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To do this week: Spend some time outside

How to spend your weekend and week.

HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

On the to-do list this week: Hi, Philly explorers. We’ve been gifted two warm days in a row from the February weather gods — get out there and enjoy the weather. Better yet, sit outside and read this email. I’ll give you a few minutes to do so ... are you outside? OK, cool. ☀️

On my personal to-do list: I’m heading to Renault Winery’s Vintner Wonderland for ice skating and wine.

📆 Need something to do this weekend or next week? We have an events calendar with 43 things to do in Philly and outside of the city, too. See our full calendar here.

We’ve collected our best Philly tips all in one place here. Stay healthy, stay safe, and get vaccinated.

— Jillian Wilson

The best streeteries for outdoor dining

Today is a day meant for outdoor dining and drinking. While many of the summer-only bars and pop-ups aren’t yet open for the season, there are plenty of restaurant streeteries (which are parking spaces turned into protected — and often beautifully decorated — areas for outdoor dining) open for business on this warm Thursday. From West Philly to East Passyunk, there are many streeteries you can visit for after-work drinks or a leisurely outdoor meal.

You can go out for vegan tacos in a tropical-themed streetery at Bar Bombón, have a sweet brunch dish under a lantern-lined canopy at Booker’s, have Thai food at Kalaya, and more. (I’d call your desired spot soon to make sure you can get an outdoor table on this warm day.)

See here for our full guide to the most beautiful streeteries in Philly.

Winter toolkit

  1. Where to celebrate Black History Month in Philly by Amber Burns

  2. How to get your taxes done for free in Philadelphia by Henry Savage and Erin Arvedlund

  3. Where to find Philly’s best wings by Craig LaBan

  4. 13 museums and cultural landmarks that showcase Black history in Philadelphia by Candis McLean

  5. The best knitting and craft stores in Philly by Michelle Reese

  6. Best places for skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing in the Philadelphia region by Michele Haddon

  7. » Ask us a question through Curious Philly: Inquirer.com/askus

Weekend planner

Here is one highlight from our weekly events calendar:

🚎 Sisterhood Sit-In Trolley (Black History Month / in-person / kid-friendly) Explore some of the amazing Black-women-owned businesses Philly has to offer aboard a trolley tour that starts at Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown. The tour includes stops at Marsh + Mane, Yowie, Freedom Apothecary, Franny Lou’s Porch and tour starting point Harriett’s Bookshop. Come ready to shop, browse, and support these shops. ($50, Saturdays, Feb. 19-March 26, wearemuchdifferent.com)

🔎 Find more of this week’s events, and we even have a kid-friendly events calendar, too.

Go chasing waterfalls

I know TLC advised against it, but chase some waterfalls today or tomorrow. And since it’s short notice, I’m not saying you have to plan a two- or three-hour escapade out to the Poconos. Instead, you can view some waterfalls (albeit, smaller waterfalls) right here in Philadelphia. Here are some waterfalls you can see in Philadelphia:

  1. Magargee Dam 📍 Wissahickon Valley Park. The Magargee Dam is the liquid gold at the end of an easy 3.2-mile hike on the Forbidden Drive Loop in Wissahickon Valley Park.

  2. Fairmount Dam 📍 Martin Luther King Drive. There are few sights more relaxing than watching the powerful waters of the Schuylkill flow down the ridge of this man-made dam.

  3. Flatrock Dam 📍 Manayunk Tow Path. Stop and watch the water flow at the end of this 2-mile trek. And when you are finished, explore one of city’s most vibrant neighborhoods.

  4. Millbourne Dam 📍 Haddington Woods. This quiet space in Cobbs Creek Park is ideal for a meditation after walking/running the 3.7-mile Cobbs Creek Trail.

And if you do feel like going on a road trip, here’s our full guide to the prettiest waterfalls in Pennsylvania.

Insta Inspo

The highly anticipated Brooklyn-born brewery Other Half opens its Philly location tomorrow, Feb. 18 in the space that once housed Goose Island in Fishtown. 20 Other Half beers will be on tap, along with a selection of beers to-go. 🍻 🍻

🤓 A good thing to know

Thanks for reading! We’ll be back next week with more things to do this month. But in the meantime, here’s something to know:

For the first time since 2019, the beloved Roots Picnic returns to its in-person format with a stellar lineup of performers. We’re talking Mary J. Blige, Summer Walker, Wizkid, and more.