We hope you’re safely digging out Philly, because once you’ve cleared the snow off your car (completely, please) and made your sidewalk safe to traverse, there are plenty of things to do this week.

Center City and Northern Liberties are holding their Restaurant Weeks simultaneously, so make room for all those meal deals.  For dessert you can celebrate the First Public Girl Scout Cookie Sale as part of Philadelphia’s 52 Weeks of Firsts, and if you’re keeping to Dry January, the annual Dry Vibes wellness event returns this week as well.

We’re also celebrating the winter weather with Founders Philly Freeze Out in Manayunk and Philly Skates Free day at Independence Blue Cross Winterfest, so bundle up. Speaking of which, if you or someone you know needs warm winter wear, The Wardrobe’s Open Wardrobe event this week is for you.

On stage this week is the ongoing Variety Pack Comedy Festival, two Free Library Foundation Author Events, Good Bones at Arden Theatre, the one and only Ari Shapiro at City Winery, and all the way from Australia, The Naked Magicians.

The Philadelphia Auto Show is taking over the Convention Center, while the Art Star CRAP Bazaar returns to the Independence Visitor Center. And if it’s good works with good fun you’re looking for, the Flyers Charities Carnival has both.

• • • 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

Center City Restaurant Week, Variety Pack Comedy Festival, Northern Liberties Restaurant Week, Open Wardrobe, Free Library Foundation Author Events, Ari Shapiro at City Winery

STUFF YOUR FACE IN CENTER CITY.  Center City Restaurant Week runs through January 31 with dozens of participating eateries. Feast on three-course, prix-fixe dinners for just $45 or $60, and lunches for $20, plus takeout options. Drink and parking specials are available. Try not to mix those. $20-$60+. Various locations

GO OUT FOR A GOOD LAUGH. The Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake hosts the Variety Pack Comedy Festival through January 31 featuring comedic ensembles, sketches, animation, standup, improv, and much more. Showtimes vary from early afternoon to late night. $12. 302 S. Hicks Street

STUFF YOUR FACE IN NOLIBS. Northern Liberties Restaurant Week is happening January 26 through February 8. Enjoy special two-course lunch menus for $10, $15 and $20, and $25, $35, and $45 prix fixe dinner menus from the neighborhood’s best restaurants. See locations here.  

NEED SOME WINTER THREADS? The Wardrobe is offering warm attire for anyone in need of winter wear at its next Open Wardrobe event January 28 from 11am to 5pm. Participants receive free clothing along with additional community resources from five locations in Exton, Kennett Square, Norristown, Philly, and Upper Darby. Registration is required. Free. Various locations

SIT IN ON A TALK ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSITY. The Free Library Foundation Author Events Series presents Lee Bollinger | University: A Reckoning, in Conversation with Ali Velshi January 28 from 7 to 8pm. Bollinger and Velshi will discuss how universities are essential to the foundations of democracy and the United States. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of The Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street

ENJOY A CANDID NIGHT OF STORIES. The Free Library Foundation Author Events Series presents Marc Shaiman | Never Mind the Happy, in Conversation with Alan Zweibel January 29 from 7 to 8pm. Shaimon shares five decades of life on Broadway. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of The Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street

SEE A PLAY ABOUT MORE THAN JUST GENTRIFICATION. Arden Theatre presents Good Bones, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames, a story about community, change, love, and cities. Open through March 15 with 2pmand 7pm performances. $37-$70. 40 N. 2nd Street

CONSIDER ALL THE THINGS. The host of NPR’s All Things Considered comes to City Winery January 30 at 7:30pm for his solo cabaret show, Ari Shapiro, Thank You For Listening, adapting stories from his memoir into an evening of song. $54-$90. 901 Filbert Street

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY

Philadelphia Auto Show, First Public Girl Scout Cookie Sale, Manayunk Founders Philly Freeze Out, Philly Skates Free day at Winterfest, Art Star CRAP Bazaar, Dry Vibes, Flyers Charities Carnival, The Naked Magicians

PIMP THAT RIDE. The Philadelphia Auto Show rolls into the Philadelphia Convention Center from January 31 through February 8, opening at 10am on the weekends and noon weekdays. Don’t miss the Black-Tie Tailgate January 30. $16.50-$21.50. 12th & Arch Streets

BUT ARE THEY MADE OUT OF REAL GIRL SCOUTS? Celebrate the First Public Girl Scout Cookie Sale which happened in 1933 right here in Philadelphia at the PECO Building January 31 from 11am to 1pm. Free. 2301 Market Street

GET FROZEN IN MANAYUNK. No no it’s more fun than it sounds. Manayunk and Founders Brewing transform Main Street into a family-friendly winter wonderland January 31 from 11am to 4pm for Founders Philly Freeze Out featuring live ice carving demonstrations, Founders beer specials in restaurants and bars, lion dancing, an igloo, the Manayunk Chowder Crawl, giveaways, a Winter Market, and more. Pay as you go.  Main Street Manayunk 

GO ICE SKATING, ON THE HOUSE! Rivers Casino Philadelphia and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation are partnering to celebrate America’s 250th with a special Philly Skates Free day at Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest on January 31 from 11am to 11pm. Register for free skating admission and rentals, cake, face painting, a live DJ, Half-off happy hours, giveaways, raffles, and more. Free, registration required. 101 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard

BUY SOME CRAP…FOR GOOD! Art Star CRAP Bazaar returns to the Independence Visitor Center January 31 through February 1 from 11 to 4pm, featuring over 20 local artists. The two-day rummage sale celebrates artist seconds: overstock, samples, experimental pieces, and discontinued items, all marked at least half off retail prices. Twenty-five percent of sales will benefit Philabundance and The Brigid Alliance. Free. 599 Market Street

FEEL THEM DRY VIBES. The premier alcohol-free social and wellness celebration Dry Vibes returns to Philly January 31 from noon to 5pm at Billy Penn Studios with live music, special guests, interactive activations, and dozens of non-alcoholic and wellness vendors. $43.33 – $84.33. 1516 N. 5th Street

ATTEND ONE OF THE FLYERS CHARITIES LARGEST FUNDRAISERS. The annual Flyers Charities Carnival happens February 1 starting at 11am at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Meet the players, ride a ferris wheel, play tailgate games, and more. Additional experiences like Sign & Snaps with your favorite players and locker room tours are also available for purchase. $35+; four children per adult enter free! 3601 S. Broad Street

SEE A NAUGHTY MAGIC SHOW. The Naked Magicians are live at the Miller Theater February 1 at 7:30pm. From Australia to a Las Vegas residency, a season on London’s West End, and performances in 250+ cities across the globe, this show is perfect for date night or the ultimate Girls Night. 18 and over, obviously. $63-$117.88. 250 S. Broad Street

ONGOING EVENTS

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

SEE ARLEEN OLSHAN’S ART. The William Way LGBT Community Center presents Arleen Olshan: The Tangle I’ve Gotten Into, an exhibition of Olshan’s drawings, paintings, and photographs from Dead Dykes & Some Gay Men, and Women Loving Women: Works from the 70s and 80s on view through February 21 at iMPeRFeCT Gallery. Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday from noon to 5pm. Free, please RSVP. 5539 Germantown Avenue 

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH AN ART EXHIBITION. Through February 27, Hyatt Centric Center City Philadelphia is showcasing Soft Light, a group art exhibition showcasing works by four Black women artists, curated by Philadelphia-based curator and visual artist Chelsey Luster. Free. 1620 Chancellor Street

SEE THE 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

EXPLORE A NEW ROUSSEAU EXHIBITION AT THE BARNES. Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets reveals hidden layers in the visionary painter’s work and brings together for the first time the works at The Barnes and the collection from the Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris. Open through February 22, 2026, Thursday through Monday, 11am to 5pm. $5-$30. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

SPEND WINTER IN FRANKLIN SQUARE. Not the whole thing, silly. Through February 28, Winter in Franklin Square features the Electrical Spectacle Light Show presented by PECO showing every 30 minutes (weather permitting),  Frosty’s Fireside Lodge, seasonal drinks and eats, and more. Pay as you go. 200 N. 6th Street

CELEBRATE THE SEASON ON THE WATERFRONT. Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest runs through March 1 with ice skating, games, rides, food and drink, The Lodge Bar, and more. Pay as you go. 101 S. Columbus Boulevard

ENJOY WINTER FUN IN DILWORTH PARK. Winter in Dilworth Park returns through March 14 with activities and attractions taking advantage of the cold and cozy season, including The Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink and Cabin, the Wintergarden, and coming soon, the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market. Free/pay as you go. 1 S. 15th St (West Side of City Hall)

ATTEND A NEW EXHIBIT’S OPENING RECEPTION.  The Changing Faces of Independence Opening Reception is happening January 22 from 6 to 8pm at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to celebrate the opening of its new exhibit Changing Faces of Independence: Pennsylvania in the 1800s, which will be on view through April 24. Free. 1300 Locust 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