15 of the best free events in Philly this weekend and next week
The best things to do in Philly from March 25-31 that won't cost you a penny.
📅 Our calendar is updated every Friday with the best events for the week. You can always find it at inquirer.com/freecalendar. For more great events, check out our full events calendar and kids calendar. Submit an event to our calendar here.
Get Vaccinated 💉
(Community / in-person / multiday) The delta and omicron variants are causing COVID-19 cases in the region to increase. Make a plan to get vaccinated; 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. (phila.gov)
Fourth Friday ft. David Bankes Art Exhibition 🎨
(Art / in-person / community) Celebrate Fourth Friday at Subculture Hair Studio and take in a new, eclectic collection of paintings. Not confined to any one genre, Bankes’ art borrows from a variety of styles. (March 25, 8-11 p.m., 525 S. Fourth St., southstreet.com)
Langhorne Slim 🎶
(Music / in-person / virtual) Bucks County-raised songwriter Langhorne Slim (born Sean Scolnick) wrote his latest album in Nashville in the early days of the pandemic and named it Strawberry Mansion after the Philadelphia neighborhood where his grandfathers grew up. He plays a Free at Noon concert on Friday at Ardmore Music Hall that will also be broadcast and live-streamed by WXPN-FM (88.5). He plays a ticketed show that night. (March 25, noon, 23 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, xpn.org)
The Spiritual in Afro-Latinx Art and Celebration of Women’s History Month 🖼️
(Art / in-person / Women’s History Month) Brandywine Workshop and Archives hosts Black and Latinx artists, scholars, curators, educators, students and the public at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for a lecture on the exhibit All My Ancestors: The Spiritual in Afro-Latinx Art with curator Tatiana Reinoza. After the lecture, trek down Broad Street for a reception and wander through both this exhibit and also Women of Brandywine at the Printed Image Gallery and Glass Lobby Gallery. (March 26, Lecture: 3-4 p.m. at PAFA, 118-128 N. Broad St., Reception: 5:30-8 p.m. at Printed Image Gallery and Glass Lobby Gallery at Brandywine Workshop and Archives, 730 S. Broad St., brandywineworkshopandarchives.org)
Port Richmond 175th Neighborhood Celebration 🎉
(Community / in-person / kid-friendly / free) (Community / in-person / kid-friendly / free) Celebrate the 175th birthday of Philly’s Port Richmond Neighborhood at a celebration at Cohocksink Recreation Center. Stop by for live music, food (including cake from Port Richmond favorite Stock’s Bakery), games, an Easter egg hunt, and a chance to meet other community members. (Free, March 26, 2-6 p.m., 2901 Cedar St., facebook.com)
Butters and Brunch Pop Up Shop 🛍️
(Shopping / in-person / community) Spend the weekend supporting local small businesses. From food to beauty and lifestyle products, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. (March 26, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., 6380 Germantown Ave., eventbrite.com)
Youth Soccer Day, FDR Park ⚽
(Sports / in-person) Future footballers gather at the Boathouse at FDR Park for kayak tours, meet-and-greets with Union players, balloon animal making, Frisbee throwing, face painting, snacking, DJ listening, and ball-kicking — all to encourage more kids to get into the world’s most popular sport. Registration requested. Ages 8-12. (March 26, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 1500 Pattison Ave., myphillypark.org)
Seven Years’ War Day – A House Occupied, Pottsgrove Manor 📜
(History / in-person) John Potts’ 1752 Georgian Manor was untouched by the 1756 war between the Brits and the French over colonial land. Nonetheless, the historic site hosts Seven Years’ War reenactors who drill, show off uniforms and equipment, and answer questions, including about the indigenous people involved in the conflict. Ages 5+. (Free with suggested $2 donation, March 26, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 100 W. King St., Pottstown, montcopa.org)
Creatorsfest ‘22 🖌️
(Art / in-person / community) Philly has never been short on great artists and creatives. At this pop-up shop at the Rotunda at Penn, you’ll browse everything from paintings to sculpture and take in live performances and art demonstrations. (March 27, 1-7 p.m., 4014 Walnut St., universitycity.org)
Storytime and Family Saturdays in the Wintergarden, Dilworth Park 📚
(Books / multiday / kid-friendly) The rink is gone, the fountains aren’t quite ready for splashing, but the garden is open to littles and their loved ones for midweek storytimes with the Free Library and hour-long family fun on Saturdays, which, this week, means bubble magic. Ages 3-5. (Storytime: Tuesdays through March 29, 11 a.m.-noon; Family Saturdays through April 2, 11 a.m.-noon, 1 S. 15th St.centercityphila.org)
Wintergarden at Dilworth Park ❄️
(Seasonal / in-person / outdoors / kid-friendly) You can explore an all-outdoor festive wonderland as part of Dilworth Park’s holiday offerings, though this free garden is open way beyond just the holiday season — you can visit into the spring. Here, make your way through light installations, plant displays, a giant dome-shaped arbor, and more all within the backdrop of City Hall. (Through April 3, 1 S. 15th St., centercityphila.org)
Peeps in the Village, Peddler’s Village 🐰
(Seasonal / in-person / multiday) They’re back, those loveable, Day-Glo marshmallow bunnies and rabbits, displayed gathering around dinner tables, in courtyard gardens, at rock concerts, or formed into blossoms, transforming Peddler’s Village into a creative, walk-through Easter basket. Ages 2+. (Through April 24, 2400 State Rd., New Hope, peddlersvillage.com)
Don’t Feed the Art: Woodmere’s Animal Menagerie, Woodmere Museum 🐳
(Art / in-person / multiday) Chestnut Hill’s stone mansion-turned-museum opens an exhibition of 85-plus Philly-made works of creatures great and small (tiny kingfishers, giant sperm whales) in both realistic and fantastical forms (a fish on a plate, a formal gorilla portrait). Kids go home with a free activity book, while supplies last. Ages 2+. (Free on Sundays through May 8, 9201 Germantown Ave., woodmereartmuseum.org)
At-Home Workshops with Maurice Williams, Mighty Writers ✏️
(Education / virtual / multiday / kid-friendly) 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+ (Through May. 28, mightywriters.org)
(Art / in-person / outdoors) 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. (Through October, Broad St. and Constitution Ave., navyyard.org)
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