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One of the founding tenets of The Philadelphia Citizen is to get people the resources they need to become better, more engaged citizens of their city.

We hope to do that in our Good Citizenship Toolkit, which includes a host of ways to get involved in Philadelphia — whether you want to contact your City Councilmember to voice your support for investing in our public schools, get those experiencing homelessness the goods they need, or simply go out to dinner somewhere where you know your money is going toward a greater good.

Find an issue that’s important to you in the list below, and get started on your journey of A-plus citizenship.

Vote and strengthen democracy

Stand up for marginalized communities

Create a cleaner, greener Philadelphia

Help our local youth and schools succeed

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Fun Things to Do in Philly this Weekend

Man, it's good to be in Philadelphia this week and weekend, what with Pride, The Roots Picnic, block parties and strawberries

Fun Things to Do in Philly this Weekend

Man, it's good to be in Philadelphia this week and weekend, what with Pride, The Roots Picnic, block parties and strawberries

The Roots Picnic and Pride headline things to do in Philly this weekend. But TBH, the week is pretty stellar too, starting with a block party in Old City and Billy Porter at The Met. If you haven’t been to a city beer garden or a farmers market yet this season, do that, too.

Signs that summer is here, for all intents and purposes: Spruce Street Harbor Park and Summerfest are going strong, as are weekly parties galore.

Planning things to do in Philly farther ahead? Check out our year-long calendar to help you become a better Philadelphia citizen.

THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY THIS WEEK

This week’s things to do includes a performance inspired by Dr. J, the Old City Eats Block Party, and a brand-new drinking garden in Rittenhouse.

In a previous vacant lot, plants bloom and picnic tables are laid out for a Walnut Garden, a new beer and cocktail garden in Philadelphia.
Walnut Garden.

CHECK OUT CENTER CITY’S NEWEST BEER GARDEN. On a vacant plot on the retail row of one of Philly’s most affluent neighborhoods, restaurateur Avram Hornick (owner-operator of Harper’s Garden, Morgan’s Pier, Parks on Tap, Liberty Point, Rosy’s Taco Bar, Craft Hall …) has opened Walnut Garden, a family-friendly outdoor beer (and cocktail) space. Free to enter. 1706-1710 Walnut Street

Be Holding at Girard College.

SEE AN UNFORGETTABLE WORK OF LIVE STUDENT ART. When Julius Erving made a baseline scoop that went the 1980 equivalent of viral, no one imagined the good Dr.’s move would turn into the student and pro-made performance Be Holding. May 31–June 3 at 7:30pm, Girard College premieres the theatrical work that considers our country’s history of racial violence juxtaposed with the quest for “Black genius, justice, and joy.” Tickets: general admission: $35, treat your neighbor: $70 and student: $15. 2101 S. College Avenue

A crowd walks along S. 2nd Street during the Old City Eats Block Party.
The Old City Eats Block Party. Courtesy of Old City District.

EAT ALL OF OLD CITY. On June 1 from 5 to 9pm, 2nd Street closes down to vehicular traffic for a block party celebrating all the food you’ve always wanted to eat in Old City. The event, replete with live jazz from Sassafras, kicks off the neighborhood’s summertime Old City Eats, food and drink specials on Thursdays from 5 to 7pm through August 31. Free to attend; pay as you go. S. 2nd Street between Market and Chestnut streets

Billy Porter in <em>Black Mona Lisa</em> tour.
Billy Porter in Black Mona Lisa tour.

EXPERIENCE BILLY PORTER. You fell in love with him in Pose and followed him on red carpets. On June 1 from 8 to 11pm, see all-around entertainment icon Billy Porter onstage at the Met in his Black Mona Lisa Tour. He’ll sing, tell stories, and generally regale you. Tickets $39-$90. 858 N. Broad Street

WHAT TO DO IN PHILLY THIS WEEKEND

The Roots Picnic and Pride headline things to do in Philly this weekend, but there’s plenty more things to do, if you know where to go.

Clark Park.

