41 of the best things to do in Philly this weekend and next week

📅 Our calendar is updated every Thursday with the best events for the week. You can always find it at inquirer.com/calendar. Submit an event to our calendar here.

(Community / in-person / free / multiday) We are still in a pandemic, and variants are a concern. Make a plan to get vaccinated or your booster shot; there are many places throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey — CVS, Rite Aid, neighborhood rec centers, and more — where you can get your free COVID-19 shot. (Free, phila.gov)

(Food / in-person / outdoors) Kennett Square local catering business, Taste of Puebla, will be running a food truck right outside their new location. They have tacos, fajitas pulled pork, mole poblano, and more. (May 5, 11 a.m.-3 p.m, 900 W. Cypress St. Kennett Square, facebook.com)

(Food / in-person / music / outdoors) After a two-year pandemic hiatus, Kennett Square’s famous annual Cinco de Mayo Festival is back. To celebrate the occasion, there will be music, dance presentations, singers, authentic Mexican food, and Mexican arts and crafts for sale. Additionally, this year they are recognizing three local organizations that have helped the Hispanic community in the area. (May 7, 1 p.m.-7 p.m, 600 S. Broad St., Kennett Square, facebook.com, attending the event is free, but you have to pay for what you buy. )

(Food / drinks / outdoors / in-person / live music) This Philly bar is opening their new patio to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. There will be live performances by local artists and lots of food. This year, Cantina la Martina will be raising money for Prevention Point, a nonprofit offering medical and behavioral services to Philadelphians who need it. (May 5, 11 a.m.-11 p.m, 2802 D St., facebook.com)

(Food / drinks / in-person) Tío Flores is bringing Cinco de Mayo to South Street with full force. With a lineup of signature margaritas, tacos, palomas, and buckets of beer, they are ready to celebrate. Reservations are encouraged. (May 5, noon-10 p.m, 1602 South St., facebook.com)

(Food / drinks / in-person / music) This New-York-City-to-Northern-Liberties transplant restaurant is ready for the occasion. For those looking to have lunch, Añejo offers a walk-in $14 lunch special with chips, guac, entree, and rice and beans. But after lunch hours, there will be food, drinks, and live latin music with DJ Sojo. (May 5, starts at noon, 1001 N. Second St., facebook.com)

(Community / in-person / multiday / free) Celebrate the richness of Mexican culture through food, art, film and more during this year’s citywide Mexican Week celebration. Events include a bike ride at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, tours at the Penn Museum, a Mexican craft expo, and more. While all events are free, some have limited capacity and require advance registration. (Free, through May 6, locations vary, mexicanculturalcenter.org)

(Theater / in-person / multiday) The popular frenemies-filled movie Mean Girls comes to the stage like you’ve never seen before. Set at an elite boarding school in Ghana, tensions fly when the school’s Queen Bee feels threatened by a class newcomer. The show runs until June 5. ($18-$53, May 5-June 5, 40 N. Second St., ardentheatre.org)

(Music / in-person) Texas soul-blues singer Rayford is an expert at communicating his personal pain in songs that connect with a vintage style of blues and R&B. Invisible Soldier, the lead track on his new album In Too Deep, is about his struggles with PTSD after spending 10 years in the Marines. ($20, May 5, 8 p.m., 118 North Wayne Ave., Wayne, 118NorthWayne.com)

(Community / in-person / art / free) First Friday began 30 years ago as a collective of open houses among art galleries. This weekend, celebrate three decades of collaboration with a free documentary screening of 30 Years of First Friday at the Betsy Ross House. After, you can head into Old City’s galleries and restaurants for a classic First Friday experience. (Free, May 6, 8-9 p.m., 239 Arch St., streetsdept.com)

(Art / in-person / community / music) Art and live music join forces at this monthly mixer. This week, explore the Barnes while enjoying live sets from the Afro-Cuban fusion band ClaveAché. Your ticket includes access to collection galleries — light bites and cocktails are available for purchase. ($10-$28, May 6, 6-9 p.m., 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., barnesfoundation.org)

(Community / in-person / virtual) Interested in connecting with Philly’s tech community? Join in on this weeklong celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology. Dozens of partners in tech will host in-person and virtual events on all things tech. Keep up with the hashtag #PTW22. (May 6-14, various locations, phillytechweek.com)

