We’ve braved the Ides of March, Philly, so get out there an enjoy all the meats of our cultural stew.

CultureFest! Holi celebrates the Hindu Festival of Colors, welcoming spring, at the Penn Museum. 

The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington opens at the The Wilma, Sh!t-faced Shakespeare comes to the Kimmel Center, and the new exhibit Seeking Profit and Power: Philadelphia, China Trade, and the Making of America  debuts at the Independence Seaport Museum.

For podcast listeners, the Hidden Brain: “Perceptions” Tour is at The Miller Theater, and for gamers, Distant Worlds: The Music of Final Fantasy is at the Academy of Music.  

The Free Library Author Series presents Theatres of the Body with Lynn Matluck Brooks, and The Wardrobe hosts Common Threads Community Discussions: Leaders in Fashion. 

PhillyGRIT is back, as is James Beard’s Taste America and NextFab’s Tools of the Trade makers conference. Philly also hosts its part-showcase, part immersive experience, The Philadelphia Wedding Walk. 

InLiquid caps March for Art with its annual BASH, while Paper Doll Ensemble holds its spring fundraiser (Marshmallow) Peep Show. 

And March Madness has arrived with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship coming for five games at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

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

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

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK IN PHILLY

The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington, Theatres of the Body Author Series event, James Beard Taste America, Women’s History Night, PhillyGRIT, Common Threads Community Discussions: Leaders in Fashion, NextFab’s Tools of the Trade, Seeking Profit and Power at Independence Seaport Museum, InLiquid March for Art BASH

SEE A SPICY SATIRE PLAY ABOUT OUR LEGACY OF SLAVERY.  The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames opens at The Wilma Theater March 17 to April 5 with performances at 2 and 7pm. $20-$89. 265 S Broad Street

ATTEND AN AUTHOR SERIES EVENT ABOUT ANTEBELLUM DANCE THEATER. On March 17 from 7 to 8pm, The Free Library Foundation Author Series presents Lynn Matluck Brooks | Theatres of the Body, in Conversation with Lauren Putty White. Theatres of the Body is a critical examination of danced stage productions in antebellum Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud sponsor of the Free Library Foundation. Free. 1901 Vine Street

TASTE AMERICA IN PHILLY WITH JAMES BEARD. The return of The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® Philadelphia happens March 18 at 7pm (6pm for premiere ticket holders) at The Grand Belle at The Bellevue. This year’s national tasting event gathers chefs from our local culinary community with food stations, beverage stations, and more. $200-$250. 200 South Broad Street

CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY AT A MUSEUM. The Museum of the American Revolution hosts Women’s History Night March 18 from 5:30 to 8:30pm. The evening includes a screening of the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (NSCDA-PA)’s For the Common Good: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation, a conversation with Museum Director of Education and Community Engagement Adrienne G. Whaley and historian Dr. Karin Wulf, a themed reception, and much more. $30-$35. 101 South Third Street

EXPERIENCE TRUE GRIT PHILLY STYLE. From March 18 through March 29, Theater Exile presents the return of PhillyGRIT with three Philadelphia-based artists sharing provocative, unfiltered stories of resilience, humor and humanity. $25-$35. 1340 S. 13th Street

TALK ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA FASHION SCENE. The Wardrobe hosts Common Threads Community Discussions: Leaders in Fashion March 19 from 6 to 8pm featuring local leaders in fashion sharing their stories of success. Free, please register. 444 North 3rd Street

ATTEND A CONFERENCE BY MAKERS FOR MAKERS. Arts non-profit CraftNOW and membership-based markerspace NextFab announce the fifth annual Tools of the Trades, happening March 19 and 20 at NextFab. Enjoy workshops, lunch, a meet the makers trunk show, and more. Virtual attendance is available! $17.85-$81.88. 1800 N American Street

SEE THE LATEST EXHIBIT AT INDEPENDENCE SEAPORT MUSEUM. Opening March 20, Seeking Profit and Power: Philadelphia, China Trade, and the Making of America will examine the immediate aftermath of the Revolutionary War from an economic standpoint as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebrations. Museum hours are 10am to 5pm daily, closed Wednesday. $18-$33. 211 S. Columbus Boulevard

GO TO A BASH FOR ART. InLiquid’s March for Art concludes with BASH, an evening of food, drink, and art making the final hour of the auction on March 20 from 6:30 to 10pm. $125. 1400 N. American Street

