🎊 Chinatown’s Night Market returns | Things to Do

The city is buzzing as the Phillies are in Game 4 of the NLDS tonight. They’re one win away from eliminating the Braves — say goodnight, Blooper — and moving on up! I’ll actually be on a very different wavelength reviewing Elvis: A Musical Revolution tonight at Walnut Street Theatre. What are you planning for the weekend? Let me know!

If you’re looking for an answer, we’ve got you covered. This weekend, enjoy Chinatown’s YèShì Night Market, learn all about Philly-area birding, explore the refurbished Philly Trolley Trail, and, obviously, watch Game 4.

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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The YèShì Night Market returns to Chinatown tonight after a pandemic hiatus with colorful costumes, delicious food, and local artisans celebrating Chinese culture. Dance groups — including Chinatown’s basketball team the Philadelphia Suns performing a traditional Lion Dance — will join K-Pop cover bands. And there will be various arts and crafts vendors. Plus, you can sample bites from Sang Lee Noodle House, Korea Taqueria, and many more.

⚾ One more win: Game 4 is tonight!! The Phillies need one more win over the Braves to get to the National League Championship Series — and the action is happening right here in the city. Here’s everything you need to know.

🐈‍⬛ Sip something spooky: A new speakeasy pop-up this weekend is dedicated to one of Philly’s scariest notable residents, Edgar Allen Poe. Try creepy-themed cocktails while listening to retellings of Poe’s classics, including “The Black Cat,” “The Raven,” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” at Craft Hall.

🚲 Take a ride: This Saturday, the Philly Bike Ride welcomes thousands of riders to enjoy 20 miles of open, car-free roads. Kicking off at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the route goes along the Schuylkill and all across downtown.

🎥 From the archive: Mt. Airy-raised filmmaker Michael Dennis founded Reelblack Productions, dedicated to Black films. Tonight he’ll share deep cuts of unseen and rarely seen film clips about Philly’s hip-hop and R&B scene in a free event at The Rotunda.

🎻 Strings and studio art: I saw local cellist and violinist Daniel de Jesús when they were covered in vines and leaves as they performed in Rose: You Are What You Eat. Now, de Jesús has curated a special exhibit at Taller Puertorriqueño called “Arcanas: Neocolonial Retablos Inspired by Tarot.”

🎭 Stranger than fiction: Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins studies the people who have killed (or attempted to) American presidents. Our politics reporter Julia Terruso discussed the lesser-known Sondheim play — currently running at the Arden Theatre — with theater critic Alix Rosenfeld.

🦅 Look up: Want to try birding? You can get started with this weekend’s Audubon Mid-Atlantic’s Philly Birding Weekend, where there are tours for everyone from beginners to birder pros.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Explore fresh art in Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, take the family to Boo at the Zoo, sample something seasonal at Armory Oktoberfest.

The Philadelphia Film Festival begins next week and tickets are on sale for the star-studded lineup. It’s a great way to see some of the most talked about films this season. Catch Jacob Elordi in Saltburn, Riz Ahmed in Fingernails, Rachel Sennott in I Used to Be Funny, Philly native Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers, and so many more. Here’s a short list of titles we’re most excited to see:

Explore the full program here.

☕ Beyond pumpkin spice: As temperatures cool, find Oaxacan chocolate, mulled wine, infused whiskey, and more warm and cozy drinks around the city.

🌳 New hike alert: If you’re looking for fresh paths in West Fairmount Park, the refurbished Philly Trolley Trail just opened, with walkways that lead to hidden gems like the Skew Arch Bridge.

🍂 Peep foliage: It’s a great time to see colorful leaves and changing trees in the region. Here’s where you can see some of the best fall foliage in the Philly area.

🧟 Behind the scenes: Get ready with a professional haunter whose goal is to “scare everybody I can as often as I can” at South Philly’s Fright Factory.

🎃 Get in the Halloween spirit: Find Pumpkin martinis, bloody cocktails, Halloween bar crawls and more fun and boo-zy events around Philly.

🧱 Brick by brick: Next February, more than a million Legos will arrive at the Franklin Institute for “The Art of the Brick.” Artist Nathan Sawaya’s 20-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex as well as Lego replicas of famous artworks like the “Mona Lisa” and “Starry Night” will be on display.

Edgar Allen Poe’s former home is a historical site in Philly located in which neighborhood?

A) Fairmount

B) Spring Garden

C) Queen Village

D) Chestnut Hill

📮 To let me know which of the above is correct, write me back.

For the record, last week’s pumpkin quiz was a bit of a stumper — pumpkins are actually considered fruit! Thanks to everyone for participating! 🎃

This week, I got into spooky szn by watching the surprisingly smart and funny remake of Haunted Mansion. What scary (or scary-adjacent) movies are you watching? Let me know!