The early hours of this morning found me sitting in the emptied-out fountain at LOVE Park, depressed because there was no blood-red water for me to swim in (and because I was even considering swimming in October). The people-watching was sub-par, given the hour, but I did notice that the bicyclists and skateboarders had come out to play… and so had a group of jugglers. Yes, jugglers.

Turns out, they were students from western New York who had road tripped it down to Philly (and were planning on sleeping in their cars for the weekend) for the 25th Annual Philadelphia Jugglers Festival at the Friends Select School at 17th St. and Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. Their tricks were impressive, and so was their dedication: according to Joe (below), they practice for 3 hours every day and are willing to sacrifice pretty much anything for the sake of juggling. His parents all but disowned him when he told them that he wanted to drop out of school and make juggling his career.

They tried to teach me the basics, but my level of uncoordination is high. If you think you can do it, though, head over to the Friends School anytime until 7:00 tonight and check out the festivities, which include a $6 show, competitions and free juggling workshops. Then, on Sunday, there’s more of the same, this time from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It’ll be kind of like a trip to the circus, except better, because you won’t have to see any underfed elephants traipsing miserably around. Just don’t call the clubs they’re juggling “pins.”

When I first read Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” I was 14 and lived in a dopey, Shire-like town on the lip of Maryland and Pennsylvania. We jumped off of rooftops and videotaped our friends eating out of trashcans for fun. We were bored. Kerouac made me realize that American culture wasn’t limited to county fairs, Wal-Marts and the NRA. I wanted to find the mad ones he was talking about, the ones who “never yawn or say a commonplace thing.” I recruited my own Dean Moriarty, my wild child 13-year-old cousin Audrey, to embark on a road trip with me. We stuck out our pre-pubescent thumbs and a man stinking of gin and wearing only see-through boxers picked us up. We anxiously jetted after riding for two miles, and we were lucky we didn’t get roofied. But the five-minute, start-of-a-horror-film experience taught me that books make me do crazy things. Fun things.

Kerouac especially has this hold over people – the man inspired Hunter S. Thompson, Bob Dylan and countless other naive little girls, I’m sure. So the 50th anniversary of “On the Road” is kind of a big deal, son. At 7 p.m., the Free Library of Philadelphia will host the beatnik’s birthday extravaganza. Kerouac collaborator David Amram will show his K-love in a musical performance. Afterwards, you get to hang out with Kerouac’s friends and scholars: companion Joyce Johnson and “Why Kerouac Matters” author John Leland will lead a panel discussion.

This anniversary celebration is only one part of a 3-day literary love party, the 215 Festival. The festival is sponsored by cool cats like Philebrity and Flying Dog Brewery.

Photo courtesy of laist.com.