Happy Cinco de Mayo, Philly! This week and weekend there’s plenty of things to do whether you want to get outdoors, shop for mom, or experience fine arts.
The Philadelphia Marketplace is open at Dilworth Park, just in time for Mother’s Day. Speaking of which, the Spring Art Star Craft Bazaar is happening this weekend at Cherry Street Pier.
Love your Parks week kicks off this weekend, so dig out those gloves and tools and head to your local green space. Fairmount Park’s guided hikes are on for the season, and so are Sunset Social’s movie nights on the Cira Green Rooftop Park.
Roxborough’s Spring Fest has joined forces with Rockin the Ridge Car Show for a day of entertainment and automobiles. Take that soundtrack home with you by stopping by VinylCon at the Armory. Oh, and remember all those pictures of Philly you took a few weeks ago? They’re on display for Philly Photo Day at TILT.
If supporting public art is your thing, the Mural Arts annual Wall Ball fundraiser is this week, and the large-scale video project The Philadelphians launches at LOVE Park. You can also head to the Free Library for an Author Series event. This week features Jasmine Martin and Dr. Judith Joseph.
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
Philadelphia Marketplace, The Philadelphians, Movies at Sunset Social, Philly Photo Day, Free Library Foundation Author Series, Wall Ball
SHOP LOCAL IN DILWORTH PARK. The Philadelphia Marketplace is open at Dilworth Park through June 28. Every Friday and Saturday from noon to 6pm, two dozen tri-state area vendors offer home decor, jewelry, fashion, sweets, treats, posters, art, skincare, men’s products, candles, plants, flowers and more. Vintage weekends will take place May 30 and 31 and June 27 and 28. Pay as you go. 1 S. 15th Street
DRINK BEER IN FDR PARK. Parks on Tap comes to FDR park May 7 to May 11 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. 1500 Pattison Avenue and S. Broad Street
ATTEND A PUBLIC ART LAUNCH. The Philadelphians, a public art project created by Philadelphia-based artist duo Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib, celebrates the city’s vibrant immigrant communities, starting May 7 from 7 to 9pm at LOVE Park. On view until June 8, the project’s centerpiece is a 360º large-scale video projection wrapping the park’s visitor center. Free, RSVP here. 1569 JFK Boulevard
GO SEE A MOVIE ON A ROOF. Movies at Sunset Social returns May 7 at 7pm with The Fall Guy. Bring the kids, bring the dog, bring a blanket, enjoy good food and drinks and a 60-foot screen at Cira Green Rooftop Park. Free. Food and drink available for purchase. 129 S. 30th Street
SEE PHILADELPHIA IN PICTURES. TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image asked you all to submit photos, and the time to see how well we did has come. The Opening Reception for Philly Photo Day 2025 is May 8 from 6 to 9 pm. The exhibition is on view through May 31. Free. 1400 N. American Street, Suite #103
UNMASK DEPRESSION AT AN AUTHOR SERIES EVENT. The Free Library Foundation Author Series continues May 8 at 7pm with Dr. Judith Joseph | High Functioning. Joseph will be in conversation with Hannah Williams on her bestselling self-help book. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of The Free LIbrary Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street
COME TO A PANEL DISCUSSION. On May 9 at 7:30pm, come to the Parkway Central Library for Panel Discussion: Who Owns Your Story? with local storytellers (verbal and visual) and the co-author of The Upcycled Self, Jasmine Martin. Free. 1901 Vine Street
GO BALLS TO THE WALL FOR MURAL ARTS! The Mural Arts signature fundraising event, Wall Ball 2025, comes to the Brooklyn Bowl on May 9 from 8:30 to 11pm. Enjoy open bar and hors d’oeuvres and an evening of honors and awards. $125. 1009 Canal Street
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY
Love Your Parks, guided hiking, VinylCon, Franklin Square Playday, Roxborough Spring Fest, Art Star Craft Bazaar
LOVE YOUR PARKS! It’s that time of year again, folks! May 10 through 18 is Love Your Park Week. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Fairmount Park Conservancy, and park friends’ groups across the city will be hosting events. Over 100 Philly parks need help with tending gardens and flower beds, caring for trees, and post-winter cleanup. Free, except for your time and energy. Various locations, check the map for a park near you!
GO HIKING. Fairmount Park Conservancy and Appalachian Mountain Club are kicking off the May through November Second Saturday Guided Hike Series on May 10 at 10am with a two-mile Hiking 101 workshop in West Fairmount Park. Free, registration required. 1800 Belmont Mansion Drive
GET SERIOUS ABOUT THAT MUSIC COLLECTION. Starting May 10 from 10 am to 4pm on May 11, VinylCon returns to the 23rd Street Armory. There’s plenty of other media in addition to vinyl, plus memorabilia, food trucks, DJs, and a full bar. $6.49-$26.69. 22 S. 23rd Street
TAKE THE KIDS TO FRANKLIN SQUARE. Franklin Square Playday with YoYo happens May 10 from 11am to 1pm. Enjoy free crafts and games, giant bubbles, live music, fitness fun, and Go with YOYO. Free. 200. N. 6th Street
PARTY IN ROXBOROUGH. On May 10th from 11am to 6pm, the 23rd Annual Roxborough Spring Fest joins forces with the Rockin’ the Ridge Car Show for day of local music, art, food and brews. And some nice cars, too. Pay as you go. Ridge Avenue, from Green Street to Fountain Street
SHOP ART FOR MOTHER’S DAY. It’s Mother’s Day weekend, and that means it’s time for the Spring Art Star Craft Bazaar at Cherry Street Pier May 10 and 11 from 11am to 5pm. Peruse over 80 craft vendors; do some make + takes; enjoy a full cash bar and food by Philly Taco, Pay as you go. 121 N. Columbus Boulevard
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
SEE A UNIQUE HISTORICAL ONE-MAN PLAY. Presented by Quintessence and New York’s Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company, The Return of Benjamin Lay is inspired by the true story of an 18th-century Quaker man who lived his life as an activist revolutionary fighting for the abolition of slavery in Colonial America. Live through May 18, evening and afternoon shows at the Sedgewick Theater. $25-$60. 7137 Germantown Avenue
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 now through May 21. 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
GET RETRO AT THE ROLLER RINK. The Rothman Orthopaedics Roller Rink at Dilworth Park is back through June 29. Admission $8-$12, $6 skate rental. 1 S. 15th Street
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
COME TO THE OPENING OF A NEW ART EXHIBITION AT FAIRMOUNT WATER WORKS. The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center presents their fourth annual spring fine art exhibition, CONFLUENCE. Eleven artists, showcasing 26 works of art centered around the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, and the junction where they meet, known as a confluence, are featured. Open May 3 through July 26, Wednesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Free. 640 Waterworks Drive
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
Photo by Ananda Connolly for Art Star