🏌🏽Massive swings and greased poles | Things to do

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like Philly has an added glow lately.

Could it be the new storefronts on Market East replacing once vacant locations on the commercial strip? Maybe it’s new restaurants and other attractions populating the city. Or maybe it’s a mixture of both.

Along with the city’s recent additions, the world’s best golfers are taking a massive swing this weekend at Aronimink Golf Club in Delaware County for the PGA Championship. You can get in on the fun as a spectator. And if golf isn’t your speed, check out the competition at the Italian Market Festival as people attempt to climb the famed greased pole.

With everything happening this week, I see a hole-in-one in your future. Read below to map out your weekend plans. By now, you know it’s par of the course.

— Earl Hopkins (@earlhopkins_, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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The 2026 PGA Championship, one of professional golf’s four major tournaments, is here in Delco’s Aronimink Golf Club. It marks the first time a Philly-area club has hosted a major since 1962.

Favorites Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler aren’t trailing too far behind the top of the pack.

They are all competing for the coveted Wanamaker Trophy. That’s right, the same Wanamaker family famous for its local department store empire.

While general tickets are sold out (shocker, I know), there’s still a chance to watch these master golfers at work. Verified resale tickets are available on sites like StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, and others.

For more information, go to pgachampionship.com.

🛍️ The final car-free Rittenhouse experience of the season: The final time to experience car-free shopping, dining, and live entertainment in Rittenhouse is this Sunday. Stop by while roads are clear.

💃🏻 ‘Chicago’ in the City of Brotherly Love: Stop into the Forrest Theatre to watch Chicago’s dazzling story unfold. The show, starring Ellie Roddy and Claire Marshall, returns to Philadelphia for the first time in 17 years.

🎥 Spring celebration in East Kensington: Drop into East Kensington for live music, a sprawling flea market of rare finds, and a curated list of cult and indie film screenings, courtesy of Kaiju Thunderdome, at the East Kensington Spring Fest. It all goes down at Philadelphia Brewing Co. on Friday.

🌇 Meantime on Market East: In case you haven’t noticed, the once desolate strip of Market East is now a site for bespoke furniture, vintage clothing, coffee, water ice, and other activations, thanks to a new collaborative nonprofit project called Meantime. Stop by to experience and support this new venture.

📅 My calendar picks this week: PrideFest in New Hope, Opening of Love City Brewing Manayunk, and the Overbrook Night Market.

Philly’s favorite gaming cafe is expanding to a new location on Fairmount Avenue.

My colleague Michael Klein writes that Queen & Rook’s next act will look less like a castle, and more like a “spaceship.” Husband-wife duo Edward Garcia and Jeannie Wong and their partners are working on a “retrofuturist” expansion at the former home of Thirsty Dice at 1642 Fairmount Ave.

Rather than the medieval theme of its South Street location, Garcia said the second storefront will be a “fantasy future” that’s inspired by the Solarpunk movement, complete with touches of “disco futurism.”

Read the rest of Klein’s story here.

🇺🇸 A step back to U.S. history: The Revolutionary War Weekend at Pennypacker Mills will boast a dramatic reenactment of military and civilian life during pivotal moments in the nation’s fight for independence. The family-friendly event will also include live demos, guest speakers, and other activities throughout the two-day experience.

🍝 Stop by the Italian Market. Just don’t slip: The South 9th Street Italian Market Festival returns for a weekend of delicious bites, live music, and a list of more than 100 craft vendors across seven blocks. Oh, and how can I forget, the famed grease-pole-climbing competition.

🐎 Derby Day at Penns Woods Winery: If you missed the Kentucky Derby last week, don’t fret. There’s a two-day horse jumping competition at Chadds Ford’s Penns Woods Winery, which promises to bring impressive equine action and some illustrious Derby outfits to match.

🥂 In the spirit of 76: In the spirit of America’s 250th birthday, more than 30 hotels are serving history-themed cocktails and mocktails as part of Visit Philadelphia’s Spirit of 76: The Philadelphia Cocktail Trail. The organization will donate $2.50 to PHLCares for each participant check-in for the trail, which runs through Sept. 30.

Here’s a list of the top concerts this weekend.

🎤 Friday: The Yot Club, a Mississippi-bred singer best known for the single, “YKWIM?,” will drop into Fishtown to take over the stage at the Foundry.

🎤 Saturday: Method Man and Redman will make the crowd at the Liacouras Center Blackout! on Saturday. The iconic duo is joined by The Lox and State Property.

🎸 Sunday: August Burns Red and The Amity Affliction will hit the stage at the Fillmore Philly on Sunday. The two hardcore rock bands are joined by Boundaries and Heavensgate for a metal-driven outing.

🎸 Monday: Veteran singer and guitarist Lucinda Williams‘s mix of country and blues rhythms will be on full display for back-to-back shows at Union Transfer.

Okay, folks. That’s my list for the week.

For now, focus on scratching these suggestions of your list, as a golfer would across a 18-hole course. Thank me later.

— Earl Hopkins