Happy Earth Day Philly! There are plenty of things to do to celebrate outdoors in our parks and on our streets, or, if you’d rather, indulge in our cultural experiences this week.

Parks on Tap makes its way to Columbus Square, Streets Dept takes its public art and outdoor spaces tour to Southeast Fairmount Park, and the Penn Relays return for 2025 at Franklin Field.

The Free Library Foundation’s Author Series has three exciting events, while Head House Books is hosting author Yepoka Yeebo. The Latino Art and Film Festival is offering free screenings at Cherry Street Pier, and The Philadelphia Show is bringing collectors from the world over to the PMA.

Big benefits happening this week include C-CAP’s annual Philly Pheast and the 21st Annual Sandy Sprint, this year at its new Navy Yard location!

John Waters is taking his birthday tour to City Winery, and Cash Money Millionaires are also celebrating a milestone at the Liacouras Center. Dilworth Park’s roller rink opens for the summer with an 80s/90s retro-party. If its further back you want to go, the Mütter Museum is partying like it’s 1921 at Marie Curie’s Radiant Ball.

This week also marks Philly Black Pride celebrations, so get out there and be proud of who you are. Enjoy the weather everyone!

• • • 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

Earth Day, Free Library Foundation Author Series, John Waters, Parks on Tap, Dilworth Park Roller Rink opening party, Penn Relays, Philly Black Pride, Marie Curie’s Radiant Ball, Cash Money Millionaires, Yepoka Yeebo at Head House Books.

HAPPY EARTH DAY! It began with a demonstration in 1970. Today, more than a billion people take part on April 22 in protecting and honoring the planet we live on. Here is our guide to celebrating Earth Day in Philly.

COME TO A WILD AUTHOR SERIES EVENT. On April 22 from 7 to 8pm, The Free Library Foundation Author Series presents Jaap de Roode | Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves at the Parkway Central Library. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of the Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street

ENJOY BEER AT COLUMBUS SQUARE PARK. Parks on Tap comes to Columbus Square Park April 23 to April 27 from 4 to 10pm. The roving beer (and cocktail and food) garden provides a great excuse to bring your friends and your kids to happy hour in a natural green space.  A portion of all proceeds benefits each park. Free admission. 1200 Wharton Stree

CELEBRATE JOHN WATERS’S BIRTHDAY. On April 23 at 6pm, City Winery hosts John Waters: The Naked Truth – A 79th Birthday Show. The comic spoken-word performance includes a VIP Post-show Q&A. $55-$125. 990 Filbert Street

RETHINK SHAKESPEARIAN TRAGEDY. On April 23 from 7 to 8:30pm, The Free Library Foundation Author Series presents Rhodri Lewis | Shakespeare’s Tragic Art in conversation with Emily Wilson, hashing out a reevaluation of Shakespeare’s tragedies. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of the Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street

SEE THE HISTORIC PENN RELAYS. April 24 through April 26, Franklin Field at The University of Pennsylvania hosts the Penn Relays, America’s oldest and largest track and field meet. $26-$259. 235 S. 33rd Street

CELEBRATE PHILLY BLACK PRIDE. Philly Black Pride happens April 24 through April 27 with parties, wellness gatherings, an empowerment summit, a Sunday block party, and receptions at various locations around the city. Your list of events is here; some require tickets. Pay as you go. Various locations

GET RETRO AT THE ROLLER RINK. The Rothman Orthopaedics Roller Rink at Dilworth Park returns for the 2025 season April 25 through June 29 with a 21 and over only preview party on April 24 from 6 to 8pm. Rewind at the Rink admission includes free roller skating, complimentary light bites, and two drink tickets for Jim Bean pineapple cocktails and selections from Broad Street Brewing. $50. 1 S. 15th Street

START WITH STRAIGHT SHOTS AND THEN POP BOTTLES. Oh yeah we poppin’ champagne because it’s been 30 years. (Wait, really????) Dope Shows Presents Cash Money Millionaires 30th Anniversary Live in Concert at Liacouras Center April 25 at 6pm featuring Birdman, Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, B.G. and Turk. $49-$210. 1776 N. Broad Street

