98 Things to Do in Philly This Weekend

This weekend: Spring festivals, Philly Tech Week, the Sing Us Home Festival, the Broad Street Run, and the Southeast Asian Market returns to FDR Park!

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spring festivals philadelphia

Brauhaus Schmitz’s annual spring festival features a maypole, traditional German dancers, and lots of beer. / Photograph courtesy of Brauhaus Schmitz

MULTIPLE DAYS

OPERA
Curtis Opera Theatre
COT ends its season with the “comical yet bittersweet” The Cunning Little Vixen — music and libretto by Leoš Janáček — “one of the most powerful operatic works of the 20th century.” John Giampietro, stage director. Vinay Parameswaran, conductor.
$45-$65, May 2nd-5th, Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.

FOOD/SHOPPING
The Southeast Asian Market
The weather’s getting warmer and that means the Southeast Asian Market is returning to FDR Park, featuring vendors from area Lao, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian communities every weekend. In addition to the many cuisine options, you can pick up produce, clothing, jewelry, etc.
Pay as you go; opens May 4th, Saturdays & Sundays through October; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, 1500 Pattison Avenue.

TECHNOLOGY
Philly Tech Week
The annual celebration of tech, innovation and socializing once again offers all sorts of in-person and virtual programming, including workshops, panel discussions, happy hours, robotics competitions, jobs fairs, and more. And I’ll be bringing my laptop to each event until I find somebody who can make Microsoft Word good again. Here’s the full Tech Week schedule.
Prices vary by event, May 3rd-11th, multiple locations.

DANCE
Philadanco!
This weekend, the Philly-based contemporary dance company performs free “mini performances” of Francisco Gella’s Seasons at 30th Street Station.
Free, May 3rd (5, 6 & 7 p.m.), May 4th (6:15 7:15, & 8:15 p.m.), & May 5th (2, 2:45, & 4 p.m.), 30th Street Station, 2955 Market Street.

SHOPPING
Made in Philadelphia Marketplace
Area makers, crafters and vendors sell their wares in Dilworth Park every weekend. And while you’re there, go skating (see below).
Free to enter, Fridays and Saturdays, noon-6 p.m., through June 29th, Dilworth Park, West side of City Hall.

OUTDOORS
Rothman Orthopaedics Roller Rink
Lace up your skates or blades on the west side of City Hall and enjoy this “colorful, retro-inspired” outdoor roller rink. Reservations recommended.
$8-$10 (plus $6 for skate rental), continues through June 30th, Dilworth Park, 1 South 15th Street.

MUSIC
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Led by Lahav Shani, the Orcs performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. Featuring Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes.
$60-$181, May 3rd & 4th, Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.

HISTORY
All View It As an Object of High Importance
This exhibition at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania tells the stories of important documents related to banking in the early republic. What is the “it” in the title? Banking? The Ark of the Covenant? Hummels?
Free, through May 31st, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania Library, 1300 Locust Street.

ART/CULTURE
Dream House: Inside Music + Video
This group installation at the Asian Arts Initiative sounds like a lot of fun. Dream House “highlights shifting roles of music video as a hybrid form of creative expression beyond their musical and cinematic quality as promotional tools of the music industry.” On monitors and TV screens, watch works by Alex Da Corte, Jordan Deal, Elle Hong, Maegan Houang, and more. Also, check out Zain Alam’s audio/video installation Meter & Light: Day. Plus Dance Dance Revolution and karaoke in the lounge.
Through August 3rd, Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine Street.

SHOPPING/FOOD
Strawberry Festival
This weekend, the restaurants and shops at Peddler’s Village will be putting strawberries in interesting places and gauging your reaction. Mostly foods and cocktails, I reckon. Also: axe throwing, pony rides, face painting, live music, pie-eating, a “strawberry farmer on stilts,” and more.
Free to enter, through May 4th & 5th, Peddler’s Village, 2400 Street Road, New Hope.

THEATER
Hurricane Diane
Malvern-based theater company People’s Light presents the regional premiere of Madeleine George’s “comedic romp with a mythological twist.” Directed by Molly Rosa Houlahan.
$47, May 1st-19th, People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern.

HISTORY/MUSEUMS
The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution
The Mercer Museum’s immersive major exhibition tells the story of Revolutionary War-era loyalists. “Learn how these local outlaws plotted, schemed, and plundered their way through a divided world in the earliest days of a budding American nation, and why their deep loyalty to British rule in the colonies made them enemies of the Founding Fathers.” It’s always local outlaws.
$15, May 3rd-December 31st, Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown.

THEATER
The Worst Cafe in the World
Northern Ireland’s Big Telly and Philadelphia’s Tiny Dynamite present this tableside show made up of “theatrical bites to amuse your bouche.” Featuring: Anna Faye Lieberman, Gabe Moses and David Pica. Includes a beverage and a snack.
$21, through May 5th, Poth Brewery, 3145 West Jefferson Street.

