It’s cold out there, Philly, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get out there and find things to do. Bundle up!

Monday is Martin Luther King Day, and you can honor the man and the movement by performing a service for your community and neighbors. Fairmount Park has a Day of Service project lined up, and then you can enjoy Justice Fest to support immigration legal aid organizations. On Tuesday, you can continue to express your citizenship at the Free America Walkout.

The Free Library Foundation Author Series continues this week with Rachel Eliza Griffiths and Governor Josh Shapiro.

Our museums and theaters are hopping this week with Poor Judge continuing its run and Clue opening at the Forrest Theatre, plus a new exhibit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, a fascinating film series in Chestnut Hill, and the Variety Pack Comedy Festival. The Academy of Natural Science is hosting the always-a-blast Dinos After Dark. 

Center City Restaurant Week continues, so eat up because WonkyWilla’s Galactic Circus Tour makes a stop here and you’ll need the energy, especially if you’re taking the little ones to the Pink Pony kids dance party as a follow-up. If you need some recovery time after all that, hit up Dream Here Now for some inner peace. 

This weekend we are also home to the annual Villain Arts Tattoo Festival, so if you’ve been putting off that ink, there’s no better time than now.

• • • 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

Justice Fest, MLK Day of service in our parks, Poor Judge, Center City Restaurant Week, Free America Walkout, Chestnut Hill Film Series, Rachel Eliza Griffiths at the Free Library, Clue, The Changing Faces of Independence exhibit, WonkyWilla’s Galactic Circus Tour, Variety Pack Comedy Festival 

ATTEND JUSTICE FEST. Justice Fest ’26 is a free community music festival happening January 19 from 1 to 5pm at Crane Community Center. Local musicians, advocates, families, and neighbors are coming together to support immigration legal aid organizations in Philadelphia in the spirit of  justice, unity, and service. Enjoy live performances, food, stories from local advocates, and opportunities to learn how you can support immigrant rights. Register and learn about the participating organizations here. Free, donations are encouraged. 1001 Vine Street

SPEND YOUR MLK DAY OF SERVICE WITH FAIRMOUNT PARK CONSERVANCY. You have two opportunities to help clean up Philadelphia’s largest green space with Fairmount Park Conservancy on January 19 from 9am to noon. Sign up for Volunteer Workday at FDR Park’s Meadow Lake or Volunteer Project at West Fairmount Park to spend time removing invasive plants, cleaning out litter and vines, and preparing for plantings. Free. Anna C. Verna Playground and 5300 Parkside Avenue 

SEE AN ORIGINAL WORK OF DANCE-THEATER CABARET. Pig Iron Theatre Company’s Poor Judge returns to the Wilma January 13 through January 25 with performances at 2 and 7pm. The live music mixtape is set to Aimee Mann’s catalog and performed by a local supergroup of actor-musicians. $20-$89. 265 S. Broad Street

STUFF YOUR FACE IN CENTER CITY.  Center City Restaurant Week returns January 18 through January 31 with dozens of participating eateries. Feast on three-course, prix-fixe dinners for just $45 or $60, and lunches for $20, plus takeout options. Drink and parking specials are available. Try not to mix those. $20-$60+. Various locations

EXERCISE YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. It’s why the United States exists, and will continue to only if you keep exercising it. The Free America Walkout against fascism and the misogyny, racism, xenophobia, and violence that comes with it is scheduled for January 20 at 2pm. Free. Find an event near you. 

SEE HISTORIC FILMS AT THE LIBRARY. Not just any films, these are women-centric movies produced before the censoring guidelines of the Hays Code, depicting frank portrayals of violence, sexuality, and political corruption, while also giving honest portrayals of Depression-era America. Chestnut Hill Film Series: Women of Pre-Code Hollywood includes a pre-screening talk led by film expert Andrew Gilmore. First up is Blondie Johnson (1933) January 20 at 4:30pm. Free. 8711 Germantown Avenue

SIT IN ON AN AUTHOR DIVING INTO HER OWN MEMOIR. On January 20 at 7pm, The Free Library Foundation Author Series continues with Rachel Eliza Griffiths | The Flower Bearers: A Memoir. In conversation with Asali Solomon, poet, visual artist, and novelist Griffiths traces her relationship with loss and love. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of the Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street