SPEND AN EVENING ON AN AMAZING STORY OF FRAUD. Head House Books presents An Evening with Yepoka Yeebo, celebrating the paperback release of her acclaimed book Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Swindled the World in conversation with Philadelphia magazine editor Bradford Pearson on April 25 at 6:30pm. Anansi’s Gold tells the untold story of how a Ghanaian con artist pulled off one of the 20th century’s longest-running and most spectacular frauds, some of which occurred right here in Philly. $5. 619 S. 2nd Street

GET A PEEK AT JANE AUSTEN’S BOOKSHELF. On April 24 from 7 to 8pm, The Free LIbrary Foundation Author Series presents Rebecca Romney | Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend in conversation with Allie Alvis. Find out more about a period of great experimentation for women writers. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of the Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street

SPEND A LUMINOUS EVENING AT THE MÜTTER. The College of Physicians of Philadelphia hosts the second annual Marie Curie’s Radiant Ball at the Mütter Museum & Historical Medical Library on April 25 from 7 to 10pm. Put your glam on, enjoy rarely-seen archival collection items, bid at the silent auction, and dance to jazz by Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society. $60. 19 S. 22nd Street

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY

Stand-up Trolley Tour, The Philadelphia Show, Latino Art and Film Festival, NoLibs Farmers Market, Panda Fest, Monster Jam, Streets Dept at Fairmount Park, 21st Annual Sandy Sprint, Manayunk StrEAT Fest, C-CAP’s Philly Pheast benefit.

SNAG COLLECTIBLES AT THE ART MUSEUM. The Philadelphia Show is back April 25 through April 27 on the East Terrace of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Over 40 dealers showcase fine art, Americana, furniture, folk art, ceramics, porcelain, silver, jewelry, textiles, and decorative arts for the astute collector. Hours are 11am to 7pm on Friday, 11am to 6pm on Saturday, 11am to 5pm on Sunday, and a preview Thursday evening from 6 to 9pm. $20+. 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

CATCH FREE SCREENINGS FOR THE LATINO ART AND FILM FESTIVAL. April 25 through April 27, Cherry Street Pier hosts free all-ages screenings for the Philadelphia Latino Art and Film Festival. Eleven films have been selected starting Friday at 5pm. See the schedule here. Free. 121 N. Columbus Boulevard

STAND UP AND DRINK ON THE TROLLEY. Actually, it’s a stand-up comedy trolley tour where you BYOB. Stand Up and Drink BYOB Trolley Tours are scheduled for April 25 and 26 at 7pm, featuring two comics splitting a 45-minute set across a two-hour tour. The tour takes off and ends at Punchline Philly. $45+. 33 E Laurel Street

RUN TO CURE OVARIAN CANCER. The 21st Annual Sandy Sprint Philadelphia 5K Run/Walk is happening at the Navy Yard April 26 from 7am to 11am. Walk, run, bring the dogs, either way you’re raising money for the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation mission to advance research. There will be a survivor ceremony, musical performances and more. $35-$75. 4747 S. Broad Street

KICK OFF THE NORTHERN LIBERTIES FARMERS MARKET. The Northern Liberties Farmers Market Grand Reopening happens April 26 from 10am to 5pm at the Piazza Alta Courtyard, featuring three dozen vendors including, food, drinks, and classic farmers market goods. Pay as you go. 1099 Germantown Avenue

COME TO ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST ASIAN FOOD FESTIVALS. Dilworth Park hosts Panda Fest April 26 and 27 from 10am to 8pm with a 15-foot inflated panda, 35 vendors with cuisines from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines, cultural performances, family activities, games and merchandise. $12-$15. 1 S.15th Street

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY AT THE SCHUYLKILL CENTER. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education hosts Naturepalooza April 26 from 11am to 3pm for Earth Day, featuring a musical performance from Ants on a Log, a Center-wide scavenger hunt, nature-based crafts and activities, guided hikes from community members, local food trucks and more! Free. 8480 Hagy’s Mill Road. Sorry, everyone, but due to the weather forecast for Saturday, this event has been canceled. I know, we’re bummed too. 

