The best things to do in Philadelphia this weekend
The best things to do in Philadelphia, including popular events, festivals, attractions and tours, free activities and entertainment. See upcoming events and what’s on in Philly today.
Happy Friday! Below are some of our favorite things to do in the Philadelphia area this weekend. We put out new Philly weekend plans for you every week, so you’ll always have something to do on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
You can always find our favorite activities of the weekend at inquirer.com/things-to-do. Have an event you’d like to feature in the Inquirer? Submit an event to our calendar.
Driving Hunger Away During Ramadan
(Community) Pennsylvania state senator Sharif Street, nonprofit Philabundance, State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, and others will host the fourth annual “Driving Hunger Away During Ramadan” initiative. More than 200 free meals will be distributed at various community spaces for the month-long holiday with the goal to feed 7200 people. The initiative begins March 11 at Penrose Recreation Center at 5 p.m. (March 11-Apr. 9, 1101 W Susquehanna Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19122, and other locations, instagram.com)
Revitalize and Renew: Spring Restorative Yoga
(Community) Spring is heading to the city, so take some time to prepare your mind and body for this new season. During this restorative yoga session, you’ll lear how to best connect with the energy of spring, and go through yoga postures that will help you tap into the season’s energy. ($40, Mar. 22, 7-8:30 p.m., 4522 Baltimore Ave., studio34yoga.com/workshops/)
Science After Hours: Spectacular Spectacular
(Community) The Franklin Institute is back with everyone’s favorite museum after hours event. This event is jam-packed with entertainment, including a secret speakeasy, surprise performances, plenty of dancing and more. Your ticket also includes evening access to all core exhibits and galleries. ($35-40, Mar. 22, 7:30-11:30 p.m., 222 N. 20th St., fi.edu)
Women in Business
(Community) Women’s History Month is still in full swing at Cherry Street Pier. Come shop from local women vendors, enjoy DJ sets, games and more, all followed by a panel discussion. You get to meet, mingle and be inspired by an array of incredible women. (Mar. 23, 12-4 p.m., 121 N. Columbus Blvd., cherrystreetpier.com)
Pancakes & Booze Art Show
(Art) What could be better than free pancakes and great art from emerging artists? Stop by this pop up art show to find out. Up and coming artists will display and sell their art while you indulge in endless, fluffy pancakes. (Mar. 23, 7-11:55 p.m., 1200 Callowhill St., pancakesandbooze.com)
Philly NAACP Black Women Symposium
(Community) Come be inspired through panel discussions, networking and more from dynamic women of various backgrounds. Your ticket includes access to the full event agenda, and lunch. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Philadelphia Chapter of the NAACP Youth & Council. (Mar. 23, 12-3 p.m., 500-506 N. 6th St., https://eventbrite.com)
Women’s Month Workout
(Community) Celebrate Women’s History Month with a powerful yoga sculpt workout. Your ticket includes the workout class plus a goodie bag to take home with products from female founded businesses. ($28, Mar. 23, 9:30 a.m., 10 Ave. Of The Arts, shopstakt.com/products)
Solo Society Thrift Market
(Shopping) Bring an extra tote bag, because this thrift market promises you’ll leave with a ton of great finds. One of a kind vendors from along the east coast will have everything from vintage clothes to handmade jewelry available to shop. Grab an early bird ticket if you want a first go at the vendors. (Mar. 24, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., 990 Spring Garden St., eventbrite.com)
Philadelphia Organ Festival
(Music) This festival celebrates the magic of pipe organs through incredible performances. Through these showcases, you’ll hear the organ bring a silent film soundtrack to life, elevate vocal works and more alongside other instruments. (Mar. 15-23, sacredplaces.org/)
The InLiquid Benefit
(Art) Join InLiquid for a celebration of contemporary art, design and craft. This silent auction takes place over multiple parties and events, giving you a chance to view these unique pieces up close. If you’re looking for exceptional art, and ways to support local artists, don’t miss this. (Mar. 9-23, inliquid.org)
Eggy Art Show
(Art) Head to Cherry Street Pier for an epic art show exploring the Eggy theme. Artists will interpret the theme through paint, fired clay, paper mache and other mediums. There will be an opening reception to kick off the showcase on March 1st from 5-8p.m. (March 1-31, 121 S. Columbus Blvd., cherrystreetpier.com/)
(re)Focus 2024
(Art) (re)FOCUS celebrates the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia Focuses on Women in the Visual Arts/1974, a citywide festival recognizing the contributions of women artists. This festival will be a collaboration between Philadelphia’s art institutions and include panels, demonstrations, workshops and more. (Runs through May 31, refocus2024.org)
The best events for kids in Philly
Spring break might still be at least a week away, but spring activities are certainly…springing up. Make art, watch a ship, hunt for eggs, hear some music, and have some fun.