CATCH A FILM IN CLARK PARK. BYOB — Bring your own blanket (and/or beach chair) to the Bowl in West Philly for the seasonal debut of cinéSPEAK Under the Stars. Next up in this free Friday night music-theme film series: Hung Up On A Dream (about The Zombies), June 2 at 7pm; 1959 classic Black Orpheus, June 9 at 7pm; and Little Richard: I Am Everything, June 16 at 7pm. Tickets are free. Arrive early for DJs and food trucks. (Rain date: Same time Saturday.) 4300 Chester Avenue

The crowd at The Roots Picnic. Photo by Jeff Fusco for Visit Philadelphia.
The Roots Picnic. Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia.

PICNIC WITH THE ROOTS USHER, LIL’ UZI VERT, LAURYN HILL … The Roots Picnic returns to the Mann June 3 to 4 from 1 to 11pm. This year’s expectedly amazing lineup includes Ms. Lauryn Hill, Usher, Philly’s own Lil Uzi Vert, Beanie Sigel, DJ Diamond Kutz, Freeway, and a podcast stage featuring Charlemagne tha God. Before all that, Dave Chappelle and The Roots open with a no-cell-phone show at the Wells Fargo Center, June 2 at 7:30pm. General admission: $189. 5201 Parkside Avenue

Pride Skate. Courtesy of Center City District.

ROLLER SKATE FOR PRIDE. Pride Skate in Dilworth Park’s outdoor roller rink celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month with a special menu at the Air Grille Garden, a live DJ and a drag host. Wear colors featured on the Pride Flag on June 3 from 6 to 8pm for this one-night-only event. $10 adults, $8 ages 10 and under; roller skate rental: $6. 1 S .15th Street

ATTEND AN ARTSY 125TH BIRTHDAY BLOCK PARTY. Bella Vista’s beloved Fleisher Art Memorial celebrates its 125th with a free indoor-outdoor block party featuring local art, locals making art (including you!), so many snacks and so much fun on June 3 from 11am to 3pm. Free. 700 Catharine Street

GET FREE STRAWBERRIES. On June 3 from 1 to 3pm, Historic Strawberry Mansion (the mansion, in the neighborhood) hosts a festival that reveals where it got its name. Volunteers from Philadelphia Orchard Project show off the onsite orchard, including its bees — and giveaway baskets of the early summer fruit. Free. 2450 Strawberry Mansion Drive

A plate of shucked oysters on ice with a lemon wedge.
Courtesy of The Oyster House.

EAT OYSTERS BY THE WATER. Oyster House’s Shuckfest returns after a three-year hiatus on June 4, noon to 3:30pm at Liberty Point. Expert shuckers teach their trade. Local band Gypsy Wisdom plays. Kids make shell jewelry. $75 ticket includes oysters to taste. (Ages 10 and under, free with adult admission.) 211 S. Columbus Boulevard

THINGS TO DO NEXT WEEK IN PHILLY

Jarod Bardon, a White male protestor, wears black belts over his bare torso while standing with his arms out in front of The Detroit Institute of Arts. His forearms bear the words "Art" and "Defend."
Jarod Bardon, Troy resident, at protest outside the Detroit Institute of Arts. Photo by James Fassinger.

CATCH A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT DETROIT. On June 5 from 6 to 9pm, the Comcast Technology Center will screen Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit, from Sam Katz’s History Making Productions. The documentary film revisits what happens when a city that’s run out of money needs to make hard choices. Free with RSVP. 1800 Arch Street

Center City Sips. Photo by M. Fischetti for Visit Philadelphia.

PARTAKE IN THE CITY’S LARGEST HAPPY HOUR. Center City Sips returns Wednesdays from June 7 through August 30, from 5 to 7pm. Every week, more than 60 venues serve $7 cocktails, $6 wine, $5 beer and half-priced appetizers. After 7pm, select locations offer 15 percent off of dinner. Multiple locations

FUN THIS SUMMER IN PHILLY

(Take this list slow. Summertime brings too many good things to do in Philly.)

Children roller skate outdoors on a tile rink. In the foreground, skates dangle decoratively among hanging plants.
Summerfest. Courtesy of Independence Blue Cross.

GET YOUR SUMMER ON AT SUMMERFEST. The RiverRink is back for Summerfest on the Delaware River. through September 24 you can roller skate outside, play boardwalk and arcade games, ride the Ferris wheel and carousel, mini golf — or just have some crab fries and beers on the waterfront. Free to enter. $5 to roller skate; $10 to rent skates; other amusements are pay-as-you-go. 101 S. Columbus Boulevard

Children and a grown-up sit in front of a colorfully-lit barge at Spruce Street Harbor Park.
Spruce Street Harbor Park. Courtesy of the Delaware River Waterfront Corp.

HANG OUT AT SPRUCE STREET HARBOR PARK. Bask in some shade (or sun) at Spruce Street Harbor Park. There, in view of the Delaware, you can play a bunch of lawn games, browse weekend global and local craft markets, chill in hammocks (by reservation), take in the nighttime technicolor lights, eat ice cream, and drink beer on a barge, through September 24. 301 S. Columbus Boulevard

People sit in Adirondack chairs around an unlit firepit, among plants and trees. In the background, more people sit at covered area. The scene takes place next to what seems to be a large office building.
Independence Beer Garden. Photo by M. Fischetti for Visit Philadelphia

DRINK OUTSIDE … ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LIBERTY BELL. Chef Michael Schulson has reopened Independence Beer Garden for the season.  The popular spot has dozens of beers on tap, plus double cheeseburgers, everything pretzel bites, spicy Caesars, cornhole, Adirondack chairs, and plenty of picnic tables. Open daily. 100 S. Independence Mall West

A crowd of people sit on the grass and at picnic tables on the bank of the Schuylkill River in Phialdelphia.
Courtesy of Parks on Tap.

DRINK OUTSIDE AT PARKS ON TAP.  Combining public beer-drinking, city parks, pulled pork (or meatball or mushroom) sandwiches, Philly’s roaming beer garden returns for the season on through September. Parks on Tap switches location weekly, and is usually open Wednesdays through Sundays. Check their calendar for upcoming locations.

Rodin Garden Bar. Photo by Elizabeth Leitzell.

HAVE A COCKTAIL NEAR THE THINKER. The Rodin Museum Garden Bar reopens this Friday — and promises to continue to reopen every Friday, from 4 to 8:30pm, through August 25. Leashed pets and kids (not necessarily leashed) are welcome, but save the Rosé spritzers and Paloma cocktails for yourself. Free. 2151 Ben Franklin Parkway

BLOW OFF STEAM BY THE WATER. Nothing signals the end of the work week like a happy hour dance party. Shekhinah B . of The Women’s Coalition for Empowerment hosts Spruce Street Harbor Park’s After Work Sessions at the Waterfront every Friday, 7:30 to 10:30pm, through September 22. 301 S. Columbus Boulevard

Three people roller skate over a checkerboard pattern at an outdoor rink in Center City Philadelphia.
Courtesy of Center City District

SKATE THROUGH SPRING. Colorful, retro Rothman Roller Rink — and its cabin- lounge — return to Dilworth Park April 21 through July 16. Admission: $10 adults, $8 ages 10 and under; roller skate rental: $6. Matinee skates —  Mondays and Tuesdays from 11am to 5pm — offer $5 off. Reservations available. 1 S. 15th Street

Photo courtesy of PHS

STOP TO SMELL FLOWERS (AND HAVE A BEER). The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has opened the gates of its pop-up gardens in Manayunk and on South Street for the season. These al fresco venues combine a bar, restaurant, plants and games — seven nights a week and weekend days through October. Free entry. 1438 South Street and 106 Jamestown Avenue

BE A GOOD CITIZEN ALL YEAR LONG

The crowd at The Roots Picnic. Photo by Jeff Fusco for Visit Philadelphia.

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