Fall has officially arrived, and with it, there are tons of exciting things to do in Philly for the festival season. We have rock concerts (we even have a Beatle!), Fishtown FeastivALE, Philly Aids Thrift’s anniversary block party, Philly Beer Fest, and Dinos after Dark at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Fundraisers are happening for PAWS and Project Home, plus this is your chance to go to the opera for just $11 and catch the hometown premiere of The Listeners. 

This weekend also marks our annual Puerto Rican Day parade, as well as the Delaware River Festival, celebrated on both banks! So get out there and enjoy the weather while you do some good for the city.

Note: if you were looking forward to Mural Arts Fest this week, it has been postponed and is now scheduled for Sunday, October 6, due to the inclement weather forecast.

• • • Things to do this week
    • Things to do this weekend
    • Ongoing things to do

Is that not enough? Thinking of things to do further head? Check out our year-round calendar about how to be a good citizen.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK IN PHILLY

Take up Tai Chi, see Ringo Starr, go to the Opera for less than the price of parking, party at the museum, and take a true crime trolley ride through the city.

LEARN TAI CHI. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 7:30 to 8:30am, Franklin Square Tai Chi Group meets next to the fountain (or in the Pavilion on chilly or wet days) for the ancient practice during Tai Chi in the Square. Free. 200 N. 6th Street

YOU PAID YOUR DUES, NOW SING SOME BLUES. On September 24, Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band are live at The Mann’s TD Pavilion. Doors open at 6:30pm, show is at 8pm. $38-$212. 5201 Parkside Avenue [Editor’s note: due to illness, Ringo had to cancel this and the last show of his tour. We hope he gets better. Refunds are being processed at the point of sale.]

Parks on Tap, photo by Albert Yee

ENJOY BEER IN THE PARK. This week, Parks on Tap returns to Schuylkill Banks September 25 through September 29 from 4 to 10pm. The roving beer (and cocktail and food) garden provides a great excuse to bring your kids to happy hour. Please note this particular location is dog-free. Free admission. 2501 Walnut Street

ATTEND THE OPERA ON THE CHEAP. The American Premiere of The Listeners, the latest from the Philadelphia-born Grammy-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek, is happening at the Academy of Music on September 25 at 7pm with additional performances Friday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are just $11 or pick your price! 240 S. Broad Street

IT’S GOING TO THE DOGS (FOR A GOOD CAUSE). Come to Royal Boucherie on September 26 from 6 to 9pm for their fourth annual Dogs On Deck fundraiser for the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Philly chefs compete for a trophy and bragging rights for making the best hotdog in town. Guests get deals on drinks and a silent auction as well. $30. 52 S. 2nd Street

EXPLORE TRUE CRIME IN PHILLY. As it turns out, bad things do happen in Philadelphia. Learn all about it on the Philly True Crime BYOB Trolley Tour, running September 26 through October 26, with tours at 7 and 9pm. Guests are treated to live music and chilling stories of Philadelphia’s sordid history. BYOB, 21+ only. $55. Tours depart from Craft Hall 901 N. Delaware Avenue

HANG OUT WITH DINOSAURS AFTER DARK. The Academy of Natural Sciences hosts Dinos After Dark on September 27 from 5 to 8pm. Hands-on activities will bring you face-to-face with real scientists! Food, drinks, and entertainment will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Burrito Feliz, Lula’s Empanadas, and short film screenings curated by The Philadelphia Latino Film and Arts Festival (PHLAFF).  Pay-what-you-wish, recommended donation of $10. 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY

Run a 5k to fight homelessness, party with Philly Aids Thrift and Atomic City, join a rally to stop violence, see some live music.