(Music / in-person) Vancouver songwriter Dan Bejar’s 13th Destroyer album is called Labyrinthitis. It takes its name from the inner ear malfunction that can lead to vertigo and dizziness. It’s a good title for a collection that’s chock full of disorienting ideas that can be deliriously entertaining, as on songs like Tintoretto, It’s For You and It Takes a Thief. Rosali, the formerly Philadelphian songwriter whose 2021 album No Medium was one of the year’s best, is the opener. ($25, May 6, 8 p.m., 1200 Callowhill St., undergroundarts.org)

(Music / in-person) Singer-songwriter Oladokun grew up in Delaware and Arizona and was initially inspired to play guitar by Tracy Chapman. She comes across as a folk-soul artist of substance waiting to be discovered by a wide audience on her 2021 album In Defense of My Own Happiness. Bre Kennedy opens. ($17, May 6, 8 p.m., 23 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, ardmoremusichall.com)

(Music / in-person) Mariah the Scientist was on a pre-med path at St. John’s University with plans to become an anesthesiologist when she turned to music. (Thus the name, and a good way to distinguish herself from the other Mariah.) The hip-hop and R&B singer was a low-key standout at last year’s Made in America festival and she’s just followed up her 2021 debut Ry Ry World with a new EP called Buckles Laboratories Presents: The Intermission. ($25, May 6, 8 p.m., 1026 Spring Garden St., utphilly.com)

(Music / in-person) The Toronto four-piece punk band Pup makes fun of their own dysfunction on their highly energetic, super catchy new album The Unraveling Of PupTheBand. They often sound like they’re falling apart, but somehow, things hang together. Sheer Mag, the mighty Philly rock band fronted by Tina Halliday, are openers, along with Pinkshift. ($27.50, May 6, 8 p.m., 427 N. Seventh St., bowerypresents.com)

(Music / in-person) These back-to-back shows with the former Disney+ star and breakout Sour sensation of 2021 are super sold-out. Look up the prices of secondary ticket sellers if you dare. But take note of the COVID-19 protocols for entry, for kids and adults. Everyone 12 and older needs proof of vaccination or proof of medical exemption and a negative test within 48 hours. Ages 5 to 11 need proof of vax or a negative test within 48 hours. Holly Humberstone opens. (Sold out, May 6-7, 7:45 p.m., 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com)

(Movie / in-person) Director Sam Raimi, of Evil Dead and Tobey Maguire of Spider-Man trilogy fame, team up with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Stephen Strange, who this time gets some help from the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). It’s another fun-house Marvel movie set in the multiverse. With Chiwetel Ejiofor. (Rated PG-13. Premieres May 6 in theaters)

(Movie / virtual and in-person) Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen star as WWII British spies who use a document-carrying corpse to try to outwit the Germans. Based on a true story. Directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). (Rated PG-13. Premieres May 6 in theaters, May 11 on Netflix)

(Shopping / in-person / community / fundraiser) Looking for a unique Mother’s Day gift? 20 local vendors come together to showcase their handmade ceramics, jewelry, decor pieces, and more at a market at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A portion of vendor funds will be donated to the Philadelphia Community Bail fund, which hosts a #FreeBlackMamas bailout each Mother’s Day. (May 7-8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., philamuseum.org)

(Seasonal / in-person) Grab a mint julep and your fanciest hat and get ready for a night of food, entertainment and, of course, horses. Watch the horse race in style while enjoying the beautiful gardens of Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion at the Germantown attraction’s watch party. The person wearing the best hat will win a special prize. ($50, May 7, 4:30-7:30 p.m., 200 W. Tulpehocken St., ebenezermaxwellmansion.org)

(Dance / in-person / virtual / kid-friendly) Have you ever wondered what makes a ballet performance so captivating? Behind the Stage Door highlights the “invisible” forces, like stage design and sculpture, that bring these shows to light. You’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for all that goes into making the Philadelphia Ballet experience spectacular. (Pay-what-you-wish, May 7, 7:30 p.m., 4261 N. Fifth St., philadelphiaballet.org)

(Seasonal / in-person) Watch the Derby on the gorgeous rooftop of Sunset Social in University City. Dress to impress for the chance to win prizes and spend the day sipping on frozen drinks, munching on food, playing lawn games, and enjoying the race. (Free general admission, $25 VIP, May 7, noon-11 p.m., 129 S. 30th St., universitycity.org)

(Fundraiser / in-person / community / kid-friendly / free) Bring the whole family out for a day of community fun and fundraising in Clark Park. There’ll be live music, chances to shop from local vendors, fun activities, prizes and more. Proceeds benefit the Spruce Hill Community Association’s block improvement grants. (Free, May 7, noon-6 p.m., 4300 Chester Ave., universitycity.org)

(Shopping / in-person / community) 30 craft vendors are taking over the food court at the Bourse for a curated Mother’s Day market. You can shop everything from handmade pottery and clothing to candles and art prints. Bonus: Attico Rooftop Bar will be on site serving up craft cocktails as you shop. (Free to attend, May 7-8, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., 111 S. Independence Mall E., artstarcraftbazaar.com)

(Music / in-person) The duo of dressed-alike BFFs Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe have made themselves heard helping out many other artists in recent years, whether it’s singing from the rooftops on The War on Drugs’ I Don’t Live Here Anymore or touring as Roger Waters’ back up singers. The Brooklyn band’s solid new album Second Nature was produced by Brandi Carlile and Dave Cobb and is their danciest yet. Blues singing rip-roaring guitarist Celisse opens. ($37, May 7, 8 p.m., 334 South St., tlaphilly.com)

(Music / in-person) Retro soul man Eli “Paperboy” Reed has gone country. Or, at least, the Massachusetts-born singer-guitarist known for his affection for vintage R&B has shifted his focus to the music of all-time country great Merle Haggard on Down Every Road, which brings a horn section and an adventurous spirit to a set of Haggard classics, including Working Man’s Blues and Today I Started Loving You Again. ($25, May 7, 8 p.m., 990 Filbert St., citywinery.com)

(Music / in-person) Fresh off her performances on back to back weekends at Coachella, Japanese-born British singer Sawayama headlines the Fillmore touring behind her 2019 album Sawayama, which is filled with feminist songs that address racism, climate change, and a host of political issues while mixing pop, EDM and hard rock. ($32-$96, May 7, 8 p.m., 29 E. Allen St., thefillmorephilly.com)

(Music / in-person) The veteran singer-songwriter known for his 1960s covers of songs by Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne, along with his own originals such as No Regrets was a regular at Bryn Mawr coffee house The Main Point back in the day. The 81-year-old folkie with a reputation as an engaging raconteur will be telling tales in Chester County on Saturday. ($40, May 7, 7 p.m., 226 N. High St., West Chester, uptownwestchester.org)

(Music / in-person / free) The Philly instrumental rock band featuring Andrew Chalfen of The Wishniaks and Dean Sabatino of the Dead Milkmen don’t “jam,” but rather play clean, concise catchy rock songs without words. They’re playing a Sunday afternoon all-ages outdoor show at the PHS Pop-Up Garden in Manayunk. (Free, May 8, 2-4 p.m., 106 Jamestown Ave., ithinklikemidnight.com)

(Music / in-person) Amos was a dominant commercial force in the 1990s, bringing the piano back to the fore as a rock instrument and combining the influence of Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush on her own confessional, sexually frank albums like Little Earthquakes and Under the Pink. She’s remained active in recent years, releasing Ocean to Ocean, which was penned during the pandemic last year. ($39-$109, May 9, 8 p.m., 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com)

(Music / in-person) Sting’s current tour is named after My Songs, the 2019 album in which he proffers newly conceived renditions of his familiar tunes, though he should be expected to also sample songs from The Bridge, his 2021 album of new material. His son Joe Sumner, who also plays Milkboy Philly on May 16, is the opening act. ($83-$203, May 10-11, 8 p.m., 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com)

(Community / in-person) Drag queen Brittany Lynn is ready to test your knowledge. No phones are allowed as you and your team battle to win six rounds of trivia. There’s a prize on the line for best team name, so make it a good one. Your ticket includes a reservation at Bok Bar where you can order food and drinks and enjoy skyline views. ($20-$60, May 11, 5-7 p.m., 800 Mifflin St., bok-bar.com)

(Music / in-person) Jamaican reggae artist and guitarist Koffee — born Mikayla Victoria Simpson — won a Grammy for Rapture, the 2019 EP released when she was 19. The singer and rapper who first came to fame for Legend, a tribute to sprinter Usain Bolt, is back with Gifted, a full-length pandemic project that moves between dancehall and roots-reggae and uplifts with optimism. Buju and Genrus open. ($35, May 11, 8 p.m., 29 E. Allen St., thefillmorephilly.com)

(Music / in-person) The long-running Boise, Idaho indie-rock band led by guitar hero Doug Martsch will follow up its 2020 Daniel Johnston tribute album with When The Wind Forgets Your Name, which is due out on SubPop in September. The latest band lineup features Martsch backed by bassist Melanie Radford and drummer Teresa Esguerra. ($30, May 11, 8 p.m., 1026 Spring Garden St., utphilly.com)

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(Museum / in-person / multiday / kid-friendly) If your budding inventor is into marble runs, domino tricks, and the chain reactions that introduce most Dude Perfect episodes, they’ll surely enjoy a visit with drawings and wackily interactive contraptions inspired by cartoonist, engineer, and one-of-a-kind genius Rube Goldberg. Ages 2-12. ($19, $2 ACCESS cardholder, through May 8, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, pleasetouchmuseum.org)

(Museum / in-person / kid-friendly) From now through the end of May, get $5 off tickets to the Barnes Foundation and the Penn Museum. Start your day exploring work by Native artists at The Barnes’ Water, Wind, Breath exhibit, then make your way to the Penn Museum to check out the Native American Voices exhibition. ($5 off admission to both museums, through May 2022, 3260 South St. and 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., penn.museum)

(Musical / in-person / multiday) One way to get Encanto out of their heads: Re-introduce them to Maui, Moana and that creepy giant crab, singing songs by Lin Manuel-Miranda and imparting ocean dreams. Ages 3-11. ($10-$20, weekends, through May 15, 825 Walnut St., walnutstreettheatre.org)

(Education / virtual / multiday / kid-friendly / free) Through dad jokes, real talk, and superb listening, Mr. Maurice connects with his students — and connects students to each other. Each workshop appeals to specific audiences: Black boys, young teens, future entrepreneurs, sports fans, home cooks and more. Workshops teach some writing and lots of life lessons. Ages 8+ (Free, Jan 19, 20, 21-May. 26, 27, 28, mightywriters.org)

(Seasonal / in-person / multiday) For 228 years, the farm one hour’s drive up Broad Street from City Hall has raised crops. In more recent years, Hellerick’s has also raised agritainment-based fun with an obstacle course, ziplines, goat yoga, you-pick crops, party packages galore, and, new this season, a silo climbing wall. The farm is open on weekends only through Memorial Day. Ages 2+. (Prices vary, weekends only, through May 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 5500 N. Easton Rd., Doylestown, hellericksfarm.com)

(Seasonal / in-person / multiday / outdoors) With a roof of inflated beach balls, the warm weather version of City Hall’s ice rink is back, inaugurated by the local rollers of Great on Skates. The outdoor roller skating rink promises activations through the spring and summer — and an adjacent beer garden. Reservations recommended. Ages 3+. ($10 adult, $8 child, $5 skate rental, opening: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., daily through July 17, 1 S. 15th St., centercityphila.org)

(Science / in-person / multiday) The Academy continues a year focused on water with an exhibit co-created by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Things that live and happen on the ocean floor — five-foot-long tubeworms, thermal vents, giant clams, iconic shipwrecks — could inspire kids to become the next Cousteau (and likely inspire grown-ups to rewatch The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). Ages 5+. ($22 ages 13 and up, $19 senior, student, military, $18 ages 2-12, $2 ACCESS cardholder, free under age 2, through Jul. 24, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., ansp.org)

(Museum / in-person / multiday / kid-friendly) The museum version of J.K. Rowling’s juggernaut lets visitors choose their Hogwarts houses, explore Gringotts, Hogwarts, and the Forbidden Forest — but not record video. Timed tickets are good for museum admission up to two hours early. Ages 5 and up. ($43 ages 12-64, $41 senior and military, $39 ages 3-11; free ages 2 & under, evening tickets: $30, through Sept. 18, 222 N. 20th St., harrypotterexhibition.com)

(Fitness / in-person / outdoors) Head to the Schuylkill Banks for a morning of zen movement. Bring your own yoga mat or towel and enjoy this all-levels instructor-led yoga class. Yoga classes take place (weather permitting) on Saturday and Sundays at 10 a.m., and Tuesday and Thursdays at 6 p.m. throughout the spring and summer season. (Pay what you can, various dates through Oct., 2500 Locust St., eventbrite.com)

(Art / in-person / outdoors / free) Magical Fantasy, a collection of bold and bright 3D art pieces by London-based artist Morag Myerscough, has transformed The Navy Yard into a colorful playground. Stop by to wander through the exhibit and escape into an abstract dreamland without leaving the city. (Free, through October, Broad St. and Constitution Ave., navyyard.org)

(Outdoors / multiday / kid-friendly / free) Philly’s oldest research garden has teamed up with the Bicycle Coalition to lend, repair, and teach kids about bikes every Friday after school. There are snacks, too. Ages 5-17. (Free, Fridays through Nov., 3-6 p.m., 5400 Lindbergh Blvd., bartramsgarden.org)

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