Get ready to run, get ready to vote, get ready to celebrate your favorite neighborhoods because there’s all that to do this week and more, Philly!
The inaugural Eraserhood Festival in Callowhill honors David Lynch and the neighborhood he immortalized. South Street Live (formerly Spring Fest) is this week, as is Chestnut Hill’s Home and Garden Festival and Fishtown’s Music and Arts Fest.
Live on stage welcome Mo Amer to the Miller Theater, Quintessence and New York’s Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company’s one-man show, The Return of Benjamin Lay, and on another much bigger stage, the GOAT Kendrick Lamar.
The Free Library Foundation welcomes Mike Sielski and Elie Mystal for their Author Series this week, while 48 Record Bar hosts a Hip Hop evening with Cosmo Baker and Vikki Tobak, author of Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop.
And you probably won’t be able to miss the annual Broad Street Run on Sunday, as there will literally be thousands of runners making the 10-mile trek. Good luck everyone!
Most important to remember to do this week: May 5 is your last day to register to vote in the May 20 primary election. Don’t skip this part of the process, voting is the first duty of every citizen!
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
Free Library Foundation Author Series, Contact High at 48 Record Bar, Parks on Tap at Schuylkill River Park, The Return of Benjamin Lay, Eraserhood Fest
LEARN THE HISTORY OF THE SLAM DUNK. On April 29 from 7 to 8:30pm, the Free Library Foundation Author Series continues with Mike Sielski | Magic in the Air, in conversation with Buzz Bissinger. Sielski’s deep reporting brings to life the evolution of basketball and related social and cultural changes in America. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of The Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine Street
DRINK BEER ALONG THE SCHUYLKILL. Parks on Tap comes to Schuylkill River Park and Markward Playground April 30 to May 4 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. 300 S. 25th Street
GET A CONTACT HIGH. Remedy215 & 48 Record Bar proudly present Cosmo Baker’s Book Club: Contact High on April 30 at 7pm, an intimate discussion with author, culture journalist and producer Vikki Tobak about her book Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop, a definitive photographic documentary of hip-hop’s early days. The talk is with Academy Award-winning producer, director and journalist Joseph Patel. Music provided by Cosmo Baker spinning classic Hip-Hop inspired by the book. 21+ only. $29.95. 48 S. 2nd Street
LET’S TALK ABOUT BAD LAWS. Take that opportunity on April 30 from 7 to 8:30pm at the Free Library Foundation Author Series event Elie Mystal | Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America. (Excerpt here!) The New York Times bestselling author brings his signature snark and legal acumen to the conversation with WHYY’s Cherri Gregg. The Philadelphia Citizen is a proud media sponsor of The Free Library Foundation. $5. 1901 Vine 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. May 1–18, evening and afternoon shows at the Sedgewick Theater. $25-$60. 7137 Germantown Avenue
ATTEND THE INAUGURAL ERASERHOOD FEST! In memory of David Lynch, who immortalized one of Philadelphia’s most iconic neighborhoods through his 1977 experimental film Eraserhead, Callowhill holds the first annual Eraserhood Fest May 2 from 5 to 11pm. Local music, cultural activities, food, art and interactive experiences will honor the late director and celebrate the neighborhood’s unique charm. Pay as you go. 10th and Wood streets
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY
South Street Live, CONFLUENCE art exhibit opening, Home and Garden Fest, Fishtown Music & Arts Fest, Broad Street Run, Mo Amer, Candle Con, Kendrick Lamar
ATTEND THE ANNUAL SOUTH STREET SPRING FESTIVAL. South Street Live! (formerly South Street Fest) is happening May 3 from noon to 6pm, transforming nine blocks with live performances, immersive art, local vendors and cultural experiences. Pay as you go. South Street between 8th and Front Streets
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
EXPLORE HOME AND GARDEN PROJECTS IN CHESTNUT HILL. The annual Chestnut Hill Home & Garden Festival returns May 4 from 11am to 5pm on Germantown Ave with over 300 home and garden vendors, food and drink, live music, dance and theater performances, and live artisan demonstrations. Rain date: May 18. Pay as you go. Germantown Avenue between Rex and Willow Grove avenues
PARTY IN FISHTOWN. On May 3 from noon to 11:30pm, Front Street outside LMNO shuts down for the Fishtown Music & Arts Festival, a full day of live bands, DJs and art vendors under the tracks. $25-$35. 1739-1749 N. Front Street
RUN, WATCH, WATCH OUT FOR THE BROAD STREET RUN. The annual 10-miler takes over North and South Broad on May 4 from about 7am to mid-afternoon, so more than 40,000 people can roll, run, jog, etc. to the finish line. If you can’t join ’em, cheer ’em on. (And if you can’t cheer ’em on, plan ahead for street closures.) Entry closed. Broad Street from Fisher Street to the Navy Yard
SEE MO AMER LIVE! A second show has been added, so you have two chances to see the stand-up comedian and award-winning writer Mo Amer: El Oso Palestino Tour at the Miller Theater May 4 at 3:30pm and 7:30pm. Suggested age is 18+. $35-$75. 250 S. Broad Street
DO A SHOPPING EXPERIENCE FOR CANDLE LOVERS ONLY. Black Soul Summer’s All Black Everything Pop-Up Candle Con 2025 returns May 4 from noon to 6pm at Location215. Shop for Mother’s Day Gifts, have a family day, or a fun girl/guy outing. $15-$20 admission. 990 Spring Garden Street
REGISTER TO VOTE! May 5 is your last day to register to vote in the May 20 primary election — which you’re definitely voting in, right?
SIT DOWN, STAND UP, PASS OUT, WAKE UP! But don’t miss Kendrick Lamar with special guest SZA live at the Linc May 5 at 7pm. $135-$587. 1 Lincoln Financial Field
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
DON’T MISS THE REGIONAL PREMIERE OF ARCHDUKE. Award-winning playwright Rajiv Joseph presents a humanized glimpse into the catalyst of WWI: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Archduke, on stage at the Wilma Theater through May 4, with matinee and evening shows available. $20-$75. 265 S. Broad Street
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 through May 10. 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
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 Albert Yee