RACE TO END AND PREVENT HOMELESSNESS. Project HOME’s 4th annual Race HOME 5K and One-Mile Walk happens September 28 at 8am on Kelly Drive. Participants can walk or run to raise money for Project Home’s mission. Free-$40. 2400 Kelly Drive

CELEBRATE PHILLY AIDS THRIFT’S ANNIVERSARY. On September 28 from noon to 6pm, Philly Aids Thrift is celebrating its 19th anniversary with a block party. Games, artists, sideshow entertainment (did someone say fire eater?) food trucks music and dancing await. As an added bonus, Atomic City Comics hosts its Macabre Masquerade a block away at 6th and South. Pay as you go. 710 S. 5th Street

FEAST IN FISHTOWN. The third annual outdoor end-of-summer food festival and celebration Fishtown FeastivALE happens September 28 from noon to 8pm on Frankford Ave. Featuring over 50 local art and retail vendors, food and drink, carnival games and local DJs. Visitors are encouraged to dance in the streets. Pay as you go. Frankford Avenue from Girard to Palmer

GO TO A BEER FESTIVAL. Philly Beer Fest returns to the 23rd Street Armory September 28 from noon to 9pm featuring PA breweries, music and eats. This year, the festival has partnered with the nonprofit The Trauma Survivors Foundation to raise awareness and funds supporting individuals affected by trauma through comprehensive mental health services and specialized training for first responders and healthcare professionals $35-$49 22 S. 23rd Street

HELP STOP THE VIOLENCE. Join Philadelphia’s peace workers at Berean Presbyterian Church and help launch the Take 5: Stop The Violence Campaign on September 28 from noon to 4pm at the Philly Pass the Peace Rally. Free. 2101 N. Broad Street

GO TO AN ICE CREAM BIRTHDAY PARTY. On September 28 from noon to 6pm, Old City’s vintage-inspired Franklin Fountain celebrates its 20th year by closing down the tiny street next to the shop and inviting in live musicians, food growers and makers, and hosting games and crafts, and contests in banana split eating and ice cream stacking. Free. 100 block of S. Letitia Street

ATTEND A FESTIVAL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER. On September 29 from 10am to 4pm, Delaware River Festival happens at both the Philly and Camden Delaware River waterfronts. There’s fun and educational activities, plus ferry rides, museum visits, pedal boats, face painting, a scavenger hunt, crafts, and more. Free. Penn’s Landing and Wiggins Park, Camden, NJ

SHOW PUERTO RICAN PRIDE. Concilio’s annual Puerto Rican Day Parade turns the Ben Franklin Parkway into a party, with 1,500 marchers, thousands more attendees, and celebration to spare on September 29 from noon to 6pm. Free. 2461 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

GET YOUR POST-PUNK ROCK ITCH SCRATCHED. On September 29 The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus and Mary Chain are live at Franklin Music Hall. Doors open at 6, show at 7pm. $55. 421 N. 7th Street

ONGOING EVENTS

Art exhibitions, live shows, outdoor activities, and more things to do, until you can’t anymore.

HAVE A COFFEE BREAK IN CENTER CITY. Center Center City Sunrise returns Wednesdays through September 25 from 8 to 9am at locations around the neighborhood starting with The Shops at Liberty Place. Get treated to coffee giveaways and live music on your way to the office. Events are weather-dependent. Coffee is available while supplies last. Free. Various locations in Center City

DANCE IN LOVE PARK. Siempre Salsa Philly presents a Salsa & Bachata Dance Party Friday nights through September 27 at LOVE Park, featuring DJ Kevin Ngo. Dance lessons start at 7pm followed by live music at 8pm. Free. 15th and Arch streets

ARE YOU A SPACE COWBOY? (BET YOU WEREN’T READY FOR THAT.) Whether you are or not is irrelevant, check out the Space Cowboys Exhibition at Mission in Arts Gallery from through September 28 to see a striking series of oil portraits that vividly depict the most iconic sci-fi heroes, villains and aliens by artist Terrence Laragione. MiA Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 4 to 7pm or by appointment. Free. 1720 N. 5th Street, G3

JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL FRINGE MOVEMENT. The annual Philadelphia Fringe Festival is happening through September 29. The FringeArts fest features over 1,000 performances by national, international and Philadelphia-based artists of all disciplines in spaces across the city. More than 40,000 attendees are expected. Visit the festival calendar here. Tickets, venues, and genre of performances vary greatly. $5-$50. Locations citywide

WALK THE OPEN STREETS. Sundays through September 29 from 10am to 5pm, seven blocks of 18th Street and Walnut Street will be closed to vehicular traffic for Open Streets: West Walnut. In addition to shopping and eating, CCD will provide entertainment with acoustic musicians, strolling performers, dance groups, a family-friendly zone of sidewalk chalk, games and activities for kids, and more. Free. 18th Street from Locust to Chestnut and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th

ENJOY JAZZ IN THE PARK. On Sundays through September 29 from 4 to 6pm, relax to the jazz stylings of Vibe-A-Delphia while you sip at Cret Park’s Capriccio Café and Bar, or just take a seat on the lawn and chill. Free. 110 N. 16th Street

BLAZE YOUR OWN TRAIL AT CANNONBALL FEST! Through September 29, Cannonball Festival, the largest hub of the FringeArts Fest, brings over 120 productions, including “rebellious circus, delicious dance, fearless theater and activist art to workshops, parties, and more” to five venues across Philly. Ticket prices vary by event. See the list here. Spend September experiencing Art for the Adventurous. $5-$50. Various locations

VISIT A CHEERFUL OUTDOOR ART INSTALLATION. Through the end of September, Group X and the Philadelphia Navy Yard present Seated Little Cloud, a 35-foot tall outdoor art installation by Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist duo FriendsWithYou. The work is free for the public to experience from sunup to sundown in Crescent Park. Free. Crescent Park, just past the campus’ main entrance on Broad Street

GET FIT IN DILWORTH PARK. Center City Fit is happening every Tuesday at 6pm through October 1 with professional trainers from City Fitness holding free outdoor workouts in Dilworth Park. Bodycombat will be the focus in July. BYO mat and water! Free. 1 S. 15th Street

PATRONIZE YOUR LOCAL MAKERS. On Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6pm through October 5, Philadelphia Marketplace at Dilworth Park brings a rotating lineup of local small businesses and makers with jewelry, skincare, art, home goods, stationery, specialty foods and other handmade goods and gifts. Pay as you go. 1 S. 15th Street

FIND SOME HUMOR IN POLITICS FOR ONCE. Catch the Philly premiere of the all-female farce POTUS: Or Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive at the Arden Theater from through October 6. Evening and afternoon shows, times vary. $32-$68. 40 N. 2nd Street

EXPLORE THE PUERTO RICAN EXPERIENCE IN PHILLY. Through October 11, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania in partnership with Taller Puertorriqueño present Uncovering and Preserving Puerto Rican Stories. Revisiting a 1970s oral history project that documented Puerto Rican migration to Philadelphia, this exhibit explores migration and community, culture and identity, and preservation of memory through an intergenerational lens. HSP is open to the public Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10am to 4pm, and Wednesday from 1 to 7pm. Free. 1300 Locust Street

SEE THE ESSENCE OF PHILLY IN A PHOTOGRAPHY EXBIBIT. Brotherly Lens: A Portrait of Philadelphia takes place at inLiquid from through October 12, presenting a nuanced exploration of the city through the eyes of three distinguished photographers: Eric T. Kunsman, Joseph Labolito, and Ron Tarver. Gallery hours are noon to 6pm. Free. 1400 N. American Street

VOLUNTEER AT THE FARM. Carousel House Farm hosts Farm Philly Weekly Volunteer Days, every Tuesday through October 22.  You’ll be planting, weeding, maintaining crops and harvesting for the weekly food distribution. Registration required; make sure you wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty! Free. 4300 Avenue of the Republic

DO YOGA IN THE PARK. Sunday mornings through November 10, bring a mat to the yard at Lemon Hill Mansion in East Fairmount Park for one-hour, all-level yoga classes with Tula Yoga from 10 to 11am. $10. Lemon Hill Drive

EXPERIENCE LEGOS LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE BEFORE. Extended through November 17, the world’s largest display of LEGO art is on display at 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

VIEW A PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION ON THE IMPACT OF MASS INCARCERATION. Wherever There is Light features photography by four formerly incarcerated artists sharing their experiences in the U.S. penal system. The exhibition runs through December 21. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6pm. Free. 1400 N. American Street, Suite #103

CELEBRATE FREE SPEECH. This month the National Liberty Museum kicks off a yearlong initiative, The Year of Free Speech, with the first of three exhibitions exploring freedom of speech as a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of our society. Free Speech: Our Right, Our Responsibility opens September 13. Museum hours are Thursday through Monday 10am to 5pm. $6-$12. 321 Chestnut Street

MORE GOOD THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY