It’s an Eagles-less Super Bowl week, and we are STILL digging out in many neighborhoods, but if you’re looking for something fun to distract from all that, you’re in luck because there’s plenty of things to do this week, Philly!

Our stages are packed with new and innovative productions like InterAct Theatre Company’s PLANTATION BLACK, a one-night only reading of Horsegirl and Cowdaddy at The Wilma,  SOJOURNER, a one-woman show from Curio Theatre Company,  and a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Caesar from the Philadelphia Theatre Company. Also, Opera Philadelphia presents the world premiere of Complications in Sue. 

It’s also a big week for literature buffs with two Free Library Foundation Author Series events,  W.M. Akers signing his new book at Blue Marble, and Jeannine Cook at Wilder for an author dinner. 

If eight cylinders and corkscrew punches are more your style, The Philadelphia Auto Show is in town all week, and BKFC’s KnuckleMania VI is coming to Xfinity Mobile Arena!

After all of that, make sure you save room for NoLibs Restaurant Week happening now at your favorite neighborhood haunts.

• • • 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

NoLibs Restaurant Week, Philadelphia Auto Show, author dinner with Jeannine Cook, Sojourner, Free Library Foundation Author Series, Complications in Sue

Plates at Pera. Eddy Marenco

STUFF YOUR FACE IN NOLIBS. Northern Liberties Restaurant Week is happening January 26 through February 8. Enjoy special two-course lunch menus for $10, $15 and $20, and $25, $35, and $45 prix fixe dinner menus from the neighborhood’s best restaurants. See locations here.  

PIMP THAT RIDE. The Philadelphia Auto Show rolls into the Philadelphia Convention Center from January 31 through February 8, opening at 10am on the weekends and noon weekdays. Don’t miss the Black-Tie Tailgate January 30. $16.50-$21.50. 12th & Arch Streets

COME TO DINNER AND A BOOK WITH JEANNINE COOK. Have dinner at Wilder with Jeannine Cook, owner of Harriett’s Book Shop, as she discusses her debut novel It’s Me They Follow February 4 at 6:30pm. Tickets include a copy of her book! $110. 2009 Sansom Street

SEE THE STORY OF SOJOURNER TRUTH. February 4 through 14 at 7pm, Curio Theatre Company presents SOJOURNER, a one-woman show telling the story of the activist, abolitionist, and author starring Zuhairah McGill.  $10-$25. 4740 Baltimore Avenue

AN AUTHOR EVENT ABOUT A SEMINAL PERIOD IN BLACK HISTORY. The Free Library Foundation Author Series presents Matthew F. Delmont | Until the Last Gun Is Silent, in Conversation with Richard Brookshire February 4 from 7 to 8pm. Learn about the pivotal and controversial role the Vietnam War played in the Civil Rights Movement. Work in Progress is a coming-of-age memoir set in the Philly suburbs. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud sponsor of the Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street

COME TO AN AUTHOR EVENT STRAIGHT OUTTA MONTCO. The Free Library Foundation Author Series presents James Martin, SJ | Work in Progress, in conversation with Tamala Edwards February 5 from 7 to 8pm. Work in Progress is a coming-of-age memoir set in the Philly suburbs. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud sponsor of the Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street

MAKE IT COMPLICATED. Ten composers score music that pieces together one woman’s existence across ten decades for Opera Philadelphia’s World Premiere of Complications in Sue. Performances take place February 4 and 5 at 7pm, February 6 at at 8pm, and February 8 at 2pm.  $11-$276. 240 S. Broad Street

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY

PLANTATION BLACK, Horsegirl and Cowdaddy, Caesar, W.M. Akers book signing, KnuckleMania VI, an Eagles-less Super Bowl

DECIDE WHERE THE STORY BEGINS. InterAct Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Phaedra Michelle Scott’s PLANTATION BLACK, a story of Black and white descendants who must determine the rightful heirs of a plantation. Six actors play characters across the timeline of both the Civil War and present-day, and each night the play begins at a different point in the story chosen by raffle. Opening February 6 through March 1 with performances at 2 and 7pm. $20-$40. 302 S. Hicks Street  

