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🌱 Billy Penn’s guide to spring
🎤 Philly Record Store Guide
🛍️ Thrifty in Philly guide
📚 Book lovers’ guide to Philly
⚽ Billy Penn’s FIFA World Cup Guide
🍹 Non-alcoholic Philly
🏃🏽 Philly Runners Guide
Note: this list will be updated throughout the week.
Monday, April 20
2nd Annual Vegan Mac&Cheese Bake-Off – (4:20 to 8:20 p.m.)
Eating and voting begins at 5:30 p.m., with winners in categories of traditional, innovative and dessert announced at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds go to Food Not Bombs chapters in Philadelphia. At the Rotunda at 4014 Walnut Street.
One Art Annual 420 – (4:20 to 10 p.m.)
Music, farm to table food, a vendor village, painting and crafts, sunset yoga in the garden, and general good energy, plus live reggae performances. $23.18 tickets.
Budget 201: Advocacy with Transit Forward Philadelphia – (5:30 to 7 p.m.)
Join the People’s Budget Office at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and Transit Forward Philly offices for a day of action training where we’ll equip you with the skills needed to become a more effective advocate for public transit.
Earth Day Activity & Movie Night – (5:30 to 9 p.m.)
An Earth Day planting activity led by the Land Health Institute at the new Community Garden at Keystone and Longshore in Tacony + A screening of The Lorax! Movie begins shortly after 7 p.m. Pizza provided. BYO chair or blanket.
Tuesday, April 21
WHYY’s ‘We the People’: Revolutions for Everyone – (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
In celebration of America’s 250th, WHYY and the McNeil Center for Early American Studies invite you to a conversation at the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts on the unique and overlapping themes of the American Revolution, French Revolution and Haitian Revolution. Set against a new exhibition on the Haitian and French Revolutions, this program brings historians and community members together to examine how these transformative movements reshaped notions of freedom, citizenship, and belonging 250 years ago—and continue to resonate today. Also features: a live Haitian musical performance and guided tours of rare artifacts. Free to register.
Workshop: Dance like a Fancy Brigade – (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
Come together in a group dance in the style of a Mummer Fancy Brigade performance, and get a taste for what it takes to put on a show like they do at the Convention Center on New Year’s Day. At the Mummers Museum. Free registration.
Wednesday, April 22
“All the Empty Rooms” Virtual Seminar – (12:30 p.m.)
Sign up for this free virtual seminar on the making of this documentary, available to view on Netflix, and hear about the lessons it holds for confronting grief, finding common ground, and keeping kids safe. Panel and Q&A moderated by Association for Gun Violence Reporters chapter leader Jennifer Mascia.
Agricultural Resource Center Opening Party – (5 to 8 p.m.)
As an early implementation project of Philadelphia’s first Urban Agriculture Plan, the ARC serves as a centralized hub for the city’s growing farming community. Launching this year, the center provides residents, gardeners, and farmers with essential resources—including tool libraries, seeds, soil testing kits, compost, and educational workshops—to support local food sovereignty. At 90 N. Horticultural Drive parking lot.
The Librarians Film Screening – (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, this documentary explores the broader implications for education and public life. At Parkway Central Library. Hosted by WHYY’s Bridging Blocks & The Free Library. Free registration.
Heathers – A Live Reading – (7 to 9 p.m.)
Theatre Contra is taking this cult-classic script of teen angst, croquet, and casual homicide and performing it live. Get ready for a night of savage one-liners, color-coded tyranny, and a love story so toxic it should come with a hazmat warning. At the Trestle Inn in Callowhill. Pay-what-you-want tickets.
Thursday, April 23
Dining Out For Life
Dine out at a participating location and a percentage of your bill will be donated to a local HIV service organization. Here in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, proceeds go directly towards Action Wellness and help fund life-sustaining programs. See the full list of restaurants here.
The Roots of American Botany: Vignettes from Philadelphia’s Scientific Past – (10:30 a.m.)
A lively virtual discussion exploring Philadelphia’s rich botanical legacy through stories and examples of cutting edge research tools used at Morris Arboretum and throughout Philly’s research community. Free with registration.
Justice 101: Prison Gerrymandering – (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.)
Join Eastern State Penitentiary for a conversation on prison gerrymandering. In this discussion, examine how the current method of counting incarcerated people for representational purposes, often in rural, non-resident districts, allows for the manipulation of political power. Free registration in-person, via Zoom and via YouTube.
One Book, One Philadelphia: Film Screening and Discussion – (6 p.m.)
At Parkway Central Library, in partnership with the Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation. Explore stories of identity, family, and resistance through film: “Fighting for Family,” “The Healing Circle” and “Kalinga (Care).” All films reflect many of the ideas explored in this year’s OBOP selection, “Our Missing Hearts.” Films followed by a filmmaker talkback conversation. Free with registration.
The Art of Islamic Illumination – (6 to 8 p.m.)
A hands-on workshop on Tazhib, the traditional art of Islamic illumination. Participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of classical design along with the use of traditional materials such as natural pigments and gold accents. Complete and color a simple yet elegant design to take home. No prior experience is required. Materials provided. $55.20 tickets. At Haraz Coffee House Fishtown.
Art for Resistance: Lessons from the No Arena Movement – (6 to 8 p.m.)
From banner-making to flash choruses to poetry anthologies, art was at the heart of our community-building and resistance. Join this conversation with key artist-activists including David Acosta, Spiral Q, and Son Revoltura, as they reflect and share insights from No Arena organizing. Followed by art-making groups to create signs, learn movement songs, and share stories. Free with registration.
2026 Garces Foundation Annual Night Market Benefit – (6 to 9:30 p.m.)
Delicious bites from top Philly restaurants, live music, handmade crafts, silent and live auctions and more. $125 tickets. At Live! Casino.
Late 30s/40s Singles Happy Hour – (7 to 9 p.m.)
Philly Food Ladies and Shaka Club co-host this speed social event. Fringe Bar. $28 tickets.
Friday, April 24
Under the Stars 2026 Festival Preview Party – (5 p.m.)
Find out this year’s full cinéSPEAK outdoor summer festival lineup and celebrate the season ahead. The rain location will be indoors at Two Locals Brewing Company (1/2 block south on 37th just north of Market Street). Live music, cash bar, light refreshments and more. Free RSVP. Festival dates at Clark Park are on Fridays, May 29, June 5, June 12, and June 19. Rain dates are the immediate Saturdays.
Tattooed Mom 29th anniversary Themed Art Show – (5 p.m. to 2 a.m.)
A one-night-only party and open call art show featuring TMoms-inspired works! 21+ w/ valid ID only, however artists of all ages are encouraged to submit. Free.
Student Journalism Summit Day 1 – (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
A two-day, free event for student journalists that explores real pathways into the media and journalism industry, bringing students into direct conversation with working journalists and media organizations across Philadelphia. The event is produced by the Philadelphia Student Press Association. Includes a panel discussion and mixer. At WHYY offices in Old City. Free RSVP required for Friday and Saturday.
“Mi Isla y Yo” exhibition opening reception – (5:30 to 8 p.m.)
Hagudeza Rullán-Fantauzzi’s exhibition draws a parallel between the Puerto Rican people’s yearning for territorial sovereignty and the struggle for bodily autonomy. This theme echoes the upcoming semi-quincentennial celebration, yet feels increasingly out of reach for many. At Taller Puertorriqueño. Free.
Black Box Presents: Art in Action with Asian Americans United – (6:30 to 9:30 p.m.)
A screening of video works exploring community organizing, migration histories, and the ongoing impacts of U.S. imperialism across Asian American communities in Philadelphia and beyond. Feat. the “Wrecking Ball” music video produced by the Save Chinatown Coalition; “Episode 4: Taking Root on Washington Ave” from a community-produced documentary series amplifying the stories of Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugee communities in Philadelphia following the U.S. wars in Southeast Asia; and “Flora After” by Brandon Aquino Straus, which examines how traces of U.S. colonial rule in the Philippines persist within Philadelphia’s institutional archives. + A panel discussion with Lan Dinh, Debbie Wei, and Sonia Mak. Free at Vox Populi.
3rd annual Radiant Ball at the Mütter Museum – (7 to 11 p.m.)
Celebrate the future of medicine through the lens of Marie Curie and her early 20th century contemporaries. Dress in glamorous 1920s garb, learn about medical innovations and dance to jazz-age grooves by Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society. $65 tickets.
Saturday, April 25
Student Journalism Summit Day 2 – (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
A two-day, free event for student journalists that explores real pathways into the media and journalism industry, bringing students into direct conversation with working journalists and media organizations across Philadelphia. The event is produced by the Philadelphia Student Press Association. At WHYY offices in Old City. Free RSVP required.
International Astronomy Day – (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Unlock the mysteries of the universe across four floors of the Franklin Institute, with a solar viewing with telescopes, space suit fashion show, science experiments, guest speakers and more.
West Craft Fest – (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
100+ artists and makers, plus live music, arts and crafts, and tinycircus by Tangle Movement Arts. At The Woodlands at 30th and Woodland.
Birds of a Feather: Art & Nature Festival at Tacony Creek Park – (12 to 4 p.m.)
A family-friendly celebration that blends graffiti and nature — on Circuit Trails Day and Earth Day weekend! Imagined by local artist Jay “Art God” Correano (@artgod333) in collaboration with TTF Watershed Partnership. Live mural painting, a scavenger hunt, local artists, and hands-on activities for all ages. Rain or shine.
Liberty Lands Playground Opening – (1 to 3 p.m.)
Enjoy the official opening of a new green space in Northern Liberties.
Taste to Tech: 100 Years of Nordic Innovation & Impact – (6 to 9 p.m.)
The grand opening of a new exhibit with themes ranging from Marimekko’s vibrant fashion to Minecraft’s cutting-edge technology. Create your own screen-printed art, check out an ABBA-inspired set, watch Swedish films, sample Nordic tasting stations, enjoy lively music and more. $35 tickets for members; $45 for non-members.
Sunday, April 26
Spring Garden Festival – (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Celebrate Earth Day with giveaways, performances, prizes and refreshments at the Dornsife Center at 3509 Spring Garden Street.
Fairmount Arts Crawl – (12 to 4 p.m.)
A free indoor/outdoor festival that transforms the streets, restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars of the Park to Broad neighborhoods into an eclectic showcase of local artists and creativity.
Flavors on the Avenue – (12 to 5 p.m.)
Back for its 16th year on East Passyunk Avenue, this event transforms five blocks — from Broad Street to Dickinson Street — into the ultimate foodie street festival. See the map here.
The Sankofa Chamber Collective: Music for Flute and Strings – (4 to 5 p.m.)
Classical flute masterpieces meet contemporary works in a vibrant program performed by the Sankofa Chamber Collective and Ramona Douglas. $7-18 tickets.
Through April
Through Thursday, April 23: Philadelphia Film Society’s annual SpringFest
SpringFest returns with double the screens for an even bigger and vibrant seven days of storytelling from a dynamic slate of new voices and bold stories featuring global to local Philadelphia filmmakers, queer stories and more. A mix of first taste, film premieres, filmmaker conversations, and community-focused events. At the Film Society East. Various times and ticket prices.
Confluence Film Festival – (5:30 to 8 p.m.)
A month-long environmental film series held each April in celebration of Earth Month, with screenings every Thursday evening. This year’s theme is “Seeding the Future.” $10 tickets.
Through June 9
Healing Verse Germantown: The Streets Are Talking, Launch Celebration – (2 to 5 p.m.)
The exhibition features 19 public art poems by Germantown community members about healing from the impacts of gun violence. Celebrate these poets with remarks, food, poetry activations, guided tours, and community. At the Friends Free Library (5418 Germantown Ave) and Ubuntu Fine Art (5423 Germantown Ave), directly across the street from each other. Art includes a collage poster series, video installations, augmented reality constellations, interactive floral offerings, a stained glass panel installation on a SEPTA bus shelter, a wrapped SEPTA bus, and more.
Occasional Saturdays through July 11
El Mercado Cultural at Cherry Street Pier – (11 a.m. to 5 p.m)
A series of spring and summer markets presented in collaboration with Fleisher Art Memorial. Shop from vendors, savor tasty bites, and enjoy the rotating entertainment. April 18, May 30 and July 11.
