Baldwest
The Lawn
3701 Filbert St.
Philadelphia
Aug. 29, 2026
On a random Thursday evening in February of 2021, I walked into a Walgreens and bought a pair of clippers. The ever-fluctuating COVID policies of the salon I went to had become a drag to keep up with. Not being able to determine the fate of my hair had become increasingly frustrating during an era where many of us felt like we weren’t in control of our lives anymore. So I decided to take control in one of the only ways I could: I shaved my head. Since then, I’ve embraced the freedom and beauty of being bald. So when I heard about Philly's "Baldfest," I knew I had to be there for boots-on-the-ground, blade-on-the-scalp journalism.
Organized by local musician Abstract Louv, the second annual Baldfest aimed to present a welcoming space for the hairless to harmonize. With live music, local vendors, and even barbers onsite for those wishing to join the winning team of being bald, the free festival had plenty to offer whether you were actually bald or just an ally. The slogan on the festival’s poster read, “For The Bald and Bald at Heart,” welcoming those with hair to join in on the festivities as well. When I arrived near the start of hour three of the eight-hour event, I quickly noticed that that invitation seemed to work a little too well. I scanned the sparse crowd and saw that the ratio of bald to not-bald was not favorable for those of us unburdened by hair; nevertheless I was determined to see this thing through, as I had spent the entire commute there listening to DMX, Jeezy, Sinead O’Conner, and other notable bald artists to hype myself up. I did a quick lap around the grounds to check out the vendors (many of whom were not bald) and bought a really cool Phillies shirt. It seemed like many of the advertised attractions wouldn't be starting until a bit later, but that was ok — we were running on Bald People Time.
I grabbed a beer and positioned myself at a table with ample shade as I waited for my (bald) friend Harris to arrive. From the table across from me, a young man with a full head of hair and a fresh pack of UNO cards in his hand called out to me and asked if I knew how to shuffle cards. I didn't, but there wasn't much else going on so I migrated tables and gave it a try. We chatted about local music shows, my bald origin story, and, of course, the festival itself while we waited for our respective parties to join us. I tried to convince him to be the first to step up to the barber’s chair to get his head shaved, but unfortunately he wouldn't budge. His friends arrived (also with hair) and we all played a round of UNO that I decisively won on behalf of the bald community as the first musical acts began. You may find it hard to believe, but many of the musical acts were also not bald. But by this point at the festival, that had started to matter to me a little less. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and everyone I interacted with was in good spirits and eager to celebrate and mingle in the name of baldness. I was soon joined by Harris, his partner, and their friend — who was also bald — and we discussed on-theme topics such as preferred headwear, how to protect our scalps from the sun, and whether or not we should consider bald caps culturally appropriative. We made another lap around the area, and I bought an official Baldfest shirt to commemorate the occasion. One of the festival workers came by and informed us of a raffle that was being drawn at 4 p.m. for a cash prize and I briefly considered getting in on the action. But I’d already been there for almost three hours and decided it was in my best interest to go home and recharge for the other event I planned on attending in the evening.
Although I was a bit bummed to miss the raffle and other advertised attractions, like a look-alike contest, I still left Baldfest pleased with my experience. I would’ve loved a bit more hairless representation, but overall the festival succeeded at its main goal: bringing the bald and bald-at-heart together.
