by Nina DeSilva
Thursday, November 30th marked the last installment of the three–part Forward Motion monthly wellness gathering hosted by Forîn Café in collaboration with Nike Running, All Caps Studios, Club Connection, and Great Circles Radio.
Banner photo credit: @theouternet
The collaborative effort was noted by REC Philly as one of the best creative Philadelphian projects of 2023. With numerous opportunities for entertainment, socialization, and mental wellness, Forward Motion is a well–rounded community–building event with activities to enchant its audience in one way or another. The central goal of the event: to feed the mind, body, and soul.
Photo credit: Nike Running, Forîn Café, All Caps Studios, Club Connection, and Great Circles Radio
For those who sadly missed it—Forîn, Nike, All Caps, Club Connection, and Great Circles linked up to create a monthly run/walk event, starting in September and ending in November. Each meet–up united the Fishtown neighborhood for a walk or a run and a post–run/walk food, drink, merch giveaway, and music celebration to remember.
If you did end up missing out, rumor has it that Forward Motion will pick back up in the spring months with more surprises to unleash, and most likely take place during more favorable run/walk weather.
Each gathering traced a route from the Forin Café on Coral Street, a coffee shop in Fishtown to the Forîn Café on Frankford Ave, also located in Fishtown. Attendees chose between a 5K run from Forîn to Forîn, or a 1.5–mile walk to Frankford Ave. Both cafés offer a curated menu of drinks—caffeinated, alcoholic, and not. The Forîn Café on Frankford affords more tables and countertops for sticking around and dining in, perfect for the post–run/walk festivities.
Photo credit: Nike Running, Forîn Café, All Caps Studios, Club Connection, and Great Circles Radio
Each Forward Motion gathering welcomed numerous attendees, almost always boasting numbers above the fifties. Even during the last meet–up! Which was held in temps dipping into the thirties. While there were runners who loyally attended each meet–up, there were also new faces at all, allowing for a chance to meet someone new every time.
All three meetups were a blast, but the last gathering in November was especially worth braving the frosty winds. In addition to the usual post–run/walk fun, a photo booth was installed in Forîn on Frankford for all to collect another Forward Motion memento. Special guest, Filipino restaurant Tabachoy, was also featured exclusively for the last meet–up. I can say confidently their butternut squash curry is worth the hype.
Photo credit: Nike Running, Forîn Café, All Caps Studios, Club Connection, and Great Circles Radio
Whether you regret missing out on the Nike/All Caps t–shirts you wanted to snag, the DJ spun tunes you wanted to sway to, the honey–processed wine you wanted to sip on, the Nike shoes you wanted to demo, the meditation practice you wanted to experiment with—there will still be a chance to indulge.
Keep your eyes peeled for the springtime edition of Forward Motion for mind, body, soul excitement!