TAKE A GUIDED TOUR OF A BEAUTIFUL PUBLIC SPACE. On April 26 from 11am to 12:30pm, Streets Dept Excursion: Southeast Fairmount Park leads guests through the southern portion of Fairmount Park between Boathouse Row and the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a tour full of sculptures, monuments and just a bit of street art. $18. 1 Boathouse Row

BRING THE FAMILY TO THE NAVY YARD. Celebrate spring and the Navy Yard’s 25th Birthday at Central Green with Family Fest happening April 26 from noon to 5pm. Enjoy the best of Philly’s food trucks, inflatable games, live music by OTC and an appearance by the Phillie Phanatic! Free. 4747 S. Broad Street Sorry folks, due to the weather forecast, this event has been postponed to Saturday, June 7, from 1-6pm at Central Green. 

GET YOUR THRILLS THRILLS THRILLS WITH MONSTER TRUCKS ACTION ACTION ACTION! Bring the whole family to the Linc for Monster Jam on April 26 at 5pm, where the world’s best drivers tear up the dirt in high-octane monster truck action. $20-$128. 1 Lincoln Financial Field Way

STUFF YOUR FACE IN MANAYUNK. Six live acts on two stages will accompany you as you stroll food trucks and vendors along Main Street in Manayunk for the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival on April 27 from 11am to 5pm. Pay as you go. Main Street

PHEAST FOR A GOOD CAUSE. Culinary Careers Program (C-CAP)’s annual Philly Pheast benefit is happening at Lilah on April 28 from 6 to 9:30pm. Honoring friend and longtime supporter chef Jean Marie Lacroix, over $200,000 in college scholarships to C-CAP students during the dinner, including an inaugural Lacroix Legacy Scholarship. The evening includes music, cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres, and gifts for guests. $250+. 1601 N. Front Street

ONGOING EVENTS

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

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

ATTEND AN ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL. The Academy of Natural Sciences in partnership with BlackStar Projects, cinéSPEAK, the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, and the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival presents Confluence Film Festival, an environmental film festival happening on Thursdays in April from 5 to 8:30pm. $10-$35. 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

STROLL THE STREETS OF RITTENHOUSE. Open Streets: West Walnut returns every Sunday through April 27 from 10am to 5pm. Nearly seven blocks around 18th Street and Walnut Street will be closed to vehicular traffic for Open Streets: West Walnut. In addition to shopping and eating, Center City District provides entertainment with acoustic musicians, strolling performers, dance groups, a family-friendly zone of sidewalk chalk, games and activities for kids. Free. S. 18th Street from Locust to Chestnut and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th

SEE SHAKESPEARE LIKE NEVER BEFORE. Running through April 27, Quintessence Theater Group presents the Reckless Love Repertory with 12 actors performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Antony & Cleopatra. Evening and afternoon shows available. $25-$40. 7137 Germantown Avenue

DON’T MISS THE REGIONAL PREMIERE OF ARCHDUKE. Award-winning playwright Rajiv Joseph presents a humanized glimpse into the catalyst of WWI: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Archduke, on stage at the Wilma Theater through May 4, with matinee and evening shows available. $20-$75. 265 S. Broad Street

SEE A UNIQUE SOLO ART EXHIBITION.  Studio 105 at Ray Philly hosts While You Were Sleeping, a solo exhibition by Philadelphia-based oil painter Elizabeth Bergeland, on display through May 10. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6pm. Free. 1525 N. American Street

COME TO AN ART CELEBRATION OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH. The Hyatt Centric Center City Philadelphia celebrates Women’s History Month with an art exhibition curated by InLiquid. The Edge of Abstraction features celebrated artists Diane Pieri and Erin Elman and will be on display through mid-May. Free. 1620 Chancellor Street

ATTEND THE OPENING OF AN IMPORTANT BLACK HISTORY EXHIBIT. Free, As One: Black Worldmaking in the Pennsylvania Abolition Society Papers highlights Black self-determination and leadership from the 1770s onward in the abolition movement of the Mid-Atlantic region, on view through May 23. Library and exhibit hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am to 4pm and Wednesday from 1 to 7pm. Free. 1300 Locust Street

TAKE AN EXCLUSIVE TOUR AND TASTING. Every Tuesday and Thursday from through May, Carpenters’ Hall will stay open late for A Toast to History — Behind the Scenes at Carpenters’ Hall, a small group Scotch tasting tour that features access to its normally-closed second floor and 19th-century library. Tours begin at 4pm. $45. 320 Chestnut Street

SEE THE LATEST EXHIBIT AT THE MAGIC GARDENS. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG) hosts a new immersive exhibit, Stone Soup: Works by Eustace Mamba, which will be open through June 1. $8-$15. 1020 South Street

TAKE THE FAMILY TO SEE THE HOBBIT. The Arden Children’s Theater production of The Hobbit opens runs through June 1 on the Arcadia Stage. Bilbo Baggins’s epic journey there and back again is adapted for families and children ages seven and up. Late morning, afternoon, and early evening shows available. $25-$46. 40 N. 2nd Street

COLLECT STAMPS VISIT GREEN SPACES GET PRIZES! Historic Germantown presents the Green Space Stamp Rally running through June 21. Exploring becomes a community adventure where 18 Northwest Philadelphia sites, including historic gardens, museums, urban farms, and cultural institutions, are part of a scavenger hunt for participants to track down and collect stamps to win prizes. Free. Various locations

SHOP THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN MARKET AT FDR PARK. The Southeast Asian Market at FDR Park features over 80 vendors offering native cuisine dishes, culturally specific produce, plants, clothing and jewelry, as well as services provided by entrepreneurs speaking multiple languages. Open Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Pay as you go. Picnic Area 17, near FDR Park Drive and S. Broad Street

SEE THE LATEST EXHIBITION AT THE CLAY STUDIO. The 19th annual Small Favors exhibition with nearly 400 reduced scale and unique works from nationally known artists and some of Philadelphia’s best new artists in four-inch cubes on display and for sale in the Jill Bonovitz Gallery through June 29. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 11am  to 5:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm. Free. 1425 N. American Street

ATTEND A GALLERY TALK ON THE LATEST IN FINE WOODWORKING. The Museum for Art in Wood presents Katie Hudnall: The Longest Distance Between Two Points, featuring a series of sculptural works and a large-scale interactive installation created from salvaged wood that captures the artist’s eye for “the absurdly mechanical and uncanny.” The exhibition runs through July 20. Museum hours are daily from noon to 5pm. Free. 141 N. 3rd Street

GO MOONWALK AT LEMON HILL. Fairmount Park Conservancy welcomes back astronomer and educator Buddy Muhler for another season of one-mile guided moonwalks and telescope observation. Park After Dark: Moonwalk + Stargazing Party happens every first Tuesday evening through August. $15. Lemon Hill Drive

HANG OUT IN THE GARDEN. The PHS Pop Up Gardens are now open at Manayunk and South Street. This season brings crafted cocktails, a lineup of hands-on workshops and events, food and beverage, and treats for your furry friends. Hours are Monday through Wednesday 5 to 10pm, Thursday 5 to 11pm, Friday and Saturday noon to midnight, and Sunday noon to 9pm. Pay as you go. 1438 South Street and 106 Jamestown Avenue

SEE THE HUMAN BODY LIKE NEVER BEFORE! Through September 1, The Franklin Institute welcomes BODY WORLDS: Vital, an extraordinary collection of real human specimens preserved through Dr. Gunther von Hagens’ revolutionary plastination process. This is the third such exhibit for The Institute since 2005. Museum is open daily 9:30am to 5pm, with special evening hours exclusive to the exhibit Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 8pm. $20-$65. 222 N. 20th Street

CONTINUE THE YEAR OF FREE SPEECH WITH A NEW EXHIBIT. On display at the National Liberty Museum through September 8, Word Powered: Exploring Free Speech Through Art is a juried exhibition of sculptures, paintings, video installations and more exploring censorship, freedom of expression and diverse perspectives. Museum hours are Wednesday through Monday 10am to 5pm. $0-$12. 321 Chestnut Street

SEE THE NEW 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

MORE GOOD THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY