbors here in Old City — well, that’s just magic.” Cocktails and vinyl purchases run pay-as-you-go throughout the evening; more information is available at 48recordbar.com.

Beyond the Garden Party: 48 Record Bar’s August Lineup

The 48 Record Bar Garden Party is just one night of a genuinely full August at 48 Record Bar. Tuesday Nite Music Club runs weekly throughout the month, with John Byrne, August’s resident artist, taking the stage at 7pm with his signature fusion of Americana, Celtic, and folk music. At 9pm, Sweeney drops the needle on a curated selection of LPs — the same core mission that drives everything at 48: getting people together to listen to records.

Rounding out the 48 Record Bar Garden Party month, for dedicated collectors, 48 Record Bar’s Record of the Month subscription ($40) delivers a hand-selected album each month, spanning “the old, new, weird, weepy, and awesome,” complete with 48’s own special-edition liner notes. August’s pick is Hot Chip’s The Warning, via Domino Recording Co. Members can also bring their own records to Tuesday Nite Music Club and run them through the on-site record cleaning machine — a genuinely useful perk for anyone actually building a collection, not just collecting albums for the sake of it.

Images: Gab Bonghi

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Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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