😃 Discover joy (and hoagie drama) across Philly | Things to Do

From hoagie heresy in Delco to Reacher sightings in Rittenhouse, this week’s newsletter is all about happy places — whether that’s catching the Eagles’ first preseason game, hunting for rum hams, or finding comfort in a perfectly wrapped sandwich (as long as it’s not called a sub).

This week’s lineup:

— Sam Ruland (Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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A Mantua park filled with cats. Johnny Brenda’s dance floor. The koi pond behind Penn. Drexel psych professor Eric Zillmer asked 243 students to map the city’s happiest places — and the result is a joy-filled list of 28 spots, from green spaces to dessert shops to third places that make you feel like you belong.

Now, we want to hear from you. What’s your happiest place in Philly? Reporter Bea Forman is building the definitive Philly Happy Map and wants your suggestions. Fill out the form here. Read the full story about the happiness project and Zillmer’s work at Drexel’s Happiness Lab here.

🥓 The Rum Ham Hunt is on. To celebrate 20 years of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, we’ve hidden 20 rum hams across the city. Can you find them all?

🦅 The Eagles are back … sort of. Watch the first preseason game tonight as the Birds take on the Bengals at the Linc.

🥃 The PLCB’s summer whiskey lottery is now live, and it’s a big one. Rare bottles like Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, and a $7,500 Weller Millennium are up for grabs — if you’re lucky. Enter by 5 p.m. on Aug. 8 for your chance to buy.

🐯 Two endangered big cats — a 4-year-old Amur tiger and an 8-year-old Amur leopard — are the newest residents at the Philadelphia Zoo. Go meet Rory and Rafferty at Big Cat Falls.

🎭 After nearly four decades dark, the historic Lansdowne Theater is back. The Delco venue reopens Aug. 22 with A Bronx Tale after a $21 million renovation — complete with restored chandeliers and red velvet seats.

📺 Watch this: Celebrate 20 years of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia by revisiting the show’s best seasons — from the absurd brilliance of “The Nightman Cometh” to Mac’s “cultivating mass” era. Here are the top five seasons, ranked.

🎬 Clueless hits the big screen at Clark Park this weekend. Bring your blanket and snacks and catch the beloved ‘90s teen rom-com under the stars. Free, Friday at 6 p.m.

🎷 Jazz Summer Nights returns to Spruce Street Harbor Park Friday. Chill out to live music along the Delaware River with unbeatable views — and no cover charge.

🥟 Port Richmond Pierogi Fest is back Saturday with all the pierogi you can handle — plus food trucks, live music, and kids’ activities.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Pierogi Fest in Port Richmond, a free Clueless screening at Clark Park, and the Eagles’ first preseason game back at the Linc.

A celebration of “the bald and bald-at-heart,” Philly’s first-ever Bald Fest is happening Aug. 23 at Grays Ferry Crescent Skatepark — complete with a skate competition, live performances, free head shaves, and bald caps for the follically-blessed. Organized by rapper Abstract Louv (a.k.a. Robert Capron), the event went viral after he shared how shaving his head changed his life. Expect a moment of silence for lost hair, a top-20 bald head countdown, and a whole lot of shiny-domed solidarity.

🌿 New Jersey’s first recreational weed lounges are now open — and they’re just across the bridge. South Jersey dispensaries in Merchantville and Atlantic City are now home to the East Coast’s first licensed cannabis consumption lounges.

🍔 Philly’s best vegan burger is only available one day a month. Pietramala’s smoked mushroom and bean burger takes days to make and sells out fast — but it’s worth the wait. The next drop is this Sunday. Reservations required.

🎬 Reacher is back in Rittenhouse. A production sign spotted last week suggests Prime Video’s hit show — which filmed at Parc in June — returned to shoot more scenes. Season 4 premieres in 2026.

🏠 Delco’s ugliest house no more. Justine Mays’ wild Upper Darby home — which had doors as decor and a second-story grill — was crowned HGTV’s Ugliest House in America. She got a $150,000 pink makeover and a secret speakeasy in return.

🍽️ The buzziest restaurant openings this month. From Stephen Starr’s splashy Borromini on Rittenhouse Square to a luxe cocktail lounge, a Jewish deli, and a prix fixe steak frites spot, here’s what’s new (and what’s coming soon) in Philly dining.

🎤 Thursday: Country star Dierks Bentley plays Camden, with rising traditionalist Zach Top opening. Bonnie “Prince” Billy performs at the Penn Museum. Finom and Philly’s Golden Apples are at PhilaMOCA.

🎸 Friday: Lisa Lisa headlines a stacked retro lineup at the Mann. Halestorm shows off new art before opening for Volbeat Saturday. Ramblin’ Deano hits the Row House Rock series. Little Brother rocks Brooklyn Bowl.

🎧 Saturday: Katy Perry brings her AI-themed “Lifetimes Tour” to the Wells Fargo Center — its final concert before renaming. Hip-Hop in the Park takes over the Oval with Rich Medina and more. The Avett Brothers and Black Keys split Atlantic City.

🎤 Sunday: Chris Brown headlines Citizens Bank Park with Summer Walker and Bryson Tiller. Also: John Prine tribute at Ardmore Music Hall and more.

🎶 Beyond: The Ardmore Rock N’ Ride returns with 10 bands and a bike loop through Suburban Square.

Read more music picks.

“Subs”? In Delco? Call the sandwich police. Columnist Stephanie Farr recounts the time she was publicly shamed (with love) for ordering a “sub” in West Philly — and the horror of recently receiving a hoagie in a bag labeled Submarine. If you’ve ever been corrected mid-order or felt morally offended by sandwich semantics, this one’s for you. Read the full column.

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Until next week, may your hoagies be properly named and your preseason takes be only mildly unhinged.

— Sam

Get in my belly!