Festival season has officially arrived Philly, so clear your schedule and put some walking shoes on.
You have the annual Home & Garden Festival in Chestnut Hill, the Fishtown Music & Arts Festival, South Street’s annual Spring Fest, Decibel Magazine’s Metal & Beer Fest at The Fillmore, and on the other end of the spectrum, the Wild Horizon Circus and Play festival at Cherry Street Pier.
Visit our green spaces at Parks on Tap on the Schuylkill River and the new season of Table Sessions at Bartram’s Garden.
In Old City you can start planing your nuptuals at the Wedding Stroll and then join the Remember the Ladies after-hours tour at Christ Church.
On our stages we have Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, Homo Economicus, the second half of Theater Week, and stand-up comedian Chris Higgins.
Philadelphia Jewish Film & Media kicks off its Docs & Dialogues film fest, and a new exhibition from Jessie Krimes opens at The Fabric Workshop and Museum.
Open Wardrobe is holding an event this week for the reenetry community.
And Dr. Rachel Toles takes the stage at City Winery for a talk on the psychology of serial killers.
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
Old City Wedding Stroll, Open Wardrobe, Table Sessions at Bartram’s Garden, Parks on Tap, Homo Economicus, Psychology of Serial Killers, Jesse Krimes, Remember the Ladies history tour
STROLL INTO WEDDING PLANNING. The 5th Annual Old City Wedding Stroll is happening April 29 from 5 to 8pm, featuring over 40 Old City wedding businesses meet and greets, demos, tastings, tours, and more. Registration is required for all guests, departure is from either the Arch Street Meeting House or the Gas Lamp Hotel. Free. 320 Arch Street, or 140 N. 2nd Street
FORMERLY JUSTICE INVOLVED? NEED CLOTHES? HERE’S WHERE TO GO. The Wardrobe welcomes the reentry community to five locations (Exton, Kennett Square, Norristown, Philadelphia, and Upper Darby) on April 29 from 11am to 5pm for this month’s Open Wardrobe event where participants on probation, parole, in a reentry program, etc., can receive free clothing and additional community resources. RSVP is required. Free. Various locations
JAM OUT IN RADICAL JOY AT BARTRAM’S GARDEN. Kristal Sotomayor curates this season’s Table Sessions beginning April 29 and 30 at 7pm with kumbia-klezmer-punk collective Mariposas Galácticas, a screening of Sotomayor’s short film Expanding Sanctuary and a meal served up by Chef Cristina Martínez of South Philly Barbacoa. $28.52-$113.89
DRINK BEER IN PASSYUNK. Parks on Tap comes to Schuylkill River Park April 29 through May 3 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. 1200 Wharton Street
CHECK OUT SOME POST-CAPITALISM PERFORMANCE ART. Homo Economicus is a solo theater performance co-produced by Emily Bate and Obvious Agency. It’s described as part performance art, part lecture, and part dance club. It’ll be on stage April 29 through May 10 for afternoon and evening performances at God’s Automatic Body & Spa in West Philly. $5-$50. 5522 Baltimore Avenue
GET INSIDE THE MIND OF A PREDATOR. Clinical and forensic psychologist Dr Rachek Toles brings The Psychology of Serial Killers to City Winery May 1 at 7:30pm. 13+ only, this show includes disturbing subject matter. $36-$66. 990 Filbert Street
VIEW SELECTIONS OF JESSIE KRIMES’S WORK. Mural Arts Philadelphia and The Fabric Workshop and Museum present Jesse Krimes: Elegy Quilts, opening with a reception on May 1 from 6 to 8pm and 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
WALK AMONG LEGENDS. Every Friday this month from 5 to 6pm beginning May 1, Christ Church Preservation Trust invites you to Remember the Ladies, an after-hours tour of the Burial Ground to uncover women trailblazers in Philadelphia (and American) history. $12.51. 420 Arch Street
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY
Chestnut Hill Home & Garden Festival, Chris Higgins, PJFM Docs & Dialogues, Theater Week, Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, Fishtown Music & Arts Festival, South Street Spring Fest, Decibel Metal & Beer Fest, Wild Horizon festival
IMAGINE RESTAURANT WEEK, BUT FOR THEATERS. Theatre Philadelphia presents The 9th Annual Philly Theatre Week through May 3. This special series of productions, readings, and interactive events across venues citywide invites audiences to try something new, with all proceeds going back to the artists and theater companies. Pay what you can. Various locations
STOP RIGHT THERE! I GOTTA KNOW RIGHT NOW! Before we go any further, are you going to see Bat Out of Hell: The Musical at the Miller Theater May 1 and 2 at 8pm? If not, I won’t be sad. Two out of three ain’t bad. $47-$191. 250 S. Broad Street
PARTY IN FISHTOWN. The 4th annual Fishtown Music and Arts Festival happens May 4 from noon to 10pm under the El. Enjoy music, art, and food all day with kids 14 and under admitted free (food, craft vendors, and children’s play areas are free and open to the public). $35. Front Street and Palmer Street
ATTEND THE ANNUAL SOUTH STREET SPRING FESTIVAL. South Street Spring Fest 2026 is happening May 2 from noon to 7pm, transforming nine blocks with live performances, immersive art, local vendors and cultural experiences. You can also splurge for a VIP pass to with Brauhaus Schmitz’s MaiFest, which is rolled into the festivities this year. Pay as you go. 100-700 Block of South Street, South Street & East Passyunk Avenue, and Headhouse Plaza
DRINK BEER. HEADBANG TO METAL. AT THE SAME TIME. The Fillmore hosts the Decibel Metal & Beer Fest May 2 and 3 at 6:30pm. Nine bands, beer. 21+ only. Individual and 2-day passes are available. $53-$202. 29 E. Allen Street
GO PLAY AT THE CHERRY STREET PIER. On May 2 and 3 from 10am to 6pm, Cherry Street Pier hosts Wild Horizon A FREE Circus & Play Festival featuring performances in circus, dance, comedy, and interactive theatre for all ages from global artists. Free. 121 N. Columbus Boulevard
CELEBRATE SPRING IN CHESTNUT HILL. At the annual Chestnut Hill Home & Garden Festival May 3 from 11am to 5pm. Over 300 vendors offering décor, plants, and artisan goods, plus live music and food span six blocks of historic Germantown Avenue. Pay as you go. Germantown Avenue, from Rex Avenue to Willow Grove Avenue
LAUGH AT CHRIS HIGGINS. BECAUSE HE WANTS YOU TO! Stand-up comedian Chris Higgins is live at Helium Comedy Club May 3 at 8:15pm. Come for the midwestern-style delivery, stay for the cat takes. $32.99-$184.89 (couples package). 2031 Sansom Street
COME TO A DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL. On Mondays and Tuesdays from May 4 through May 19, Philadelphia Jewish Film + Media presents Docs & Dialogues, a screening of diverse and compelling documentary films and conversations with the filmmakers at The Weitzman. $10-$20. 101 South Independence Mall East
ONGOING EVENTS
Art exhibitions, live shows, outdoor activities, and more things to do, until you can’t anymore.
CATCH A WORLD PREMIERE JAMES IJAMES PRODUCTION. Wilderness Generation opens at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre through May 3 with afternoon and evening performances. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright’s latest drama follows four cousins who reunite at their family home in the Tidewater South. Recommended for ages 13 and up. $35-$80. 480 S. Broad Street
STROLL THE STREETS OF CENTER CITY. Open Streets: West Walnut returns for the spring on Sundays through May 17 from 10am to 5pm. In addition to shopping and eating, Center City District provides free entertainment with buskers, strolling performers, dance groups, a family-friendly zone, games and activities for kids, and more. Pay as you go. Walnut Street between Broad and 19th streets and S. 18th Street between Locust and Chestnut streets
GET DOWNRIGHT SILLY WITH CLASSIC FAIRY TALES. Arden Children’s Theatre presents The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Based on the book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, open through May 31 with performances in the morning, afternoon, and evenings. $30-$51. 40 N. 2nd Street
DO EVENING SHOPPING AT CHESTNUT WALK. Come to East Market every Tuesday from 3 to 7pm through June 16 for a lively Night Market featuring live music, food, plant and craft vendors, and more. Pay as you go. Chestnut Walk Between Market and Ludlow Streets
BE PART OF A COLLECTIVE, SUSTAINED RESPONSE. The new exhibition, How We Stay Free, from Mike Arrison, Harvey Finkle, Joe Piette, and Sunny Singh opens at TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image through June 27. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6pm. Free. 1400 N. American Street
IMPACTED BY PARKINSON’S? Barnes Create & Connect is a free workshop series for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners supporting connection through art and creative expression held select Saturdays April through June from 10am to noon. Light snacks and beverages will be provided. Free; registration required. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
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
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
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
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
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
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
Bat Out of Hell cast, photo by Chris Davis Studio