ART
Kameelah Janan Rasheed
The artist “grapples with the poetics-pleasures-politics of Black knowledge production, information technologies, and modes of [un]learning” in their new exhibition at Ulises and Ray (or Ulises at Ray, or maybe it’s just Ray Philly?), the No Libs art space/bookshop. Kameelah Janan Rasheed’s show — titled the soft technology of your poems split — s My body into 18: secreting,100 Stanzas ——— That Bow TOWARD no moons — opens with a free reception Friday, May 3rd.
Free, through August 25th, Ulises at Ray, Studio 105, 1525 North American Street.

KIDS/ARTS/THEATER
Philadelphia Children’s Festival
This three-day fest at the Annenberg Center includes several different events aimed at kids, including Machine de Cirque’s La Galerie, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s Puebla: The Story of Cinco de Mayo, Pilobolus @ Play, a free outdoor concert by Alex & the Kaleidoscope, and more.
Prices vary by show, May 5th-7th, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street.

See Also: The Top 10 Things to Do With Kids in Philly This May

OPERA
Madame Butterfly
Opera Philadelphia wraps up its season with Giacomo Puccini’s time-tested story the tragic romance between an American soldier and a Japanese girl. Stars soprano Karen Chia-ling Ho and tenor Anthony Ciaramitaro. Performed in Italian with English supertitles.
$29-$299, through May 5th, Academy of Music, 240 South Broad Street.

ART
Small Favors 2024
This annual group exhibition at the Clay Studio includes in the neighborhood of 500 works displayed in four-inch cubes. Check out some of these cool, weird, compact pieces here.
Free, through June 2nd, Clay Studio, 1425 North American Street.

MUSIC
Sing Us Home Festival
Veteran Philly rocker Dave Hause expands his annual festival in Manayunk to a three-day affair. Here’s what on the docket this year:

  • Langhorne Slim with Amythyst Kiah, Dave Hause and Tim Hause, May 3rd, 5-9 p.m.
  • The Jayhawks with Dave Hause & The Mermaid, Tim Barry, Sug Daniels, Space Cadet, Fishtown Choir and Ocean Avenue Stompers, May 4th, noon-9 p.m.
  • The Loved Ones with Strike Anywhere, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Fire in the Radio, Mercy Union and Ocean Avenue Stompers, May 5th, noon-6 p.m.

$49-$79 for one-day pass, $118-$143 for two-day pass, $149 for three-day pass, May 3rd-5th, Venice Island Performing Arts & Recreation Center, 7 Lock Street.

POP CULTURE
Fan Expo Philadelphia
This multi-day multi-pronged convention — formerly known as Wizard World — is aimed at enthusiasts of comic books, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming, and cosplay. And in addition to all the vending and such, FanEx has got some serious star power coming in to do some talking, signing and posing: Marisa Tomei, Adam Savage, Beverly D’Angelo, Chevy Chase, Hayden Christensen, Rosario Dawson, Rainn Wilson, Danny Trejo, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Michelle Hurd — the list is huge. P.S. This is the convention formerly known as Wizard World.
$46-$99, May 3rd-5th, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street.

ART
Artists as Cultivators
Includes drawings, paintings, prints, sculpture and more from PAFA’s permanent collection, that “reveal how American artists have cultivated discourse, care, critique, and change by way of engagement with nature.” Includes a special focus on Ruth Fine. Through July 7th.
$18 museum admission, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 128 North Broad Street.

THEATER
Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
Curio Theatre Company presents the Philadelphia premiere of Hannah Moscovitch’s “hilarious and edgy love story interwoven with a high-energy Klezmer concert.” Featuring songs by Ben Caplan & Christian Barry. Directed by Rachel Gluck. Musical direction and sound design by Damien Figueras.
$27, through May 11th, Curio Theatre Company, 4740 Baltimore Avenue.

TOURS
Crafted in Philly Brewery Tours
Billed as a two-month brewery tour, Crafted in Philly includes visits to 11 breweries and a free pour at each. Seems like participants can go at their own pace and according to their own schedule. These include Mainstay, Barrel Splitters, Our Town, Love City, Evil Genius and more.
$35, through June 30th, multiple locations.

CULTURE
Mexican Week
This week of events celebrating “the beauty and diversity that is Mexican culture” ends with tours of the Art Museum (on Friday) and the Museum of the American Revolution.
Prices vary by event, through May 4th, multiple locations.

COMEDY
William Montgomery
This is a comedian who is playing Helium this weekend. He is a frequent guest on the Kill Tony podcast. His website is minimalist. Judging by the first video that comes up on YouTube, he makes a lot of “my pronouns are” jokes.
$32-$42, May 2nd-4th, Helium, 2031 Sansom Street.

ART/CULTURE
Now Happening @ Taller Puertorriqueño

Free, Taller Puertorriqueño, 2600 North Fifth Street.

ART
The Historic Crafts & Trades Fair
The Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia hosts this “showcase of historic crafts and trades” that were important in colonial city life, including demonstrations of blacksmithing, carpentry, masonry, basket-weaving and more, depending on when you go.
Pay as you go, Saturdays through May 18th, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Carpenters’ Court, in front of Carpenters’ Hall, 320 Chestnut Street.

BEER GARDEN
Parks on Tap
Parks & Rec’s traveling beer garden returns, hauling its taps, tables and grills to a new park each week. This weekend, it’ll be at Matthias Baldwin Park. See the whole schedule and more details here.
Pay as you go, continues through September 29th, Matthias Baldwin Park.

See Also: Philly’s Best Kid-Friendly Beer Gardens

ART
George R. Anthonisen: Meditations on the Human Condition
The Michener hosts a career-spanning exhibition of works by the accomplished sculptor, including 40 bronze sculptures, maquettes, and frescoes, inside and outside the museum. Through October 14th.
$15 museum admission, Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown.

THEATER
Pinocchio
Rebecca Wright direct Arden Children’s Theatre’s production of the famous story about a marionette who wants to be a real boy. And also his nose grows when he lies, which seems like an entirely different story. Stars Anthony Martinez-Briggs, Izzy Sazak, Nathan Alford-Tate and Reese Castaldi.
$20-$45, through June 2nd, Arden Theatre, 40 North 2nd Street.

THEATER
Beginners
Hedgerow Theatre presents the US Premiere of this “playful thriller” about “three families trapped in a waterlogged cottage on their summer vacation.” Written by Tim Crouch, directed by Marcie Bramucci. Live streams are available May 3rd-5th.
$20-$35, through May 5th, Hedgerow Theatre Company, 64 Rose Valley Road, Rose Valley.

COMEDY
Caitlin Peluffo
The Brooklyn-based standup hosts the Good Time Gal podcast. Peluffo sometimes makes dirty jokes I can’t embed here. But here’s something that was on TV, so it’s gotta be SFW. Tell your boss it was on TV.
$32-$44, May 2nd-4th, Punch Line Philly, 33 East Laurel Street.

HISTORY/TOURS
Battleship New Jersey — Dry Docked
The historic Battleship New Jersey, used in WWII and the Vietnam War, recently made the journey from the Camden Waterfront back to Philly’s Navy Yard where it was built. The ship is 85 years old and needs to have a little work done. It’s a rare treat having the battleship on this side of the river, but also not in the river at all. During this 60-day vacation across state lines, visitors are invited to take guided tours around the exterior hull while learning about the restoration and history of the ship. It’s not cheap, but it’s also not something that will happen again for a long time.
$225 donation per person, Battleship New Jersey, Philadelphia Navy Yard, 5195 South 19th Street.

HISTORY
Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum
The 50-acre historic estate along the Delaware River is open for self-guided tours of its formal gardens and native woodlands. Picnics encouraged.
$15, through November 8th, Andalusia Historic House & Gardens, 1237 State Road, Andalusia.

THEATER
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Walnut Street Theatre presents the crowd-pleasing biographical musical about the rise of rock/pop legend Carole King, who sang “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” and tons more hits. Stars Sara Sheperd. Directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford. Last chance!
$25-$97, through May 5th, Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut Street.

BEER GARDENS
PHS Pop-Up Gardens
Is it beer garden season, people. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society hosts two Pop-Up Gardens: on South Street and in Manayunk.
Pay as you go, ongoing through late fall; PHS Pop-Up Garden at Manayunk, 106 Jamestown Avenue; PHS Pop-Up Garden at South Street, 1438 South Street.

FLOWERS
Spring Blooms
Longwood Gardens cranks its flowers up to maximum splendor for their annual Spring Blooms displays featuring tulips, trees, and geophytes out the wing-wang. While you’re there, check out the redesigned Idea Garden.
$22-$25, through May 5th, Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square.

See Also: 20 Gorgeous Philly-Area Gardens and Arboretums to Visit Now

ART
Imprint: Dox Thrash
Subtitled “Black Life, and American Culture,” this new exhibition at the African American Museum in Philadelphia invites visitors to “explore the life and artistic legacy” of Dox Thrash, who was a Buffalo Soldier and Black Vaudeville performer before he became a trailblazing Philly printmaker.
$10-$14, through August 4th, African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street.

ART
Best of the Nest: Birdhouse Competition & Display
Forget the peeps. It’s birdhouse time now. Peddler’s Village is lousy with birdhouses — funny ones, cute ones, weird ones, ones no god-fearing bird would set foot in. Through May 19th.
Free till you buy something, Peddler’s Village, 2400 Street Road, New Hope.

ART
Now Happening @ the Museum for Art in Wood

  • The Poetry Gumball Machine Project — Poet and “multiform artist” LindoYes, the project is more or less what it sounds like, a mechanized sculpture that dispenses poetry stuffed inside little walnut shell capsules. The PGMP will be on display at the Museum for Art in Wood through the rest of the year. The exhibition continues through December 31st.
  • Gina Siepel: To Understand a Tree — A new exhibition by designer/woodworker Gina Siepel. “A multi-disciplinary project that focuses on the dignity of a living tree, its network of eco-systemic relationships, and the ubiquity of the material of wood in design and daily life.” Through July 21st.
  • Experiencing Form: Phil Brown and the Museum’s Residency Artist Alumni, group show. Through September 15th.

Free admission, Museum for Art in Wood, 141 North 3rd Street.

ART
Now Happening @ the Barnes

Museum admission is $23-$30, Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

ART
Risa Puno: Group Hug
This interactive installation by Brooklyn sculptor and installation artist uses the “language of games” to explore “the complex social relationships inherent in receiving and providing care.” More info here. Through July 21st.
Free (suggested donation $5), Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street.

ART
Now Showing @ the Brandywine Museum

  • Every Leaf & Twig: Andrew Wyeth’s Botanical Imagination — The Brandywine Museum hosts this Andrew Wyeth exhibition focusing on “the fragile rhythms and intimate dramas of plant life,” and includes 40 watercolors and drawings, many of which have never been exhibited before. Through September 15th.
  • Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled — And now for a completely different Wyeth. This exhibition focuses on Jamie Wyeth’s “darker and more troubling imagery,” a departure from his better-known paintings of people and landscapes. Through June 9th.

$18-$20, Brandywine Museum of Art, 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford.

ART
Henry Bermudez in Philadelphia
Woodmere Art Museum presents this exhibition of works by Philadelphia-based, Venezuela-born multimedia artist Henry Bermudez, who “incorporates painting with cut paper in large-scale works that display a density of intertwined, three-dimensional forms, rainbow-like color, patterning, and sparkling textures.”
$10 museum admission, through May 19th, Woodmere Art Museum, 9201 Germantown Avenue.

SCIENCE/MUSEUMS
Now Happening @ the Academy of Natural Sciences

  • Under the Canopy: Animals of the Rainforest — This new special exhibit includes “interactive discovery stations, dynamic displays and engaging programming” surrounding the importance of rainforests and the plants and animals that live there. Through September 2nd.
  • Life Onto Land: The Devonian — An exhibition on the life and ecosystems of the Devonian period, the geological era during which creatures wriggled up on dry land, which everybody agrees was a solid move with a lot of potential. Through September 29th.

Included with museum admission of $21-$25, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

HISTORY/MUSEUMS
Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent
This new exhibition centered around the famous artifact will “bring to life the stories of individuals from all walks of life who saved Washington’s tent from being lost over the generations and who ultimately fashioned this relic into a symbol of the fragile American republic.” Includes art, artifacts, rare documents and the tent itself.
Included in museum admission of $13-$22, through January 5th, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 South 3rd Street.

MOVIES
This Weekend @ Lightbox

  • The People’s Joker (2022) Vera Drew’s famous/infamous/fan-favorite queer DIY superhero comedy finally gets a proper, overt screening in Philadelphia. Drew stars as “an unconfident, closeted trans girl [who] moves to Gotham City to make it big as a comedian by joining the cast of UCB Live — a government-sanctioned late night sketch show in a world where comedy has been outlawed.” Includes cameos by Tim Heidecker, Bob Odenkirk, Maria Bamford, Scott Aukerman and more. Tagline: “Come see how she got these (emotional) scars.” May 3rd, 7 p.m.
  • Blood and Black Lace (1964) “Models and their boyfriends excel at the art of backstabbing, blackmail, and snorting cocaine” in Mario Bava’s influential horror-crime-thriller. Tagline: “Guaranteed! The 8 greatest shocks ever filmed!” May 4th, 7 p.m.

$10, Lightbox Film Center, 401 South Broad Street.

 

SCIENCE
Now Happening @ Franklin Institute

  • The Giant Heart — This is your last weekend to stoop and scamper through the Franklin Institute’s Giant Heart before they move it for use in their upcoming exhibit about the human body. And remember: Do not pee in the heart. Through May 6th.
  • The Art of the Brick — The Franklin Institute presents this new long-running exhibition featuring a collection of “inspiring artwork” — bricked-up versions of Starry Night, Mona Lisa, etc. — made by LEGO master Nathan Sawaya. Plus a 9,000-square-foot brick play space. Through September 2nd.

Included in museum admission of $21-$25, Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th Street.

ART
Now Showing @ the ICA

  • Dominique White and Alberta Whittle: Sargasso Sea — This major exhibition at the ICA “takes its name from the only body of water that is defined solely by oceanic currents rather than shorelines” and includes works by two artists which “invoke futures that upend this world with counter images of shipwreck, salvage, reciprocity and Black feminist led-revolution.” Through June 2nd.
  • Tomashi Jackson: Across the Universe — This solo exhibition collects the artist’s works “moving paintings,” and presents examples of “videos in dialogue with paintings and sculpture, and articulates how Jackson’s approach to color and conceptual layering translates across these mediums.” Through June 2nd.
  • Entryways: Nontsikelelo Mutiti — The Zimbabwean-born visual artist and educator was invited to reimagine the windows on the ICA’s facade. Through December 31st.

Free, Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street.

ART
Ritual of Self: Isaiah Zagar’s Self-Portraits in Paper
The city’s favorite public mosaicist takes center stage at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (again) with this exhibition of previously unseen mixed-media artworks. “Treated as a diary, the pieces incorporate found objects, photography, handwritten text, folk art, stamps, textiles, and painting materials.”
$12-$15 museum admission, through May 12th, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, 1020 South Street.

THEATER/VIRTUAL
The Good Person of Setzuan
Watch a livestream of the Wilma Theater’s recent run of Bertolt Brecht’s “classic parable” — translated by Wendy Arons, adapted by Tony Kushner — about three gods who arrive in town looking for one good person. Directed by Justin Jain.
$29, through May 19th.

MUSEUMS
Unhoused: Personal Stories and Public Health
This new long-term exhibition at the Mütter Museum features black and white photos by Toronto-based photographer Leah den Bok, and art by Dallas-based artist Willie Baronet, “whose installation is composed of hundreds of cardboard signs the artist has purchased over the past thirty years from unhoused and unsheltered people in cities around the nation.”
$15-$20, through August 5th, Mütter Museum, 19 South 22nd Street.

SCIENCE/ART
Now Showing @ Science History Institute
BOLD: Color from Test Tube to Textile — This new exhibition at Old City’s Science History Institute explores the complicated history and science of natural and synthetic dye-making “drawing on dye sample books, vivid clothing, and scientific instruments.” Through August.
Free admission, Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut Street.

MOVIES
Now Showing at Philly Film Society
Here’s what’s playing on Film Society screens in addition to the usual first-run fare.

  • Art Therapy — A screening of fight short works by local filmmakers that “explores the intersection between art and mental health through the lens of filmmaking.”
    Includes films by Taja Copeland, Darien Woodard, Samara Huckvale and more. More info here. Free, May 3rd, 6 p.m.
  • High and Low (1963) Akira Kurosawa’s extortion thriller stars Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyôko Kagawa and Yutaka Sada. Tagline: “142 Screenful Minutes of Thrills and Suspense!” Screenful? May 3rd, 3 p.m.
  • Dead or Alive (1999) “A yakuza of Chinese descent and a Japanese cop each wage their own war against the Japanese mafia. But they are destined to meet. Their encounter will change the world.” Directed by Takashi Miike. Stars Shô Aikawa, Riki Takeuchi and Renji Ishibashi. May 3rd at 10 p.m. & May 5th at 6:15 p.m.
  • The Neverending Story (1984) Wolfgang Petersen beloved children’s adventure/nightmare fuel stars Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Rockbiter, Morla, Falkor, G’mork, etc. Tagline: “A boy who needs a friend finds a world that needs a hero in a land beyond imagination!” May 4th, 12:30 p.m.
  • Passion (2008) Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s debut film about “an engagement dinner gone awry” stars Aoba Kawai, Nao Okabe and Ryuta Okamoto. May 4th, 3 p.m.
  • Ema (2019) “In Pablo Larraín’s striking Venice award-winning film, a young dancer’s household falls apart, leading her to blow up societal expectations and embark on an unconventional mission of personal liberation and redemption.” Stars Mariana Di Girólamo, Gael García Bernal and Santiago Cabrera. May 4th, 3:30 p.m.
  • The Piano Teacher (2001) “Chaos ensues when the repressed fantasies of a piano instructor and the tumultuous dependence of her own mother spawns a heated relationship with her much younger student.” Directed by Michael Haneke. Stars Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot and Benoît Magimel. Tagline: “Perversion at its wicked best!” Lotta exclamation points in these taglines. May 4th, 5:30 p.m.
  • Cabaret (1972) Liza Minnelli stars in Bob Fosse’s musical masterpiece. Life is a cabaret, old chum. Tagline: “The Award-Winning Smash Hit Musical.” May 4th, 6 p.m.
  • Mother (2009) Bong Joon Ho’s crime drama stars Kim Hye-ja, Won Bin and Jin Goo. Tagline: “She’ll stop at nothing.” May 4th, 8:30 p.m.
  • Showgirls (1995) Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan and Gina Gershon star in Paul Verhoeven’s preposterous drama about a dancer trying to break into the Vegas entertainment biz. Tagline: “Sex, seduction and betrayal.” May 4th, 9 p.m.
  • Fargo (1996) Frances McDormand, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi star in this Coen bros. movie inspired by the popular TV series. JK. Tagline: “A homespun murder story.” May 5th, 3 p.m.
  • Network (1976) Sidney Lumet’s mad as hell satire of the nightly news stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, and Robert Duvall. May 5th, 3:30 p.m.
  • Buffalo ’66 (1998) Before he became a $50,000-a-night escort, Vincent Gallo was an actor and director, and Buffalo ’66 — also starring Christina Ricci, Anjelica Huston, Mickey Rourke, and Ben Gazzara — was his masterpiece. I mean, Wet Leg liked it. Tagline: “Billy Brown just got out of jail. Now he’s going to serve some real time. He’s going home.” May 5th, 5:30 p.m.

$14 per screening, Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.

MUSEUMS/ART
Now Showing @ the Art Museum

$14-$23 admission, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

FRIDAY, MAY 3rd

COMEDY
Marc Maron
The veteran comedian, actor and podcaster headlines the Keswick. The WTF episode with Tiffany Haddish just dropped.
$49.50-$74.50, 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.

BOOKS/SCIENCE
Blaise Agüera y Arcas
Arcas is an AI humanist and CTO of Technology & Society at Google. He will discuss his new non-fiction book Who Are We Now, and the ways “we perceive human identity, and specifically gender and sexuality, in America,” in conversation with Zoe Stoller.
Free, 6 p.m., Philly AIDS Thrift/Giovanni’s Room, 345 South 12th Street.

ART/SHOPPING
Artist and Artisans Market
Cherry Street Pier throws open its enormous doors on the first Friday of every month for its popular makers markets. Enjoy refreshments while checking out handmade art, jewelry, clothing and more made by your neighbors.
Free to enter, first Fridays, 4-9 p.m., Cherry Street Pier, 121 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard.

MUSIC
Donny Benét
The Australian post-disco outsider pop artist released his sixth record Infinites Desires in February. Otnes opens the show.
$25, 8 p.m., Underground Arts, 200 Callowhill Street.

MUSIC/TRIBUTE
Judas Priestess
An all-women Judas Priest tribute act. Here’s a recent setlist.
$25-$35, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.

MUSIC
Owen
Mike Kinsella — known for making rock music with American Football, Cap’n Jazz, LIES, etc. — plays two intimate solo shows as Owen at the Ethical Society on Friday.
$25, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square.

MUSIC
Young Gunz
The Philly hip-hop duo — and members of the State Property collective with Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Peedi, etc. — celebrate the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough debut Tough Luv.”
$64, 8 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 East Allen Street.

SHOPPING
First Fridays in Chestnut Hill
Shops, galleries and restaurants will stay open late for a little twilight shopping and strolling.
Free till you spend money, till 8 p.m., 8100-8700 Germantown Avenue.

ART
Open Studios at Bok
Tenants on all nine floors of South Philly’s hive of industry the Bok Building will let you peek into their workspaces. Also: food trucks and curated audio visuals by Klip Collective in the Art Deco auditorium.
Free, 5-9 p.m., Bok Building, 1901 South 9th Street.

SATURDAY, MAY 4th

things to do in philadelphia this weekend

The Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival returns this Saturday. / Photograph courtesy of Visit Philadelphia

FESTIVAL
Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival
Once billed as “Philadelphia’s Most Upscale Street Festival,” Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival now subtitles itself as Philadelphia’s Premier Event. Parade yourself up Walnut Street and along the perimeter of Rittenhouse Square, taking dainty bites of street food, purchasing fine works of art, and patronizing the tented vendors, just generally having a swell time.
Free till you buy something, noon-5 p.m., Walnut Street “all around Rittenhouse Square.”

BEER
Washington Crossing Brewfest
Enjoy two-ounce samples of beers (and hard seltzers, ciders, kombuchas, etc.) at this big outdoor beer fest. Live music by bagpipe rockers First Highland Watch. Full list of brewers here.
$55, 12:30-4:30 p.m., Washington Crossing Historic Park, 1112 River Road, Washington Crossing.

SPOOKY/STAR WARS
May the 4th Corrupt You
On the site of an old textile factory in Manayunk, Lincoln Mill Haunted House rises from the dead for a one-night-only pop-up haunts once in a while. This time they’re doing a calendar-appropriate Star Wars theme.
$32.44, 6-9:30 p.m., Lincoln Mill Haunted House, 4100 Main Street.

MUSIC
The Doo Wop Project
This vocal group does old school doo-wop (Frankie Valli, The Drifters, The Del Vikings, etc.) along with newer songs done in a doo-wop style.
$29.50-$64.50, 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.

MUSIC
Chicago Underground Duo
Longtime collaborators Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor play avant garde and ambient jazz.
$37.08, 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street.

MUSIC/MOVIES
A Tribute to Hans Zimmer & Fan Favourites by Moonlight
The London Film Music Orchestra performs music from Interstellar, Inception, Pirates of the Caribbean along with E.T., Jurassic Park, Jaws and lots more. To add to the dreamy mood, some sort of large, glowing, indoor (artificial) moon will be installed or projected in some way.
$65-$86, 7 p.m., Miller Theater, 250 South Broad Street.

MUSIC
Sadurn
Indie folk/rock from Philly with heartfelt lyrics and a pretty, intimate sound, but fun too. With Greg Freeman.
$15, 9 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.

MUSIC/KARAOKE
Skeletor’s Karaoke Gung Show
Eternia’s infamous Overlord of Evil hosts his infamous Gung Show. He might cut you off mid-song if you displease him. He might call you a fool. It’s a good time.
Free, 9 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.

MUSIC
O-Town
The Making the Band boy band celebrates the 10th anniversary of their 2013 album Lines & Circles. With LFO.
$28-$50, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.

COMEDY/CABARET
Claybourne Elder
“Broadway’s hunky gay ex-Mormon dad” does a “surprisingly filthy” standup/cabaret show, including the music of Sondheim, Whitney Houston and more.
$55, 1:30 & 7:30 p.m., Bucks County Playhouse, 70 South Main Street, New Hope.

FESTIVAL
Maifest
Brauhaus Schmitz, the sausage king of South Street, once again hosts this celebration of beer and spring with food, drinks, live music, dancing and “Philly’s Tallest Maypole.”
Free till you spend money, ($100 VIP tickets available), 11 a.m.-8 p.m., 700 Block of South Street.

TRUCKS/MONSTERS
Monster Jam
Beloved monster trucks speed and jump and battle on the unfrozen tundra of Lincoln Financial Field. Particpating vehicles include Grave Digger, Max-D, Megalodon, Engine Bloc, Chip Chassi and Big Tires Terry. I made some of those up. Does it matter? No! You want to see huge trucks do crazy things, that’s what you’ll see.
$23-$170, 1 p.m., Lincoln Financial Field, 1 Lincoln Financial Field Way.

MUSIC
Monica Berney
“One of America’s leading young organists” performs a free concert on the Kimmel’s immense Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ. The program includes works by Brahms, Bach, Whitlock and more.
Free, 5 p.m., Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.

HISTORY/ART/TOUR
Designing for the Dead: Art & Architecture of Laurel Hill
Take a guided tour of Philadelphia’s most photogenic bone pasture while learning about the great architects who created monuments there and “competed fiercely for the chance to design for the dead.”
$17, 1-3 p.m., Laurel Hill East Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Avenue.

COMICS
Free Comic Book Day
Look up participating are shops and go get your free comics! I know Multiverse (8026 Germantown Avenue) is getting into the spirit with 20 percent off all books and comics, plus some cool stuff related to it being May The Fourth Be With You day.
Free, multiple locations.

REPTILES/PETS
East Coast Reptile Super Expo
Owners of venomous and non-venomous reptiles can shop for supplies and network with other handlers of snakes, lizards, skinks, ginks, guans and gecs. They promise “free raffle prizes for the early birds” and what are lizards if not really early birds?
$10, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks.

SUNDAY, MAY 5th

COMEDY/VARIETY
Varietopia with Paul F. Tompkins
The Philly-born comedian, actor and all-star podcaster brings his traveling variety show to his old hometown for a doubleheader.
$25-$35, 5 & 8:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.

CANDLES
All Black Everything: Candle Con 2024
Meeka Johnson’s All Black Everything pop-up presents this candle convention offering brands from Black/ Brown makers “specializing in luxury, novelty, and specialty candles.”
$15, noon-6 p.m., Location215, 990 Spring Garden Street.

MUSIC
Luke Carlos O’Reilly & Friends
The jazz pianist and his ensemble play an intimate “An Evening With” show at the Painted Bride in West Philly. More on Luke Carlos O’Reilly here.
$20 suggested donation, 5 p.m., Painted Bride, 5212 Market Street.

MUSIC
R.A.P. Ferreira
The Chicago-born, Nashville based art-rapper teamed up with Fumitake Tamura to release The First Fist to Make Contact When We Dap in January. It’s weird and mesmerizing, a record that aims to charm with memorable rhymes and bare bones backing tracks. Rosie Tucker opens the show.
$18, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.

SPORTS
Philadelphia Phoenix vs. DC Breeze
Philly’s resident ultimate frisbee team starts its season this week. Can you guess which of these appears to be the official nickname of the Philadelphia Phoenix? A) The Hotbirds. B) The Disc Makers. C) The Bros Who Knocked over Your Smoothie on the Quad while Tossing the ol’ Aerobie Around. Stay tuned for the answer. It’s A.
$20, 5 p.m., Neumann University Turf Field at Mirenda Center, 501 Convent Drive, Aston.

BEER/GOATS
Bock Fest & Goat Race
Goats will run and strong beers will pour at Sly Fox Brewing’s annual festival on Pottstown on Sunday. Here’s something I don’t always get to type: “Goat registration is closed.” If you wanna see pics of the participating goats, they got ’em. I like the crazy eyes on rookie Oreo. You got this, kid.
$40-$105, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sly Fox Brewing Company, 331 Circle of Progress Drive, Pottstown.

CULTURE/MUSEUMS
Dual Heritage Month Family Day
The Weitzman hosts this free day full of activities celebrating Jewish American and Asian Pacific American Heritage culture with workshops, crafts, storytelling, music, dance and more.
Free, 1-5 p.m., Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 South Independence Mall East.

RACE/TRAFFIC
Broad Street Run
Look, the runners already know who they are — those bibs go fast. This is just a reminder for angry car people: Make sure you get up early on Sunday so you can be surprised by the Broad Street run taking over Broad Street, and perhaps post dumb status updates about being late to park in the bike lanes or whatever you wanted to do with your precious morning.
Free to look at, starts at 7:30 a.m.-??, all along Broad Street.

MUSIC
Chastity Belt
Despite their toothy moniker, this Seattle band is easy on the ears and rigorously, vigorously unhip. Nothing wrong with that. Just for fun, which of these Chastity Belt titles ruffles your feathers the most: Dude (2012), No Regerts (2013) or the brand new Live Laugh Love, released in March? Charlotte Cornfield opens the show.
$18, 8 p.m., First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut Street.

FOOD/PARTY
Cinco de Mayo at Cantina La Martina
Cantina La Martina does it up right, with an all-day barbecue serving ribs, barbacoa, and carnitas, plus margaritas and frozen piña coladas. There will be live music, a piñata for the kids, and more. No reservations are necessary.
Free till you spend money, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., 2800 D Street.

PARTY
La Fiesta 5 De Mayo
This Cinco De Mayo party in the FringeArts Biergarten promises tacos, tequila, live music and DJs. Performers include Jimmy Six, Mr. Sax, DJ Calle, Pereira, Christian Martinez, Jay Luv and lots more
$10-$15, noon-8 p.m., FringeArts, 140 North Columbus Boulevard.

MUSIC
Kamasi Washington
The jazz sax thought leader returns, this time in support of Fearless Movement, released this week. Guest stars on the new record include André 3000, George Clinton, Thundercat, Patrice Quinn and more.
$40-$45, 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street.

 

MUSIC
Al Stewart
The British folk revival torchbearer is 78 and still rockin’.
$39-$65, 7:30 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.

BOOKS
Erik Larson
The renowned author of gripping historical non-fiction — The Devil in the White City, The Splendid and the Vile, Thunderstruck, etc. — will read from and sign his latest, The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War.
$45, 7:30 p.m., Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street.

MUSIC/FESTIVAL
Harmonic Hope and Healing Fest
Startup nonprofit Harmonic Hope & Healing presents this all-day outdoor festival features live music by Taylor Kelly, KOSER, Maggie Mae, The Proper Hustlers, Elle Gyandoh and JJX; and sound healing by Angelo Outlaw, Sean Youngman and Nicholas Hockley. Also: panel discussions on the importance of music in personal and community wellness
$15-$20, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Cannstatter Volksfest-Verein, 9130 Academy Road.

KIDS/ART
PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: The Spirit of Art and Music
It’s first Sunday, which means free admission to the Barnes! This month, it’s a full day of family fun in partnership with the Wilma Theater’s new opera, Hilma, which explores the life and work of Hilma af Klint. Catch exclusive preview performances of the opera, which opens June 4th. Plus, storytelling, an art scavenger hunt and free access to the galleries. Limited capacity; registration is required online.
Free, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., The Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

KIDS/ART
Family Festival: Reimagining Tradition
PMA offers pay-what-you-wish admission with a family festival celebrating AAPI Month. The day includes art-making activities, tea ceremonies, a performance by the Philadelphia Suns and more.
Pay-what-you-wish, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

MUSIC
Social Distortion / Bad Religion
This Sunday show at the Fillmore boasts two long-lasting titans of California punk known for their hard, tight riffs and parent-worrying t-shirts. Social D is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Mommy’s Little Monster, but I’m posting Bad Religion’s “Stranger than Fiction” because … I just really like that song.
$101-$358, 7 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 East Allen Street.

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