WELL, TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT … Too late! Murder, blackmail, and hilarity are on the bill at the Forrest Theatre with Clue, based on the film based on the boardgame, on stage January 20 through January 25 with evening and afternoon performances. $49-$216. 1114 Walnut Street

ATTEND A NEW EXHIBIT’S OPENING RECEPTION.  The Changing Faces of Independence Opening Reception is happening January 22 from 6 to 8pm at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to celebrate the opening of its new exhibit Changing Faces of Independence: Pennsylvania in the 1800s, which will be on view through April 24. Free. 1300 Locust Street

RUN AWAY AND JOIN THE GALACTIC CIRCUS. Maybe just for one night. WonkyWilla’s Galactic Circus Tour comes to Warehouse on Watts January 22 at 8pm. You must be 21 or over to dance. $25-$30. 923 N. Watts Street

GO OUT FOR A GOOD LAUGH. The Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake hosts the Variety Pack Comedy Festival January 22 through January 31 featuring comedic ensembles, sketches, animation, standup, improv, and much more. Showtimes vary from early afternoon to late night. $12. 302 S. Hicks Street

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY

Tattoo festival, Dinos After Dark, Dream Here Now, Pink Pony kids dance party, Josh Shapiro at the Free Library

CELEBRATE BODY ART. The annual Villain Arts Tattoo Festival comes to the PA Convention Center January 23 through 25 for three days of artists showing their best merch, plus panels, entertainment and industry celebrities. Showtimes are 2 to 11pm Friday, 11am to 11pm Saturday, and 11am to 8pm Sunday. Day passes and 3-day passes available. $25-$50. 1101 Arch Street

HANG OUT WITH DINOSAURS AFTER DARK. The Academy of Natural Sciences is hosting Dinos After Dark, a pay-what-you-wish family-friendly museum event January 23 from 5 to 8pm. The Dino Drafts Beer Garden, Humpty’s Dumplings Food Truck and Lula’s empanadas will be on hand. Suggested donation $10. 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

EXPERIENCE DREAMTIME. Dream Here Now! is “an attempt to navigate the collective subconscious through a prompt of interactive art installation and immersive experience.” Come to Space 1026  January 23 from 7 to 11pm and experience the free form music, poetic vision, and surrealist interactivity in person or join via dreamtime, if that’s your preferred flow. Free, donations requested. 844 N. Broad Street

BRING YOUR KIDS UP IN THE CLUB. No, seriously. Fishtown Neighbors Association brings The Pink Pony Club Kid’s Dance Party to Brooklyn Bowl January 24 at 10:30am. Enjoy a family-vibes live concert with kid-friendly munchies and adult beverages for those over 21. $12-$15. 1009 Canal Street

SEE GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO SPEAK. The Free Library Foundation Author Series presents Governor Josh Shapiro | Where We Keep the Light  January 24 from 3 to 4pm. Hear Shapiro talk about his memoir and public service. Copies of his book will be available. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of the Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street

ONGOING EVENTS

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

SEE A LANDMARK PLAY ABOUT IDEALISM AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. Philadelphia Artists’ Collective proudly presents its winter 2026 production Inheritors by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Susan Glaspell, open at the Community College of Philadelphia January 8 through January 24 with afternoon and evening performances. $18-$35. 1700 Spring Garden Street, Bonnell Building

TAKE THE FAMILY TO SEE A CLASSIC FANTASY STAGE ADAPTATION. Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time comes to Arden Theatre through January 25 with select morning, afternoon, and evening performances. Remember, “A straight line is not the shortest distance between two points.”$45-$61. 40 N. 2nd Street

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

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

SEE THE EXHIBIT AT THE MÜTTER. Through February 2, 2026, The Mütter Museum and Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia present Trusted Messengers: Community, Confidence, and COVID-19, a special exhibition that marks five years since the onset of the pandemic and considers how to build trust in public health. Initially developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Museum in Atlanta, the Philadelphia version features materials used in the development of the mRNA vaccine at Penn and spotlights local healthcare workers and organizations. Museum hours are Wednesday through Monday 10am to 5pm. $15-20. 19 S. 22nd 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

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)

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