Peeps in the Village, Peddler’s Village
(Seasonal / multiday / free) Let’s be honest: Marshmallow-esque Peeps are better to peep than to eat. For the fifth year, Bucks County’s most quaint-ified shopping village takes advantage by inviting diorama and sculpture makers to turn candy into cute little scenes that conjure spring. Ages 4 and up. (Free, Mar. 11-Apr. 14, closed Mar. 31, Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, peddlersvillage.com)
Disney’s Frozen, Academy of Music
(Theater / multiday) Cheaper than a trip to Disney World (yet still completely princess-centric), the Broadway version of the Tony-winning musical tale of Elsa and Anna hits Broad Street over spring break. Ages 3 and up. ($30-$180, Mar. 21-Apr. 7, 240 S. Broad St., ensembleartsphilly.org)
Easter Egg Hunt, Gorgas Park
(Seasonal / free) A whopping 35,000 candy-filled eggs fill a Roxborough park — although not all at the same time — so kids ages 1-2, 3-4, 5-7, and 8-10 can scramble to find them. Alsa onsite: the Easter bunny (portraits available), animals to pet (and ride, for $5), balloon animals, face painting, and sack races. Note: Each hunt includes a dedicated lane for children with disabilities. Ages 1-10. (Mar. 23, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Ridge Ave. and Hermitage St., phillyegghunt.com)
Organ Day, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
(Music / free) The mammoth Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ becomes the star of the show — as organists Tyrone Whiting and Michael Barone play jazz, opera, and classical genres, let visitors physically touch the instrument, and play along with the Phladelphia Orchestra. Ages 2 and up. (Free, Mar. 23, 11:30 a.m., 300 S. Broad Street, ensembleartsphilly.org)
Cascarones Workshop, Woodmere Art Museum
(Art / free) What’s more fun than a regular Easter egg? How about one that you decorate with glitter, fill with confetti — and crack over someone else’s head for good luck, of course. Artist Marta Sanchez introduces comers to the Chestnut Hill museum to the Mexican tradition of casacarone-making. Ages 3 and up. (Free, Mar. 23, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 9201 Germantown Ave., woodmereartmuseum.org)
Easter Family Day, American Swedish Historical Museum
(Seasonal) What’s as fun as a casacarone? How about a Swedish Easter witch. The Scandinavian celebration by way of South Philly also includes an egg hunt, face painting, and craft making. All ages. ($10 ages 3 and up, free ages 2 and under and members, Mar. 24, 2-4 p.m., 1900 Pattison Ave., americanswedish.org)
Purim Carnival, Perkins Center for the Arts
(Seasonal / free) Of all the Jewish holidays, Purim might be the most underrated — and most fun. The Moorestown Jewish Association celebrates with a play, costume contest (with prizes), games, crafts, and jelly-filled hamantaschen. Ages 3 and up. (Free, Mar. 24, 3-5 p.m., 95 Kings Hwy., Moorestown, NJ, canvas.perkinsarts.org)
Treetop Quest Reopens, Fairmount Park
(Adventure / multiday) Trees: They’re not just for fresh air, shade or beauty. They’re also for playing among. The now-veteran West Fairmount Park ropes and zipline course reopens for the season for 2.5-hour sessions this weekend. ($55-$58 ages 18 and up, $48-$51 ages 12-17 and student, $38-$41 ages 6-11, $25 ages 4-6, open Fridays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 51 Chamounix Dr., treetopquest.com)
Seusical Kids, Hedgerow Theatre
(Theater / multiday) The “thriving thespians’' of Hedgerow’s theater school (ages 8 to 14) put on a production that pulls together some of the Dr.’s best-known characters — Cat in the Hat, Horton the elephant — a Tony-winning musical that’s all fun, no offense. Weekend performances only. Ages 3-10. ($15 adult, $10 child, Mar. 16-24, times vary, 64 Rose Valley Rd., Media, hedgerowtheatre.org)
Women’s History Month, Museum of the American Revolution
(History / multiday) Phillis Wheatley, Abigail Adams, Deborah Sampson, and 18th-century women voters stand alongside Washington’s Tent as the stars of March at Old City’s revolutionary museum. Look for daily discovery carts and weekend workshops to make-and-take heart-shaped pincushions (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) Ages 5 and up. ($22-$24 ages 18-64, $19 ages 65 and up,, $13 ages 6-17, free ages 5 and under, March 1-31, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 101 S. 3rd St., amrevmuseum.org)
PuttShack
(Mini golf) After dark, this new spot becomes a very large bar that lures you in with a tech-infused, 9-hole competitive golf course. Before 8 p.m., however, it’s fair game for kids, families, and birthday parties, with group rates to boot. Ages 5 and up. (Open daily from 11 a.m., 1625 Chestnut St., puttshack.com)
Art of the Brick, Franklin Institute
(LEGO / multiday) They’re back! The world’s most popular toys, as sculpted by Nathan Sawaya into Van Gogh’s Starry Night, a life-size T-Rex, and about 100 other imaginative scenes — like bright human forms with LEGO souls — return after a less-than-decade-ago exhibit also at the Franklin Institute. Most of the pieces are look-don’t-touch, but there are plenty of opportunities to be hands-on too. Ages 3 and up. (Daytime: $43 adult, $39 ages 3-11; evening: $20, Feb. 17-Sept. 2, 222 N. 20th St., fi.edu)
Under the Canopy: Animals of the Rainforest, Academy of Natural Sciences
(Animals / multiday) A live sloth and boa constrictor (not together), climb-on sculptures of a gorilla, tortoise, and red-eye tree frog on a Banyan tree, plus discovery stations in English and Spanish all bring home the point that the lush and fragile rainforest habitat is key to keeping our Earth healthy. Ages 4 and up. ($20-$22 ages 13 and up, $16-$18 ages 2-12, $2 ACCESS cardholder and three guests, free ages 2 and under, Feb 17-Sept. 2, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., ansp.org)
Trolls: Save the Humans, Philadelphia Zoo
(Art / multiday) Danish artist Thomas Dambo built six up-to-15-foot-tall Troll sculptures out of repurposed wood, and, until nearly spring, America’s oldest zoo puts them on display, livening up the wintry landscape ripe for hibernation. All ages. ($19-$25, Feb. 1-Apr. 15, 3400 Girard Ave., philadelphiazoo.org)