Despite the oppressive heat and killer air, we are still here, Philly, and we still have things to do.

Franklin Square celebrates its birthday this week, and City Hall celebrates Venezuela with a flag-raising ceremony.

The Notebook opens at The Academy of Music, Robopocalypse: The Musical! comes to City Winery, Five Finger Death Punch is at Freedom Mortgage Pavillion, and the Philadelphia Orchestra is at The Mann with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back live in concert. 

Parks on Tap is in Historic Rittenhouse Town this week, and Sharswood in Lower North Philadelphia hosts Jazzin on Ridge. The Magic Gardens brings back Twilight in the Gardens, and Adventure Aquarium hosts an adult evening, Sunset With The Sharks.

This week also marks the return of the Make the World Better Concert featuring Kurt Vile, and Round Room’s Annual Backpack Giveaway. 

• • • • 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

Parks on Tap, Five Finger Death Punch, The Notebook, Robopocalypse: The Musical!, Venezuelan Flag-Raising Ceremony, Twilight in the Gardens, Sunset with the Sharks, Empire Strikes Back with the Philadelphia Orchestra

REMEMBER FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH? They’re back, on their 20th Anniversary World Tour, and they’ll be at Freedom Mortgage Pavillion July 20 at 6:45pm with special guests Cody Jinks and Eva Under Fire. Stop laughing. $26-$130. 1 Harbour Boulevard, Camden, NJ

SEE THE STAGE PRODUCTION BASED ON THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED THE MOVIE. The Notebook is directed by Michael Greif and Schele Williams, with choreography by Katie Spelman, and features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. It’s open from July 21 through August 2 for evening and afternoon performances at the Academy of Music. $31-$153. 240 S. Broad Street

SEE AN ORIGINAL SCI-FI COMEDY MUSICAL…WITH PUPPETS. On July 22 at 7:30pm, horror-sci-fi-comedy puppet troupe Puppeteers for Fears takes the stage at City Winery for Robopocalypse: The Musical!, a cyberpunk story about AI run amok. $30-$54. 990 Filbert Street

DRINK BEER IN GERMANTOWN. Parks on Tap comes to Historic Rittenhouse Town  July 22 to July 26 from 4 to 10pm (noon to 10pm Saturday and Sunday). 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. 208 Lincoln Drive

CELEBRATE ANOTHER INDEPENDENCE DAY. On July 24 at 2pm on the North Plaza of Philadelphia City Hall, community leaders, representatives from local organizations, public officials, and members of the Venezuelan community will be on hand for a Venezuelan Flag-Raising Ceremony commemorating the anniversary of Venezuela’s Declaration of Independence (observed on July 5) and the 243rd anniversary of the birth of Simón Bolívar, “The Liberator” (observed on July 24). Free. 1400 John F Kennedy Boulevard

SPEND AN EVENING IN THE MAGIC GARDENS. July Twilight in the Garden returns July 24 from 7 to 10pm. Level up your collage skills, have a picnic to live music, and check out the galleries. It’s BYOB! $20-$30. 1020 South Street

BRING YOUR DATE AND/OR YOUR FRIENDS TO THE SHARKS. To see them, to see the sharks! Adventure Aquarium hosts its second 21+ night, Sunset with the Sharks, on July 24 from 6:30 to 9:30. $33.99 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ

DO, OR DO NOT GO TO THIS CONCERT. THERE IS NO TRY. The Philadelphia Orchestra comes to The Mann July 24 at 8pm for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back In Concert. Watch the classic film as the orchestra performs John Williams’s brilliant score. $43-$179. 52nd Street and Parkside Avenue 

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY

Backpack giveaway, Franklin Square birthday, Make the World Better Concert, Jazzin on Ridge

PHILADELPHIA’S BEEN GOOD TO HIM, SO LET’S KEEP IT UP. Legendary local music act Kurt Vile and the Violators comes to Dell Music Center for the Make The World Better Concert happening July 24 and 25. The Friday night headliner is Pavement, so that’s pretty cool. Single day or weekend passes available. $30-$60+. 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive

CELEBRATE FRANKLIN SQUARE’S BIRTHDAY. 20 years ago, Franklin Square was just a broken fountain with an unusable playground. Historic Philadelphia has worked to make it the beautiful public space it is today. Commemorate 20 years July 25 from 10am to noon with crafts, temporary tattoos, music, a Chinese Lantern Festival scavenger hunt, and buy-one-get-one carousel rides! Free. 6th Street & Race Street

SPEND AN AFTERNOON LISTENING TO JAZZ! Sharswood celebrates with local vendors, food and drink, giveaways, and live jazz music for Jazzing on Ridge July 25 from noon to 6pm. Pay as you go. 2200 Ridge Avenue 

BRING YOUR KID TO GET A FREE BACKPACK. Round Room’s Annual Backpack Giveaway returns July 26 at 1pm to seven Verizon and TCC locations across Philadelphia and more throughout the region. One per present child, while supplies last! Free. Locations: 490 N Broad St Ste 5 in Philadelphia; 7630 Germantown Avenue; 920 Walnut Street; 2308 W. Oregon Avenue Unit D; 4040 City Avenue Suite 2; 1575 N. 52nd Street Suite 9; 25 Snyder Avenue Suite E-3

ONGOING EVENTS

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

VIEW A NEW EXHIBIT ON THE ART AND HISTORY OF AMERICAN FURNITURE. Open through July 26 at The Museum for Art in Wood, BA Harrington’s exhibition Suite Américaine brings to life the history of American furniture making through the lens of a contemporary feminist imagination. Museum hours are Wednesdays Through Sundays from 11:30am to 5pm. Free. 141 N. 3rd Street

CATCH THE BEST BEN FRANKLIN MUSICAL EVER. The New Ben Franklin Rock Musical (A True Story!) The Sound of America is open through August 1 at FringeArts. This epic rock musical about Philadelphia’s most famous resident doesn’t end at curtain call. Attendees are treated to a 5-minute musical walking tour of historic Philadelphia led by the show’s Benjamin Franklin. All royalties for this production go to Teen Cancer America, a partner of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. $60-$76. 140 N. Columbus Blvd 

HANG OUT AT READING TERMINAL.  The Plaza at Reading Terminal Market presented by Jefferson opens with a celebration June 8 at 11:30am and stays open daily from 11am to 7pm until August 2. Reading Terminal’s expanded pedestrian-friendly space welcomes live music, local vendors, sponsored activities, and a Molly Malloy’s bar. Pay as you go. 1100 block of Filbert Street

EXPLORE THE ROLE OF THEATER IN CIVIC LIFE. PlayPenn presents its 2026 New Play Development Conference July 17 through August 2. The public are invited to readings of new plays and a citywide series of civic gatherings, workshops, artists exchanges, and conversations focusing on this year’s theme, Democracy in Action. Most events are free; full schedule is here. Various locations.

EXPLORE BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY AND IDENTITY. The Barnes Foundation presents Freedom Dreams, a multimedia exhibition by Black artists that deconstructs race, gender, and class in American history. On view through August 9. Gallery hours are Thursday through Monday, 11am to 5pm. $5-$30. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

DON’T MISS THE 200-FOOT LONG DRAGON. You’d think that’s impossible, but you will if you don’t hit the 2026 Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square, open through August 16 from 6 to 11pm nightly. In addition to the spectacular light displays, there’s food, fountain shows, and live performances. $16-$29. 200 N. 6th Street

SIP IN CENTER CITY. Philly’s “favorite happy hour’ Center City SIPS begins June 3 and continues every Wednesday through August 26. Dozens of bars and restaurants are offering exclusive discounts weekly from 5 to 7pm: $8 cocktails, $7 wine, $6 beer, and appetizers under $10. Select locations will offer 15 percent off dinner after 7pm. Pay as you go.

VIEW YOUR VISIONS OF LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Printmaking by the People: Posters for a Reimagined Declaration of Independence is an exhibition of hundreds of posters created by Philadelphians sharing their visions of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This special exhibition at the Parkway Central Library is part of Printmaking by the People, Philadelphia’s largest 2026 public art and community engagement project inspired by the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding. The exhibit is open through August 2026. Free. 1901 Vine Street

KICK OFF SUMMER ON THE WATERFRONT.  Spruce Street Harbor Park and Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest are open for the season. Enjoy roller skating, outdoor boardwalk games and rides, mini-golf, and great food and drinks seven days a week through September 1 (and later for Spruce Street Harbor Park). Pay as you go. 101 and 301 S. Columbus Boulevard 

SEE 1,000 WORKS OF ICONIC AMERICAN ART. Whispered about among art aficionados for years, the Middleton family’s (yes, those Middletons, who own the Phillies) massive, dating-back-150-years collection makes it public debut at two venues, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA is open Thursdays through Sundays only). A Nation of Artists is on view from September 5. $10-$30. 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 128 N. Broad Street

SIT DOWN FOR SOME STORYTELLING. Historic Philadelphia proudly celebrates the 20th anniversary of Once Upon A Nation Storytelling Benches. Professionally trained, costumed interpreters deliver 3- to 5-minute stories filled with historical insights and facts from eight (mostly) outdoor benches all summer until September 7. Free. Various locations in Old City

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

NEED AN ALTERNATIVE TO SIPS? Fishtown TAPS takes place every Tuesday from 5 to 7pm through September 29, offering a select list of $5 beers, $6 wines, and $7 cocktails, along with appetizer specials to neighborhood favorites across Fishtown. Pay as you go. Various locations throughout Fishtown.

SEE A MOVIE IN THE PARK. More than 20 Philly parks will host Park Friends Movie Nights this summer and fall through October 16. Bring a blanket, snacks, and arrive before dusk. Check with your local Park Friends Group for updates and schedule changes. Free. Various locations. 

VIEW SELECTIONS OF JESSIE KRIMES’S WORK. Mural Arts Philadelphia and The Fabric Workshop and Museum present Jesse Krimes: Elegy Quilts, on view through November 1. Museum hours are noon to 6pm Wednesday through Friday and noon to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Free, donations suggested. 1214 Arch Street

FIND MAGIC IN OLD CITY. The Great Philadelphia Comedy Magic Walking Tour returns for the 2026 season May 15 with tours at 1pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Attendees are treated to fun, mind-bending magic relevant to the historic and off-beat Old City locations on the tour. Philly Magic tours also partners with local charities on passes and group outings for fundraisers and free tours for deserving school classes. $32.40. Tours meet behind the Bourse near 4th and Ranstead streets

EXPLORE THE FIRST 50 YEARS OF OUR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. The American Philosophical Society’s These Truths: The Declarations of Independence tells the story of America’s founding through early Declaration printings and treasured artifacts. Open through January 3, 2027. Museum hours are Thursday through Sunday 10am to 5pm. Free, donations welcome. 104 S. 5th 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