The kids are heading back to school, but it’s still summer, Philly, and you have things to do!
Speaking of which, gear up for Achievability’s annual Back To School Drive, helping kids get the supplies they need.
This is a big week for all of you who love exercise and charity with the Tour de Love City bike ride benefiting Neighborhood Bike Works, the PDR x Yards Bridge Run benefitting Students Run Philly Style, and the Naked Bike Ride, promoting body positivity, mutual aid, fuel-conscious consumption, and cycling advocacy.
If you’re more into watching sports than participating, good news! After 20 years, the Philadelphia Tennis Classic is back!
It’s also National Treasure Weekend, so get your Nic Cage impressions ready.
A lot of music is in town with Modest Mouse at the Fillmore, the finals of the Local Noise competition at Brooklyn Bowl, and the legendary Rush performing for two nights at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Bookstore Crawl is back, and so is the Wissahickon Ice Cream Social and the exclusive, elegant Dîner en Blanc.
And after being postponed due to weather, Summer Ale Fest at the Philadelphia Zoo is finally happening this weekend. See you there!
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, Local Noise, PDR x Yards Bridge Run, Achievability’s Back To School Drive, Wissahickon’s Ice Cream Social, Modest Mouse, Dîner en Blanc
RUN ACROSS THE BEN FRANKLIN BRIDGE FOR A GOOD CAUSE. Yards Brewing is partnering with Philadelphia Distance Run for the PDR x Yards Bridge Run to benefit Students Run Philly Style on August 18 at 5pm starting and ending at Yards Brewing. It’s just 3.5 to 4 miles or so (but steeper than it looks), and then you get drinks and raffle prizes for your donation. Win win! Donations requested. 500 Spring Garden Street
HELP KIDS GET THEIR BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLIES. Achievability’s Back To School Drive will send a record-breaking 2,000 kids to school fully equipped. With the help of URBN, backpacks loaded with school supplies will be distributed on August 19 from 4 to 6pm at the Achievability Market Street Office. Free. 5901 Market Street
DRINK BEER IN PENNSPORT. Parks on Tap comes to Dickinson Square Park August 19 through August 23 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. 1600 E. Moyamensing Avenue
SEE LOCAL BANDS MAKE LOCAL NOISE. Local Noise Philadelphia presents eight rising stars from our community competing for a chance to play live at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden. Fans can attend for free and take part in the live judging process at the Brooklyn Bowl. The final round is August 20 (doors at 7, show at 8pm). Free, first-come-first-serve. 1009 Canal Street
COME TO AN OLD FASHIONED ICE CREAM SOCIAL. Friends of the Wissahickon’s (FOW) 20th Annual Ice Cream Social happens at Historic Rittenhouse Town on August 19 from 4 to 7pm. Besides the free ice cream from Bredenbeck’s Bakery, enjoy music, games, and interactive exhibits with local educational partners. And if you’re worried about the calories, no worries, you can just burn it off on a hike to the event! Free; registration is requested. 211 Lincoln Drive
GOOD NEWS FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE BAD NEWS! Modest Mouse performs with special guests Califone at The Fillmore August 19 at 8pm (doors open at 7). This is my second time catching them live, I’ll see you there! $71-$213. 29 E. Allen Street
ATTEND A FANCY SECRET DINNER PARTY. The global movement Le Dîner en Blanc comes to Philly August 20. Guests arrive in white with picnic gear to celebrate an elegant meal in a beautiful, announced-at-the-last-minute public space. Sign up to get the invite and be dressed and ready to head to the secret location announced just before dinner. The evening is capped off with dancing. $73. Location TBA
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY
National Treasure Weekend, Rush, Summer Ale Fest, Naked Bike Ride, Bookstore crawl, Tour de Love City, tennis classic
DEVOTE AN ENTIRE WEEKEND TO HIGH TREASON! Independence Historical Trust, Philadelphia Visitor Center, and National Treasure Hunt Celebrate Philadelphia’s National Treasure Weekend August 20, 21 and 22. Movies on the Mall is showing National Treasure (2004) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) over two nights with special introductions from director Jon Turteltaub and free popcorn. Carpenters’ Hall hosts two Heist Nights led by Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, creators of the National Treasure Hunt podcast, book, and tour, who will also be recording an episode of their podcast live with Turteltaub. See the full schedule of events here.
CATCH THE MYSTERY, CATCH THE DRIFT. Get ready Philly, the legendary prog rock gods Rush are living in the limelight at Xfinity Mobile Arena on their Fifty Something Tour August 21 and August 23 at 7:30pm (doors open at 6:30pm). Sitting behind the kit in place of the late great Neil Peart is Anika Nilles. $186-$776+. 3601 S. Broad Street
DRINK BEER AT THE ZOO. Summer Ale Fest brings over 100 award-winning craft beers, ciders, hard iced teas, hard seltzers, local food trucks, and live music to the Philadelphia Zoo, August 22 from 7 to 10pm. Attendees receive a souvenir tasting cup. Limited to those 21+ even if you are the designated driver; tickets are not available at the door. Do NOT challenge a gorilla to a fight, no matter how many friends you bring. $45-$99. 3400 W. Girard Avenue
IT’S NAKED AND FREE! Cycle for body positivity, mutual aid, and biker advocacy on August 22 at Philly’s annual Naked Bike Ride. You don’t need much but a bike and a water bottle. Stay tuned for the starting location and route reveal 24 hours before ride time. Free. TBA.
ADD MORE TO THAT STACK SITTING ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND. Maybe this will motivate you to start getting through it. The Fourth Annual Philly Bookstore Crawl happens August 22 all across Philadelphia. Like your inability to decide what to read next/first, there’s no specific route to follow, just a bunch of participating bookstores hosting unique and special events from discounts to giveaways to author signings. Pay as you go. Various location.
BIKE FOR A GOOD CAUSE — AND BEER! Love City Brewing presents Tour de Love City, a casual charitable bike ride to benefit the nonprofit Neighborhood Bike Works. Meet up at the Love City Brewing flagship brewery August 23 at noon and bike to the Love City Manayunk taproom for an afterparty featuring specials, music, raffles, and more. $29.20. Ride begins at 1023 Hamilton Street and ends at 4323 Main Street
ATTEND THE PHILADELPHIA TENNIS CLASSIC. For the first time in 20 years, women’s professional tennis returns to Philadelphia for the Ennoble Care Philly Open at the University of Pennsylvania’s Hamlin Tennis Center August 23 through August 29. Tickets for individual sessions and all session passes are available. $21-$515+. Located off River Fields Drive at the University of Pennsylvania
ONGOING EVENTS
Art exhibitions, live shows, outdoor activities, and more things to do, until you can’t anymore.
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, now extended through August 30 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 through 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 through the fall 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
Summer Ale Festival at the Zoo