ATTEND A ONE-NIGHT-ONLY READING. The Wilma presents Horsegirl and Cowdaddy February 6 at 7pm. Horsegirl, a trans woman in her thirties, lives in a rural Southern Pennsylvania town with her father, Cowdaddy, but falls in love with a new arrival and must face transformation and life choices. Patrons can purchase limited tickets for a special pre-show reception. A post-show reception will be held in the Wilma lobby for all guests, with light refreshments, beer, and wine available for purchase. $20-$150. 265 S. Broad Street 

SEE A BOLD NEW SHAKESPEARE ADAPTATION. Philadelphia Theatre Company presents  Caesar, Shakespeare’s classic restaged as a contemporary thriller, at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre February 6 through February 22 with afternoon and evening performances. $30-$70. 480 S. Broad Street

COME TO A BOOK SIGNING AND AUTHOR DISCUSSION. On February 7 from 2 to 3:30pm, Big Blue Marble Bookstore is hosting an Author Reading & Signing with W.M. Akers. For the release of his new novel To Kill a Cook!, Akers will be in conversation with fellow author Jon McGoran. Both will be signing copies of their respective books following the discussion. Free. 551 Carpenter Lane

PUT YOUR DUKES UP! The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship KnuckleMania VI is coming to Xfinity Mobile Arena February 7 at 7pm. A 10-match card plus free fights is lined up for an evening of hard-hitting action. $48-$218+. 3601 S. Broad Street

WATCH THE SUPER BOWL. I know, I know, but still, Go Birds. For real, because Seahawks are in fact, birds, and no one likes New England. The big game kicks off at 6:30pm on NBC Sunday, February 8. You can stream the game live on Peacock or through your NFL.com subscription. If you aren’t on the couch with friends and family, be safe out there and take SEPTA or a ride service home. 

ONGOING EVENTS

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

SEE ARLEEN OLSHAN’S ART. The William Way LGBT Community Center presents Arleen Olshan: The Tangle I’ve Gotten Into, an exhibition of Olshan’s drawings, paintings, and photographs from Dead Dykes & Some Gay Men, and Women Loving Women: Works from the 70s and 80s on view through February 21 at iMPeRFeCT Gallery. Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday from noon to 5pm. Free, please RSVP. 5539 Germantown Avenue 

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH AN ART EXHIBITION. Through February 27, Hyatt Centric Center City Philadelphia is showcasing Soft Light, a group art exhibition showcasing works by four Black women artists, curated by Philadelphia-based curator and visual artist Chelsey Luster. Free. 1620 Chancellor Street

EXPLORE A NEW ROUSSEAU EXHIBITION AT THE BARNES. Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets reveals hidden layers in the visionary painter’s work and brings together for the first time the works at The Barnes and the collection from the Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris. Open through February 22, 2026, Thursday through Monday, 11am to 5pm. $5-$30. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

SPEND WINTER IN FRANKLIN SQUARE. Not the whole thing, silly. Through February 28, Winter in Franklin Square features the Electrical Spectacle Light Show presented by PECO showing every 30 minutes (weather permitting),  Frosty’s Fireside Lodge, seasonal drinks and eats, and more. Pay as you go. 200 N. 6th Street

CELEBRATE THE SEASON ON THE WATERFRONT. Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest runs through March 1 with ice skating, games, rides, food and drink, The Lodge Bar, and more. Pay as you go. 101 S. Columbus Boulevard

ENJOY WINTER FUN IN DILWORTH PARK. Winter in Dilworth Park returns through March 14 with activities and attractions taking advantage of the cold and cozy season, including The Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink and Cabin, the Wintergarden, and coming soon, the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market. Free/pay as you go. 1 S. 15th St (West Side of City Hall)

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

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

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