Over the weekend, I wanted to check out one of Philadelphia’s several open-air beer gardens. With some closing over the coming weeks, I decided on The Oval. Located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at Eakins Oval, the island of asphalt and surrounding lawns at 24^th Street and the Parkway transform into a public space for one month during the summer. I visited the space on its last weekend. On this particular Saturday, local food trucks lined the Parkway. My friends and I arrived around 4:30 p.m. We had dinner plans, though I was tempted to try a grilled cheese sandwich from Say Cheese or a hot dog from The Dapper Dog. We made our way into the beer garden. The space is large, so we had no trouble locating a spot to congregate. Since it was busy on this particular beautiful Saturday, we weren’t lucky enough to find open lawn chairs or picnic tables. However, we did find a few cushions to sit on for a bit and enjoyed the shade. The beer selection was solid, including a mix of local and domestic beers. I started with a Yards Fairmount Park Ale. It was sold out when I wanted a second drink, so I switched gears and tried the Harpoon Grapefruit Shandy. Both were delicious. After enjoying their beers, a few of my friends decided to try one of the several lawn games set up nearby. They were intrigued by Kubbspel, a traditional Viking game of skill. After watching a couple rounds, which to me looked like throwing sticks at other sticks, I decided to cheer on my friends rather than play. While I was happy to experience The Oval for the first time, I was disappointed my visit was on its final weekend this summer. I plan to check out some of the remaining Philadelphia beer gardens soon and return to The Oval next season. — Katie Skrzek, digital media manager