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY

Sh!t-faced Shakespeare, NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, Distant Worlds: Final Fantasy, Hidden Brain: “Perceptions” Tour, Paper Doll Ensemble’s Peep Show fundraiser, CultureFest! Holi, Wedding Walk, 

MIX DRINKING WITH SHAKESPEARE. On March 20 and 21 at 7:30pm, The Kimmel Center welcomes Sh!t-faced Shakespeare®: Hamlet, a boozy treatment of a timeless work of western lit. Honestly if you know anything about Shakespeare this is probably the closest to a real performance of the day. $53-$73. 300 South Broad Street

GET IN ON MARCH MADNESS! On March 20 and 22, the 2026 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship comes to Xfinity Mobile Arena. Game times are between 1:50 and 10pm, with Sunday TBA. $150-$890+. 3601 South Broad Street

RIDE YOUR CHOCOBO TO THE THEATER. Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy comes to the Academy of Music March 21 at 8pm featuring the music of Final Fantasy and XVI performed by a full symphony orchestra and chorus led by legendary maestro Arnie Roth and joined by Final Fantasy XIV & AVI original vocalist Amanda Achen and Final Fantasy original vocalist Rikki. $87.62-$99.22. 240 S. Broad Street

EXPERIENCE A DECADE OF HIDDEN BRAIN LIVE. The Hidden Brain: “Perceptions” Tour with Shankar Vedantam comes to The Miller Theater March 21 at 7:30pm to celebrate ten years of the podcast with science and storytelling. $55.08-$110.82. 250 S. Broad Street

SUPPORT FEMINIST ABSURDIST TRAGICOMEDY. Paper Doll Ensemble’s spring fundraiser, (Marshmallow) Peep Show, is a family friendly (seriously it’s great for kids) celebration of art and community. Bring your competitive decorating spirit to Neighborhood House March 21 from 5 to 7pm. $23.18-$39.19. 20 North American Street 

CELEBRATE HOLI, THE FESTIVAL OF COLORS! Penn Museum presents CultureFest! Holi, March 21 from 10am to 4pm. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, is a Hindu celebration of the arrival of spring. $0-$23. 3260 South Street 

TAKE YOUR SO TO AN IMMERSIVE WEDDING EXPERIENCE. Get to know what your nuptials could be like at The Philadelphia Wedding Walk happening March 22 across 10 locations. You’ll be shuttled to top venues and meet over 150 vendors while being entertained and treated with food and drink from brunch at 11:30am to the afterparty at 6pm. 

ONGOING EVENTS

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

SUPPORT THE CREATIVE ECONOMY. InLiquid’s annual benefit and art auction March for Art runs from March 9 to March 20 with a lineup of events featuring primarily Philadelphia-based artists. The proceeds from March for Art are split evenly between InLiquid and the participating artists. Free-$200. 1400 N. American Street 

SEE A PLAY ABOUT MORE THAN JUST GENTRIFICATION. Arden Theatre presents Good Bones, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames, a story about community, change, love, and cities. Its run is now extended through March 22 with 2pm and 7pm performances. $37-$70. 40 N. 2nd Street

SEE A BOLD REIMAGINING OF SHAKESPEARE’S STAR-CROSSED LOVERS. Arden Theatre presents Romeo and Juliet, open through April 5 for afternoon and evening performances. This new adaptation is directed by Barrymore Award winner Amina Robinson and draws on the traditions of early oral storytelling and old-school theater magic. $37-$70. 40 N. 2nd Street

ATTEND A NEW EXHIBIT ABOUT INDEPENDENCE. Changing Faces of Independence: Pennsylvania in the 1800s is on view at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania through April 24. Free. 1300 Locust Street

SEE THE WORLD PREMIERE OF A UNIQUE EXHIBIT. The Franklin Institute’s new Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition explores theme parks through the lens of Universal’s greatest attractions like Jaws, NINTENDO WORLD, Jurassic World, and more. Open through September 7, museum hours are 9:30am to 5pm daily with added evenings Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 8pm. $23-$65. 222 N. 20th Street

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

TAKE A FOOD JOURNEY THROUGH SOUTHWEST PHILLY. Stuff your face with Jamaican, West African, and Southern African American cuisines while walking it off on Woodland Avenue during your Africatown Food Tour, scheduled Wednesdays through Saturdays starting at 10:30am and 1:30pm. $56. 5741 Woodland Avenue

MORE GOOD THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY