Philly festival season has begun! Things to do this week include live music in Manayunk, South Street’s 11th-annual Maifest, Rittenhouse Row’s Spring Fest, home and garden goods in Chestnut Hill, and a Black-owned business pop-up market just in time for Mother’s Day.

If big crowds at big events aren’t your thing, there’s ballet in the park, an evening with a Grammy-and-Tony-award winner, the return of The Golden Girls murder mystery theater, and your last chance to catch the latest production of Madame Butterfly. It’s also the weekend for the Broad Street Run, so take that into account when traveling on Sunday.

There are opportunities for civic engagement on budget and community issues, as well as education with a Mexican-themed quiz night, a discussion with an AI expert, and the first week of Jewish American Heritage Month.

Thinking of things to do further head? Check out our year-round calendar about how to be a good citizen.

A community meeting with the Citizens Police Oversight Commission in Kensington, celebrating Jewish American Heritage at the Weitzman, ballet performances in Rittenhouse square, and great theater await you this week.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK IN PHILLY

LET’S TALK ABOUT KENSINGTON. On April 30 from 6 to 8pm, the Citizens Police Oversight Commission is hosting a community meeting at The CORE at Esperanza Health Center for residents to discuss Kensington Initiative plans, civilian oversight of police, the new business curfew, and interactions with the police. There will be refreshments and food, Spanish and Mandarin interpretation, and resource tables set up. No law enforcement will be in attendance. Free. 3222 H Street

HONOR JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE. Each May, organizations and Americans celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. This year, The Weitzman marks the start of the month on May 1 from 3 to 4pm with JAHM Across the Aisle, a virtual panel discussion featuring six former members of Congress, and then a family-friendly Dual Heritage Month celebration on May 5 from 1 to 5pm. On May 7 at 6pm they’re hosting a Sephardic Culinary Heritage discussion with Dr Helene Jawhara Piñer and Chef Mike Solomonov. Events continue all month long! Free. 101 South Independence Mall East 

SPEND AN EVENING WITH A FUTURE EGOT HOLDER. On May 1 at 7pm, Ensemble Arts Philly presents An evening with Leslie Odom Jr. at the Miller Theater. Don’t miss the Tony and Grammy Award-winning, three-time Emmy, and two-time Academy Award-nominated vocalist, songwriter, actor, entertainer — and Philadelphian. $49-$149. 250 S. Broad Street

SEE BALLET IN THE PARK! (NO, NOT THE BEAR IN THE LITTLE CAR!) Bring a chair, friends, and a snack to Rittenhouse Square on May 2 from 5:30 to 8pm to join the Philadelphia Ballet and the Friends of Rittenhouse Square for Ballet on the Square, an evening of free public performances celebrating Philadelphia’s Parks (rain date is Friday, May 3). Free. 1800 Walnut Street

CATCH BEN O’NEILL AT THE BARNES. For First Friday on May 3 from 6 to 9pm, the Barnes Foundation hosts a Grammy-nominated guitarist, singer-songwriter — and U. Arts prof —who has performed with John Legend, Jill Scott, Sting and Common. The intimate Ben O’Neill performances comes with access to the collection and exhibition. $35, $10 for members. 2025 Ben Franklin Parkway

Cio Cio San doll, photo by Ray Bailey

SEE PUCCINI’S MASTERPIECE. April 26 through May 5, Opera Philadelphia performs Madame Butterfly at the Academy of Music. Designer Yuki Izumihara and director Ethan Heard join soprano Karen Chia-ling Ho and tenor Anthony Ciaramitaro in their company debuts as the lovelorn geisha and her reckless American husband, Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton. Tickets are going fast, don’t miss out! $25-275. 240 S. Broad Street

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY

Live music, street festivals, an Indie dance party, movie scores by moonlight, and the Broad Street Run are all happening this weekend.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN LIVE MUSIC IN MANAYUNK. Venice Island welcomes back the Sing Us Home Festival for a three-day weekend of rock and country acts — The Jayhawks, Langhorne Slim, Sarah Shook, Sug Daniels. May 3 through 5. From $49 per day. 15 Cotton Street

SIT IN ON A CONVERSATION WITH BLAISE AGÜERA Y ARCAS. On May 3 at 6pm, Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room welcomes AI humanist, researcher, author, and CTO of Technology & Society at Google Blaise Agüera y Arcas to discuss his latest book Who Are We Now? and moderated by queer and genderfluid social worker, creator and educator Zoe Stoller. Free. 345 S. 12th Street

SEE A GOLDEN GIRLS MURDER MYSTERY. Without A Cue Productions are back on May 3 with A Golden Girls Murder Mystery: The Girls Do Atlantic City at the Red Rum Theater. Shows are 5 and 8pm on Saturdays and 3pm Sundays through June 30. $35-75. 601 Walnut Street

BRING THE KIDS TO SOUTH STREET — OR DON’T, AND DRINK A BUNCH OF BEER THERE. The 11th Annual Maifest happens May 4 from 11am to 8pm, featuring live music, dancing, authentic German food and beer, games, family fun and the state’s tallest Maypole. Returning traditions like the Liter Lift Competition, flower crowns, maypole dance, pig roast and other celebrations of German culture draw more than 10,000 people to South Street. Free. 700 Block South Street

JOIN THE CROWD IN RITTENHOUSE. On May 4 from noon to 5pm, the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival closes Walnut Street and welcomes all the people as neighborhood restaurants turn themselves inside out, and add music, other performances, local art, kids fun and plenty of cocktails. Free. Walnut Street from 15th to 20th Street

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU! The London Film Music Chamber Orchestra comes to the Miller Theater May 4 at 7pm for A Tribute to Hans Zimmer & Fan Favourites by Moonlight, performing iconic film scores by Zimmer and John Williams from Jaws, Star Wars, Interstellar, Superman, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean and more. $65-86. 250 S. Broad Street

GET IN YOUR FEELS. Theater of the Living Arts presents Electric Feels Indie Rock and Dance Party on May 4. Don’t just listen to the music, experience it. Doors open at 9pm, 21+ only. $25. 334 South Street

RUN, WALK OR WATCH THE BROAD STREET RUN. Sure, this spectacular demonstration of humans running and rolling in a straight line through Philly is a pain in the butt for anyone wanting to cross Broad Street on May 5, starting at 7:30am. But go with an open mind, clapping hands and maybe a cowbell, and you’ll experience the joy of making thousands of people happy as they endeavor a classic 10-miler. Somerville Avenue past Pattison Avenue

PREPARE YOUR HOME AND GARDEN FOR SPRING. On May 5 from 11am to 5pm, the Home + Garden Festival returns to Chestnut Hill. Over 250 vendors line Germantown Avenue alongside craft demonstrations in the Maker’s Village, live music and family-friendly activities. This year’s Sustainability Hub highlights environmentally-focused businesses, makers and organizations. Rain date: May 19. Free. 8000 to 8600 block of Germantown Avenue

SHOP AN ALL-BLACK EVERYTHING POP-UP. Support Black-and Brown-owned businesses at Candle Con, May 5 from noon to 6pm at Location 215. Just in time for Mother’s Day, this market features makers specializing in luxury, novelty and specialty candles, plus non-candle vendors, workshops, wine and beverages and entertainment. $15 or 2 for $20. 990 Spring Garden Street

DIG THAT LEATHER JACKET OUT OF YOUR CLOSET AND GO SEE SOCIAL DISTORTION. On May 5 at 7pm, The Fillmore welcomes Social Distortion and Bad Religion for an evening of punk rock 90s nihilism. Admit you were wrong and that, in the 21st century, we absolutely don’t know how to live but have a lot of toys. How prophetic was that? Right now, tickets are resale only, so grab what you can. $137-$358. 29 E. Allen Street

TEST YOUR WORLD TRIVIA KNOWLEDGE. On May 6 from 6:15 to 9pm, the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts Global Quizzo: Mexico. Celebrate the history and culture of Mexico by demonstrating your knowledge of geography, language, history, politics and pop culture. Enjoy eats from El Chingón’s pop-up while you play. Donations are welcome, register here as an individual or a team. Free. 1617 JFK Boulevard, Suite 1660

ONGOING EVENTS

Art exhibitions, plays, and more things to do, until you can’t anymore.

CELEBRATE SUSTAINABILITY! Throughout April, Da Vinci Art Alliance (DVAA) hosts the month-long Everyday Futures Fest arts, science and culture festival. Explore how to incorporate cultural, urban and environmental sustainability into your everyday life with exhibitions, events, and activities across the city throughout April. This year’s theme is Building Capacity — Towards Self-Sufficiency And Collective Resilience. Free. Various locations

Alexey Brodovitch Tricorne, 1935. Philadelphia Museum of Art. From the Collection of Dorothy Norman, 1968. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art.

SEE A FASHIONABLE EXHIBITION AT THE BARNES. Designer, photographer and instructor Alexey Brodovitch (1898–1971) art directed Harper’s Bazaar from 1934 to 1958 and mentored many 20th century documentary and fashion photographers. His work is featured in a new exhibit at the Barnes, Alexey Brodovitch: Astonish Me, through May 19. $5-$25. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

LEVEL UP WITH RPG IMPROV. Running through May 26 at The Adrienne Theater, Sidequest Theater presents Roll Play: An Improvised Adventure, a live, interactive, fully-improvised fantasy RPG performance where audience suggestions and a roll of the dice determine the fate of our stage heroes, ensuring every show is a new experience. Showtimes: 8pm Fridays, 7pm Saturdays, 2pm Sundays. $25. 2030 Sansom Street

ENJOY YOUR COMMUTE IN CENTER CITY. Select Wednesday mornings through June 5 from 8 to 9am, Center City District celebrates residents, commuters, and workers with Center City Sunrise, offering coffee and entertainment from Capriccio Café, Bluestone Lane, Coco Grille, Termini Bros. Bakery, and Saxbys. The first event (April 3) is at Suburban Station. Full list of dates and locations here. Free. Various locations

Mural Arts Philadelphia’s 2024 People’s Budget project allows residents of Philadelphia to co-create, learn, empower, and engage in the City of Philadelphia budget process. From May 1 through June 21, The People’s Budget Office will be set up in LOVE Park, serving as a resource hub and engagement space to learn about the city budget and contribute funding priorities. Hours are noon to 6pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays and noon to 4pm Saturdays. Free. 1600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

ROLL ON AT DILWORTH PARK’S ROLLER RINK. City Hall’s roller rink is open daily through June 30 from 11am to 8:45pm Sunday through Thursdays; 11am to 10pm Friday and Saturday. This year’s retro-inspired rink decor is courtesy of Lucky Dog Studio. The Air Grille Garden will serve up eats and adult beverages for those over 21. Timed advanced admission, private events, and skate rentals can be purchased online. $8-$16. 1 S. 15th Street

SEE A PROVOCATIVE ART EXHIBITION. At The Philadelphia Museum of Art from through July 15, Philadelphia-based artist Jesse Krimes’s Rikers Quilt (2020) is on display for its first institutional exhibition. Krimes produced his work in response to ongoing abuses at Rikers Island, drawing on his own experiences of incarceration and reentry into society. Museum hours are 10am to 5pm Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 10am to 8:45pm on Fridays. Free-$30. 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Artist Risa Puno. Photo by Carlos Avendaño courtesy of the Fabric Workshop and Museum.

FEEL A GROUP HUG. The Fabric Workshop and Museum hosts Risa Puno’s first-ever solo exhibition, through July 21, Group Hug: Risa Puno is as visually captivating as it is interactive. Choose one of two paths in the show, and you’ll either lounge in a giant, soft, coconut shell-looking pod that transforms into a cozy armchair, or you’ll play Whack-a-Mole. Either way, you’ll learn a life lesson. Free. 1214 Arch Street

To Understand a Tree.

SEE NEW EXHIBIT AT THE MUSEUM FOR ART IN WOOD. Now through July 21, catch To Understand a Tree by interdisciplinary artist, designer and woodworker Gina Siepel. The exhibit 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.” The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 pm. Free. 141 N. 3rd Street

Courtesy of the Mütter Museum.

VISIT AN EXHIBITION ON HOMELESSNESS. Through August 5, the Mütter Museum hosts Unhoused: Personal Stories and Public Health, a special exhibition on American homelessness through the lens of public health. Museum hours are 10am to 5pm daily except Tuesday. Free-$20. 19 S. 22nd Street

Art of the Brick at the Franklin Institute.

EXPERIENCE LEGOS LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE BEFORE. Through September 22, the world’s largest display of LEGO art returns to the Franklin Institute. The Art of the Brick by Nathan Sawaya is a critically acclaimed collection of artworks made exclusively in plastic bricks that snap together, including original pieces and re-imagined versions of famous masterpieces, a multimedia exhibition of LEGO-infused photography by Dean Wes, and a 9,000-square-foot brick play space. Museum hours are 9:30am to 5pm daily, with evening hours to 8pm, Thursday through Saturday. $20-$43. 222 N. 20th Street

MORE GOOD THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY