170 Things to Do in Philly This Week and Weekend

Things to do in Philly this week and weekend: the Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square / Photograph by Laura Swartz

Festivals, Food and Other Fun Stuff

TOUR
Summer aBroad Augmented Reality Tour
Use your smartphone to take an interactive tour of sites in and around North Broad Street, including the Rail Park, the Divine Lorraine Hotel, the Historic Blue Horizon, the Leon H. Sullivan Charitable trust and Sea Abroad Experience, the Historic Sullivan Progress Plaza and the Uptown Theater.
Free, through August 31st, North Broad Street.

FOOD/DRINK
University City Dining Days
Head west but not too far west for this two-week Restaurant Week-ish series featuring prix-fixe three-course lunches and dinners at Pattaya Thai Cuisine, Sichuan Mathai, Blaze Pizza, Crate & Press Juice Bar, Copabanana University City, Garces Trading Company, Pod, and lots more.
$20, $30, $40, through July 28th, multiple locations.

LIGHTS
Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival
Every year, Franklin Square angers the ancient ones with this glorious and brazen display of electricity, which includes among its illuminated attractions a fiery 200-foot-long dragon. This is the year of the dragon, BTW. Besides the lantern displays, there’s juggling, acrobatics, dancing, music, food, a beer garden, mini-golf, a fountain show and more.
$25, through August 18th, 6-11 p.m. nightly, Franklin Square, 200 North 6th Street.

See Also: Your Guide to the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square

KIDS/FISH
Now Swimming @ Adventure Aquarium

• SpongeBob SquarePants‘ 25th Anniversary Adventure Aquarium hosts an immersive “SpongeBob experience” including photo ops, an episode screening, worksheets and more. Through September 15th.
• Shark Summer It’s hot shark summer, baby. Or cold, maybe? Point is, Adventure Aquarium has you covered with behind-the-scenes tours, the 81-foot suspended Shark Bridge, shark trivia, touchable sharks, and a visit from the magical Scuba Tooth Fairy who dives in among the sharks to scoop up teeth. What does she do with the teeth!? Through August 18th.

Included in $28-$48 admission, Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive, Camden.

BEER GARDEN
Parks on Tap
Parks & Rec’s traveling beer garden returns, hauling its taps, tables and grills to a new park each week. This weekend it lands at Historic Rittenhouse Town, the paper mill-turned-historic landmark on Lincoln Drive.
Pay as you go, July 24th-July 28th, Historic Rittenhouse Town, 208 Lincoln Drive.

See Also: Philly’s Best Kid-Friendly Beer Gardens

OUTDOORS
The Oval
Philadelphia’s Favorite Traffic Island (seasonal category) is back, with a summertime slate of activities and attractions including a beer garden, food trucks, art installations, live music, movies, games and such. This weekend: Friday Night Movie: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, July 26, 8-10 p.m.; Saturday Night Music: Love Club, July 27th, 8-10 p.m.; Family Fun with We Are the Seeds (bread-making workshop) and Project Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts/dance), July 28th, noon. The Oval!
Free, continues through August 25th, in and around Eakins Oval, 2451 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

See Also: What to Expect at the Oval Pop-Up on the Parkway This Summer

OUTDOORS
Peach & Sunflower Festival
Pick peaches and sunflowers at Shady Brook Farm’s annual selfie-inciting festival. Plus live music, wagon rides, go-carts, the giant jumping pillow, rubber ducky races and more.
$12-$15 for admission, through August 11th, Shady Brook Farm, 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley.

DANCE PARTY
John Mueller’s ’50s Dance Party
“The official live and authentic re-creation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper’s final tour and the only show endorsed by the Holly, Valens and Richardson estates.”
$35-$44, July 24th-28th, Benjamin Franklin Middle School, 6403 Mill Creek Road, Levittown.

FOOD/DRINK
PHS Pop-Up Gardens
Is it beer garden season, people. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society hosts two pop-up gardens: on South Street and in Manayunk.
Pay as you go, through late fall; PHS Pop-Up Garden at Manayunk, 106 Jamestown Avenue; PHS Pop-Up Garden at South Street, 1438 South Street.

BEER GARDEN/MUSEUMS
Summer Nights @ Eastern State Penitentiary
Once again, Fairmount’s oddly lovely prison is offering night time tours and an open-air beer garden.
$23-$30, Friday and Saturday evenings, through July 27th, 6-9 p.m., Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue.

On Stage

CIRCUS/THEATER
Hamlet
New York Circus Project presents this “groundbreaking fusion of circus arts and Shakespeare” that uses acrobatic choreography to reimagine the Bard’s time-tested tragedy.
$49, July 24th-28th, Fringe Bar, 140 North Columbus Boulevard.

THEATER
Shakespeare in Clark Park: As You Like It
West Philly’s Clark Park transforms into the forest of Ardenne with free, family-friendly performances of the Bard’s romantic comedy with a twist: This time, it’s set in dystopian 2034. Directed by Ontaria Kim Wilson.
Free, July 24th-28th, Clark Park, 4300-4398 Baltimore Ave.

THEATER
Somewhere Over the Border
This new “musical odyssey” by Brian Quijada takes cues from The Wizard of Oz in its story of a young woman making her way from El Salvador to the United States. “With onstage musicians weaving together cumbia, Mexican mariachi, boleros, American rock, and hip hop, up-and-coming writer and composer Brian Quijada honors his mother in a fantastically true tale of determination, family, and friendship.”
$47, through August 11th, People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern.

THEATER
Funny Girl
The 1964 Broadway musical about Broadway — score by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill, book by Isobel Lennart (updated by Harvey Fierstein) — includes some much-loved showtunes including “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.”
$24-$139, through July 28th, Academy of Music, 240 South Broad Street.

KIDS/THEATER
The Lightning Thief
The Upper Darby Summer Stage is a great way to introduce little ones to musical theater with a schedule of low-cost, low-stakes performances just for them — matinees start at 10:30 a.m. Performances are just an hour long, and are recommended for ages three and up. This week, a kid-friendly musical based on the YA Percy Jackson series.
$5-$16, July 23rd-25th, Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, 601 North Lansdowne Avenue, Drexel Hill.

COMEDY
Philly’s Phunniest
The semi-finals for Helium’s annual comedy competition continue this week. Here’s who’s playing when.
$15-$23, 7 p.m., through July 24th, Helium, 2031 Sansom Street.

COMEDY
Nephew Tommy
The veteran comedian and co-host of the Steve Harvey Morning Show plays five shows at Helium this weekend. Nephew Tommy has released several compilations of prank phone calls.
$33,05-$48.58, July 26th-28th, Helium, 2031 Sansom Street.

MUSIC
Beta Hi-Fi
Every year, World Cafe Live hosts this free, weeklong, all-Philly battle of the bands. I’ve gone several times and it’s super fun, with tight sets, a positive atmosphere and more than a few diamonds in the rough. Check the schedule to see who’s playing when or just wing it.
Free, 8 p.m., July 24th-27th, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.

COMEDY
Mark Curry
The veteran comedian and actor — Mark Curry was the star of ’90s sitcom Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper and’10s Nick at Nite sitcom See Dad Run — plays a run of shows at Punch Line this weekend.
$34-$47, July 26th & 27th, Punch Line Philly, 33 East Laurel Street.

BURLESQUE
The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody
This risqué cabaret show promises comedy, dance, droids and “your favorite characters … scantily clad, seriously sultry and live on stage.”
$59-$99, through July 28th, excluding Mondays and Tuesdays, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 South Broad Street.

COMEDY
Objection! An Unscripted Courtroom Comedy
Improv comics create a live courtroom comedy based on a suggestion from the audience. The prompt: “What’s something that isn’t a crime but should be?”
$25, through July 28th, Fridays-Sundays, The Adrienne Theater, 2030 Sansom Street.

THEATER
Last of the Red Hot Mamas
Bucks County Playhouse presents the world premiere of a new musical about teenage vaudeville superstar Sophie Tucker. “With the help of two former Harlem headliners, Sophie’s rise from a deli to international fame is told with song, tap-dancing, and a big dose of Sophie’s groundbreakingly sassy humor.” Written by Susan Ecker, Harrison David Rivers and Lloyd Ecker; directed and choreographed by Shea Sullivan.
$32-$69, extended through July 28th, Bucks County Playhouse, 70 South Main Street, New Hope.

Movies

Free Outdoor Movies This Week
July 24th: Miracle @ Libertee Grounds
July 24th: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse @ Cira Green
July 25th: 50 First Dates @ Schuylkill Banks
July 25th: Kung Fu Panda 4 @ Hagert Playground
July 26th: Migration @ Bartram’s Garden
July 26th: Men in Black @ Smith Playground
July 26th: Vampire’s Kiss @ Laurel Hill
July 26th: The Holdovers @ Lovett Park
July 26th: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial @ The Oval
July 27th: Brave @ Cira Green
July 28th: Explorers @ Spruce Street Harbor Park
Free, multiple locations.

See Also: Where to Watch Free Outdoor Movies in Philadelphia This Summer

MOVIES
Schlock-O-Rama VIII
Mahoning Drive-In Theater presents 35-mm screenings of eight B-movie favorites in two nights this weekend, including Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978), Night of 1000 Cats (1972), Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973), The Body Beneath (1970) and more.
$15-$25 per day, July 26th & 27th, 6-11:30 p.m., The Mahoning Drive-In Theater, 635 Seneca Road, Lehighton.

MOVIES
Banel & Adama
French-Senegalese director and screenwriter Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s debut feature film was a hit at Cannes last year. Stars Khady Mane, Mamadou Diallo, Binta Racine Sy and Moussa Sow.
$15.50, July 27th & 28th, 3:30 p.m., Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.

MOVIES
Indiana Jones and the Raider of the Lost Ark
Karen Allen and Harrison Ford stars in the first Indiana Jones movie trying to keep the world’s best box away from the nazis. Tagline: “Indiana Jones — the new hero from the creators of Jaws and Star Wars.”
$15.50, July 26th-28th, Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.

50 Years in the Making
The Clay Studio continues its semicentennial celebration with this exhibition of works by 140 alumni from its resident artist, guest artist, and associate artist program.
Free, through September 1st, The Clay Studio, 1425 North American Street.

Dream House: Inside Music + Video
This group installation at Asian Arts Initiative sounds like a lot of fun. Dream House “highlights shifting roles of music video as a hybrid form of creative expression beyond their musical and cinematic quality as promotional tools of the music industry.” On monitors and TV screens, watch works by Alex Da Corte, Jordan Deal, Elle Hong, Maegan Houang, and more. Also, check out Zain Alam’s audio/video installation Meter & Light: Day. Plus, Dance Dance Revolution and karaoke in the lounge.
Through August 3rd, Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine Street.

Kameelah Janan Rasheed
The artist “grapples with the poetics-pleasures-politics of Black knowledge production, information technologies, and modes of [un]learning” in their new exhibition at Ulises and Ray, the No Libs art space/bookshop.
Free, through August 25th, Ulises at Ray, Studio 105, 1525 North American Street.

In Pursuit: Artists’ Perspectives on a Nation
The National Liberty Museum examines “the power of art as civic dialogue” in its latest multi-media group exhibition featuring sculptures and large-scale installations by Anila Quayyum Agha, Angel Cabrales, Nicholas Galanin, Arghavan Khosravi, Aram Han Sifuentes, Artur Silva, and Marisa Williamson.
Continues through October 28th. $12 museum admission, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut Street.

Now Showing @ the Art Museum

• Take a Seat: Understanding the Modern Chair — modern chairs from the permanent collection. Ongoing.
• Expanded Painting in the 1960s and 1970s — radical innovations in painting by Alma Thomas, Sam Gilliam and more. Ongoing.
• Collecting Japanese Art in Philadelphia — Drawn from the works highlighted in the new publication Art of Japan: Highlights from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Ongoing.
• Mythical Creatures: China and the World, explores diversity by comparing mythical creatures in different cultures. Through June 1st, 2025.
• Diana Scultori: An Engraver in Renaissance Rome — exhibition centered around the first European woman to work as a printmaker. Through July 29th.
• Mary Cassatt at Work — The PMA presents the first major showing of the Pennsylvania-born French Impressionist artist’s oeuvre since 1998-99. Through September 8th.
• Seeing with Empathy: The Female Gaze in American Modernism, ongoing.

$14-$23 admission, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

John Jarboe: The Rose Garden
The trans artist presents “a multi-room domestic environment reimagining John’s gender journey.” The Rose Garden is an “immersive maze of memories and provocations” full of video sculptures, music, objects and more. Read more here. Through September 29th.
Free (suggested donation $5), Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street.

Now Showing @ Michener Art Museum

• George R. Anthonisen: Meditations on the Human Condition The Michener hosts a career-spanning exhibition of works by the accomplished sculptor, including 40 bronze sculptures, maquettes, and frescoes, inside and outside the museum. Through October 14th.
• Monuments and Myths Subtitled The America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French, this new exhibition at Michener explores the artists’ “intersecting biographies and examines the affinities that made both of them leaders in their field.” Through January 5th. 

$15 museum admission, Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown.

Now Happening @ the Museum for Art in Wood

• The Poetry Gumball Machine Project — Poet and “multiform artist” LindoYes, the project is more or less what it sounds like, a mechanized sculpture that dispenses poetry stuffed inside little walnut shell capsules. The PGMP will be on display at the Museum for Art in Wood through the rest of the year. Through December 31st.
• Experiencing Form: Phil Brown and the Museum’s Residency Artist Alumni, group show. Through September 15th.

Free admission, Museum for Art in Wood, 141 North 3rd Street.

Imprint: Dox Thrash
Subtitled “Black Life, and American Culture,” this new exhibition at the African American Museum in Philadelphia invites visitors to “explore the life and artistic legacy” of Dox Thrash, who was a Buffalo Soldier and Black Vaudeville performer before he became a trailblazing Philly printmaker.
$10-$14, through August 4th, African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street.

Now Showing @ the Barnes

• Matisse & Renoir: New Encounters at the Barnes — This new exhibition arranges 34 works by the boundary-pushing artists in a way that emphasizes their art-historical context. Runs through September 8th.
• Education & Empowerment: Scholarship Recipients at the Barnes Foundation, 1927-1949 — Includes archival materials by Paul B. Moses, Ablyne Lockhart, Dr. DeHaven Hinkson and Aaron Douglas. Through August 15th.

Museum admission is $23-$30, Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Entryways: Nontsikelelo Mutiti 
The Zimbabwean-born visual artist and educator was invited to reimagine the windows on the ICA’s facade.
Free, through December 31st. Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street.

Every Leaf & Twig: Andrew Wyeth’s Botanical Imagination
The Brandywine Museum hosts this Andrew Wyeth exhibition focusing on “the fragile rhythms and intimate dramas of plant life,” and includes 40 watercolors and drawings, many of which have never been exhibited before. Through September 15th.
$18-$20, Brandywine Museum of Art, 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford.

Museums

The Art of the Brick continues at the Franklin Institute. / Photograph by Laura Swartz

Constructing Knowledge
Subtitled 300 Years of The Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, this longterm exhibition at the Athenæum celebrates three centuries of bringing architects, contractors and engineers together like finely fitted joists. Now, you may be thinking: Are not Philadelphia the city and Philadelphia the county the same thing? Are they not, in a word, coterminous? Look, you wanna pick a fight with a 300-year-old gang of carpenters, that is your business. Leave me out of it.
Free, through August 30th, the Athenæum Of Philadelphia, 219 South 6th Street.

The Sweetest Side of Life: Swedish Candy & Confections
The Swedish Museum in FDR Park hosts this pop-up exhibition featuring “the collection of Tyler Graybeal, owner of Sweetish–Swedish Candy and Goods.” Googled it. He’s a real person! His collection includes tins, wrappers, bottles, postcards and more. Swedish sweets are available for sale, too.
$15 admission, through September 15th, American Swedish Historical Museum, 1900 Pattison Avenue.

Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent
This exhibition will “bring to life the stories of individuals from all walks of life who saved Washington’s tent from being lost over the generations and who ultimately fashioned this relic into a symbol of the fragile American republic.” Includes art, artifacts, rare documents and the tent itself.
Included in museum admission of $13-$22, through January 5th, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 South 3rd Street.

Unhoused: Personal Stories and Public Health
This new long-term exhibition at the Mütter Museum features black and white photos by Toronto-based photographer Leah den Bok, and art by Dallas-based artist Willie Baronet, “whose installation is composed of hundreds of cardboard signs the artist has purchased over the past thirty years from unhoused and unsheltered people in cities around the nation.”
$15-$20, through August 5th, Mütter Museum, 19 South 22nd Street.

Now Happening @ the Academy of Natural Sciences

• Under the Canopy: Animals of the Rainforest — This new special exhibit includes “interactive discovery stations, dynamic displays and engaging programming” surrounding the importance of rainforests and the plants and animals that live there. Through September 2nd.
• Life Onto Land: The Devonian — An exhibition on the life and ecosystems of the Devonian period, the geological era during which creatures wriggled up on dry land, which everybody agrees was a solid move with a lot of potential. Through September 29th.
  Included with museum admission of $21-$25, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution
The Mercer Museum’s immersive exhibition tells the story of Revolutionary War-era loyalists. “Learn how these local outlaws plotted, schemed, and plundered their way through a divided world in the earliest days of a budding American nation, and why their deep loyalty to British rule in the colonies made them enemies of the Founding Fathers.”
$15, through December 31st, Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown. 

The Art of the Brick
The Franklin Institute presents this new long-running exhibition featuring a collection of “inspiring artwork” — bricked-up versions of Starry Night, Mona Lisa, etc. — made by LEGO master Nathan Sawaya. Plus a 9,000-square-foot brick play space.
$20-$43, through September 2nd, Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th Street.

Wild Kratts: Creature Power
At the Please Touch Museum, kids can tap into their “creature power” with a special exhibit based on the PBS series Wild Kratts. Little ones can investigate four different interactive habitats and learn about the animal world with games, movement and problem-solving.
$22, through September 1st, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic.

BOLD: Color from Test Tube to Textile
This new exhibition at Old City’s Science History Institute explores the complicated history and science of natural and synthetic dye-making “drawing on dye sample books, vivid clothing, and scientific instruments.” Through August.
Free admission, Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut Street.

Outdoors

Spruce Street Harbor Park’s hammocks. / Photograph by Matt Stanley

Festival of Fountains
Flowers and greenery are usually the focus of a trip to Longwood Gardens, but this annual summer show is all about the waterworks. And the lights. And there’s some mood music, too. Timed admission tickets are required, so plan your visit ahead of time.
$32, continues through October 27th, Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square.

Summerfest
There’s no roller-skating this summer, but there will be games of chance, mini-golf, a Ferris wheel, food, drinks and a nice view of the Delaware River to boot.
Pay as you go, ongoing, 101 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard.

Spruce Street Harbor Park
The lovely and popular Spruce Street Harbor Park returns for another summer of lights, hammocks and action along the Delaware. Also: food, drinks, ice cream, barges, chairs and a general feeling that we can have nice things.
Free unless you spend money, ongoing, 301 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard.

See Also: Your Guide to the Delaware Waterfront This Season

Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum
The 50-acre historic estate along the Delaware River is open for self-guided tours of its formal gardens and native woodlands. Picnics encouraged.
$15, through November 8th, Andalusia Historic House & Gardens, 1237 State Road, Andalusia.

Click here to jump down to the weekend.

MONDAY, JULY 22nd

MUSIC
Lambrini Girls
To know these noisy British punks is to like them and, also, describe them abstractly, as is the music critic’s prerogative: Washington Post: “Full of feminist rage, but humor is their superpower.” Rolling Stone UK: “fizzing cocktail of righteous queer fury.” I say Lambrini Girls sound like Bikini Kill in the age of Children of Men. Here’s their “God’s Country” / “Body of Mine” single, released in April. With Ekko Astral and Kelsey Cork and the Swigs.
$15, 8 p.m., Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 North Front Street.

MOVIES
Philadelphia Psychotronic Film Society
Watch “cult/weirdo/trash films” on the first and third Mondays of every month.
$5, 7:30 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.

MUSIC
Carillon Recital Series @ Wyck
BYOB blankets and chairs to this Monday night music series in July, presented by Wyck Historic House. Featuring Jesse Ratcliffe on July 22nd. (Enjoy a tour before the concert starting at 6:30 p.m.)
Free, 7:30-8:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church of Germantown, 6001 Germantown Avenue.

MUSIC
Oddisee
The DC-born/Brooklyn based rapper released the And Yet Still EP in May. Flood Magazine calls Oddisee “the most consistent voices in independent rap, a straight-shooting shit talker and cultural critic of the highest order.”
$28-$55, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.

TUESDAY, JULY 23rd

MUSIC
Def Leppard / Journey / Steve Miller Band
Tuesday should be a good night for full-sentence imperative song titles at the ballpark:
“Pour Some Sugar on Me”
“Don’t Stop Believin’”
“Fly Like an Eagle”
“Love Bites”
“Keep on Rockin’ Me Baby”
“Let’s Get Rocked”
“Armageddon It” (maybe?)
$49-$200, 6 p.m., Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way.

KIDS
Parkway Pals
Sister Cities Park brings back its Parkway Pals series of free weekly kids’ programming. On Tuesday mornings, the Free Library of Philadelphia brings Story Art — interactive story and craft time — and the Fabric Workshop and Museum will keep the creativity going with “Art Garden.”
Free, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Sister Cities Park, 210 North 18th Street.

TALK/POLITICS
People, Policy, and Rethinking America’s Immigration Landscape
Old City’s National Liberty Museum hosts this timely panel discussion featuring (David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute), Jonathan Grode (U.S. practice director at Green and Spiegel), and Anuj Gupta (president and CEO at the Welcoming Center), moderated by Andy Toy (Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations). Followed by Q&A and networking reception.
$15-$25, 5:30-8 p.m., National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut Street.

FOOD
Baby’s Kusina + Market pop-up at Ember & Ash
Baby’s, a Filipino coffee shop, restaurant and market is getting ready to open in Brewerytown. While they wait for final city approval, they’re doing events around town, including this one at East Passyunk’s Ember & Ash. Expect street food-style bites, small plates, entrees and desserts all served family-style for $75 per person (solo diners are welcome and can eat à la carte at the bar). Reservations here.
$75, 5:30 p.m., Ember & Ash, 1520 East Passyunk Avenue.

MUSIC
Spoon Benders
The scary/groovy Portland/L.A. prog/psych band released their second record How Things Repeat a little over a year ago. It’s doomy, but in an invigorating way. Goths on Four Loko vibes. With Color Charge and The Lunar Year.
$12, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.

More Tuesday Stuff

• MUSIC/TRIBUTE: Tribute To Chaka Khan: Echoes of an Era, featuring vocalist Alison Crockett and pianist Benito Gonzalez. $10-$40, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
• MUSIC: Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Marcus Roberts Trio. $28-$73, 8 p.m., Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Avenue.
• MUSIC: Behn Gillece, and the Liam Sutcliffe Trio. Free, 8:30 p.m., Evergreen Lawn, Perkins Center for the Arts, 395 Kings Highwa, Moorestown.
• MUSIC: Foo Fighters, with The Hives and Amyl and The Sniffers. $97-$168, 5:30 p.m., Hersheypark Stadium, 100 Hersheypark Drive.
• MUSIC: Steve Earle, with Danny Burns. $79.50-$99.50, 8 p.m., Sellersville Theater, 24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville.
• FITNESS: Center City Fit: Bodycombat at Dilworth Park. Free, 6-7 p.m., Dilworth Park, 1 South 15th Street.
• COMEDY: Case Comedy: Summer of Sketch Comedy Showcase. Free, 7:30 – 9 p.m., Abyssinia, 229 South 45th Street.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24th

MUSIC
Tinariwen
This band of Tuareg musicians from the Mali desert plays rock music powered by bluesy, psychedelic guitar playing. Tinariwen is known for their energetic, hypnotic live shows. Get there early for Philly trio Basic featuring Chris Forsyth, Nick Millevoi, and Mikel Patrick Avery.
$30, 8 p.m., Underground Arts, 200 Callowhill Street.

FOOD
Northern Liberties Night Market
This family-friendly nighttime street fair features lots of food trucks, drinks, shopping vendors, kids’ activities, live music and more along North 2nd Street.
Pay-as-you-go, 5-10 p.m., North 2nd Street between Fairmount Avenue and West Laurel Street.

FOOD
The Scampi Garden
Inspired by Olive Garden (!), Liz Grothe and upscale restaurant High Street present this one-night only dining experience featuring a garden salad, endless bread sticks and comfy pasta dishes like fettuccine alfredo, chicken parmesan and more.
$75, 5-9 p.m., High Street, 101 South 9th Street.

KIDS
Parkway Pals
Sister Cities Park brings back its Parkway Pals series of free weekly kids’ programming. On Wednesday mornings, the Academy of Natural Sciences brings its “Investigation Station” to the park.
Free, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Sister Cities Park, 210 North 18th Street.

MUSIC
MC Chris
The geeky, squeaky rapper with the high voice and hardcore/nerdcore lyrics is on his I Thought the Last Tour Was the Last Tour tour. In addition to his music, MC Chris is known for his contributions to the Adult Swim landscape, with appearances on Aqua Team Hunger Force, Sealab, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, etc. Crunk Witch opens the show.
$22.40, 7:30 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.

MUSIC
Ingrid Laubrock/Cecilia Lopez duo
An evening of experimental music performed by “visionary” saxophonist Laubrock and Argentina-born musician/multimedia artist Cecilia Lopez. Also on the bill are a pair of Philly people: audio-visual artist Tether, and Street Rat (Gladys Nobriga) who offers a “spiritual exploration of the mysteries of life.” Brought to you by the weird people at Fire Museum Presents.
$10, 8 p.m., Pageant : Soloveev, 607 Bainbridge Street.

More Wednesday Stuff

• MUSIC: Kathleen Edwards. $29, 7 p.m., Upper Merion Township Park, King of Prussia.
• MUSIC: SiR, with Zacari. $20-$85, 8 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 East Allen Street.
• GAMING: Daz Games Live, presented by X1 Entertainment. $45, 8 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
• FOOD/DRINK: Wine & Tarot, reading by Marguerite Recupero. $78.75, 6-9 p.m., Bloomsday, 414 South 2nd Street.
• MUSIC: Garden Jams, with Glenn Bryan and Friends. $15, 5-8 p.m., Stoner Courtyard, Penn Museum, 3260 South Street.

THURSDAY, JULY 25th

MUSIC
Mia Joy
Reasons Chicago singer-songwriter Mia Joy is the opposite of Mia Goth, besides their names:

• She makes dreamy, ethereal shoegaze music, not bloody horror films.
• She released a strikingly pretty EP called Celestial Mirror last year.
• She’ll be at Johnny Brenda’s on Thursday with 22º Halo and Joyer.
• She has eyebrows.

$15, 9 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.

OUTDOORS/SHOPPING
Passyunk Passeggiata
This “Italian-style promenade” features happy hour specials and sidewalk shopping every Thursday over the summer.
Pay as you go, Thursdays, 5-7 p.m., East Passyunk Avenue.

MUSIC
Johnny Gill
Between his solo career and his years in New Edition, Johnny Gill is essentially R&B royalty, responsible for hits like “My My My,” “Soul of A Woman,” “Rub You the Right Way,” etc. He’ll appear with Marsha Ambrosius and J. Brown at the Dell on Thursday.
$55-$105, 7 p.m., Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive.

ART/SHOPPING
Manayunk Stroll The Street
“Shop, dine, and stroll” in on Thursday nights throughout the summer. July is all about music and August is “pets month.”
Free till you spend money, Thursdays through August, starts 5 p.m., Main Street, Manayunk.

MUSIC
Beck with The Philadelphia Orchestra
What’s it like when pop trickster/chameleon Beck teams up with a full-on Orchestra. We got a taste of it a few weeks ago, when Martin Short hosted Kimmel, and damned if it didn’t sound like Leonard Cohen (see below). One imagines it’s run the gamut when he teams up with the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Steven Reineke. Molly Lewis opens the show.
$48-$168, 8 p.m., Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Avenue.

MUSIC
As I Lay Dying
Given Youtube’s habit of recommending caving and mining disaster videos, it’s no surprise I felt drawn to “The Cave We Fear To Enter” a new single by California vaguely Christian, slightly emo and totally metalcore band As I Lay Dying. Not too shabby, I think? I’m guessing they’re talking about Jesus’s Easter cave, and not some thrill-seeker’s wrong turn. But, you know, aren’t all caves scary? Listen for yourself.  With Chelsea Grin and Entheos.
$48, 7:30 p.m., TLA, 334 South Street.

MUSIC
Kenzie Cait
Judging by the recently released video for “Make Me,” rising Nashville pop artist Kenzie Cait makes music built for the cheeky/dirty side of TikTok. With Noah Richardson and Sophie Price.
$15-$20, 8 p.m., Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 North Front Street.

More Thursday Stuff

• MUSIC: Bay Faction, with Middle Part. Sold out, 8 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.
• MUSIC: idobi Summer School, with Stand Atlantic, Scene Queen, The Home Team, Magnolia Park, Honey Revenge and Letdown. $29.50, 6:30 p.m., Franklin Music Hall, 421 North 7th Street.
• KIDS: Parkway Pals: Creative Movement with the Philadelphia Ballet. Free, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Sister Cities Park.
• MUSIC: Yacht Rock Schooner, with Ron & the Hip Tones. $17, 8 p.m., Ardmore Music Hall, 23 East Lancaster Avenue.
• COMEDY: Benedict Polizzi, of FBoy Island. He eats loudly. $22-$30, 8 p.m., Helium, 2031 Sansom Street.
• PODCASTS: New Rory & Mal Podcast. $45-$50, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
• COMEDY: You Look so Cute, with Rachel Williams and Kaneez. $20-$44, 7:30 p.m., Punch Line Philly, 33 East Laurel Street.
• MUSIC: AJR, with mxmtoon. $49-$153, 7 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, 3601 South Broad Street.
• MUSIC: King’s X, with Sound & Shape. “Give me a dollar, or give me 50 cents.” $49.50-$75, 8 p.m., Sellersville Theater, 24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville.

FRIDAY, JULY 26th

MUSIC
Hana Vu
The L.A. singer-songwriter released a pretty and kickass record called Romanticism in May, stacked with catchy, endearing little garage/indie rock anthems. Pitchfork wrote an insightful review of the record. Babebee opens the show.
$16, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.

MUSIC
Blink-182
You think you know this California pop-punk trio so well? Let’s play Two Truths and a Lie!

• “All the Small Things” spent 23 weeks on the Billboard charts in 1999 and 2000, peaking at #6.
• “What’s My Age Again?” was originally titled “Peter Pan Complex,” a more overt reference to the song’s theme about eschewing maturity.
• Every year, Blink-182 has to pay Green Day $500.

With Pierce the Veil and Astronoid
$115-$299, 7 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, 3601 South Broad Street.

DRINKS/BOATS
Olympia After Hours: Sci-Fi Night
For a unique night out, Independence Seaport Museum’s Olympia After Hours is a series of speakeasy evenings aboard the historic warship. The evenings feature DJ music, games, themed drinks and more. This month, the theme is Sci-Fi Night, and costumes are encouraged.
$35 (free for museum members) includes your first drink, 6-9 p.m., Independence Seaport Museum, 211 South Columbus Boulevard.

MUSIC
Bill Nace & Samara Lubelski
Weird, immersive noisemaking by two of the best in the weird immersive noisemaking game. With DPSD and Litronix.
$15-$20, 7:30 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.

MUSIC
The Japanese House
British artist The Japanese House released a dreamy and thoughtful indie pop record last year called In the End It Always Does, which you either slept on or went to sleep listening to. It’s gorgeous and comforting as it meditates on abstract themes of identity, belonging and breaking up. That said, there’s definitely some pep in the pop tunes like “Touching Yourself” (see below). Julia Pratt opens the show.
$29.50, 8:30 p.m., Franklin Music Hall, 421 North Seventh Street.

DANCE
¡BAILAR en FDR!
This series offers salsa instruction followed by a social dance every other Friday through October 25th in FDR Park’s pretty, open-air Boathouse overlooking the lakes. Hosted by DJ Val Flores & Philly Outdoor Bachata & Salsa.
Free, donations appreciated, dance lesson 7:30-8:30 p.m., social dance 8:30-10:30 p.m., through October 25th, FDR Boathouse, Pattison Avenue & 20th Street.

BEER/HOT SAUCE
Hop Ones
Evil Genius Beer Company hosts this celebration of cold beer, normal temperature chicken wings, and all 10 hot sauces from the infamous Hot Ones roster. Here’s a list of the aforementioned sauces.
$35 (or $5 for a spectator ticket), 7-9 p.m., 1727 North Front Street.

MUSIC
Faye Webster
The prolific Georgia singer-songwriter makes soft, soothing, bare indie-folk and gently hip-shaking country-pop. Faye Webster’s most recent record, Underdressed at the Symphony, dropped in March. Should be a dreamy night under the stars on Friday night at the Dell. With Julie.
$40-$45,7:30 p.m., Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Drive.

BEER GARDEN
Rodin Garden Bar 
Chill out on Fridays all summer long within the confines of this romantic mostly open-air museum on the Parkway devoted to the famous French sculptor.
Free till you spend money, 4-8:30 p.m., Fridays, through August 30th, Rodin Museum, 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

MUSIC
Control Top
Righteous, noisy, garage-punk, big on riffs and attitude. With Carnivorous Bells and Eraser.
$16, 8 p.m., Foto Club, 3743 Frankford Avenue.

More Friday Stuff

• MUSIC: The Darts, with Ronald Reagan? The Actor? and Kiss Boom Bah. $13, 7:30 p.m., Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 North Front Street.
• MUSIC: Cheef Keef. $105-$357, 8 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 East Allen Street.
• MUSIC: Jessica Pratt, with @. Sold out, 8 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
• MUSIC/TRIBUTE: Echoes (Pink Floyd tribute). $20, 8 p.m., Ardmore Music Hall, 23 East Lancaster Avenue.
• MUSIC: Train, with REO Speedwagon. Tell me, did you sail across the sun? $21-$201, 6:25 p.m., Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, 1 Harbour Boulevard, Camden.
• DANCE: 2000s Rave. $24-$29, 9 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, 1009 Canal Street.
• MOVIES: Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess, 2004). $15.50, 9 p.m., Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
• MOVIES: The House of the Devil (2009) directed by Ti West, started, Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Greta Gerwig, etc. $15.50, 9:30 p.m., Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.

SATURDAY, JULY 27th

MUSIC
Regina Spektor
Since Regina Spektor doesn’t have a new record — her most recent release being 2022’s Home, Before and After — it’s anybody’s guess what she’ll slip into her set list at this “an evening with” show at the Met on Saturday. Actually, that’s usually the case with the singular Bronx singer-songwriter; few performers feel as in-the-moment when you see them live.
$20-$208, 8 p.m., The Met, 858 North Broad Street.

DANCE
Philadelphia Dance Day
Take part in free daytime workshops on Saturday at Philly Dance Fitness (1923 Chestnut Street). The day concludes with an evening performance by instructors, students and semi-professional dancers at Plays & Players Theater. Check out the schedule here and drop in for free classes; come early to sign a waiver. Classes are first come, first served.
Free daytime workshops at 1923 Chestnut Street; $10 evening performance at Plays & Players Theater, 1714 Delancey Place.

MUSIC
Roots & Blues Festival
This new festival in Kennett Square features food trucks, drinks, vendors and two stages of music by the likes of Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, Deb Callahan, Slim & the Perkolators, The Two Johns, Steve Guyger & the Excellos and more.
$55, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m., 405 N Walnut Rd, Kennett Square.

THEATER
The Jewel Robbery at The Grand Metropolitan
Theatre Exile snuck this Agatha Christie mystery into their summer schedule when I wasn’t looking. Enjoy drinks and appetizers while Hercule Poirot tries to solve another murder.
$50, 7:30 p.m., Theatre Exile, 1340 South 13th Street.

MOVIES/MUSIC
Aladdin in Concert
Watch the 1992 Disney cartoon — about a, impoverished thief who uses dark magic to seduce a naïve princess — while the Philadelphia Orchestra plays the score, conducted by Susie Benchasil Seiter. The movie stars Robin Williams as a djinn whose existence is split between perpetual captivity and uncontrollable riffing.
$28-$78, 8 p.m., Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Avenue.

MUSIC
Velvet Rouge
The Philly/LA band celebrates the release of their self-titled EP at JB’s on Saturday. Keep an ear out for the single “I Don’t Know Why.” “It is the song that I wrote after being cancelled on last minute for a major label meeting,” singer (and The Voice alum) Gina Zo wrote on FB recently. That’s motivation. Caring Less and Lazerdisc open the show.
$15, 9 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.

MUSIC
Previous Industries
It’s a supergroup! Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave and STILL RIFT — three Chicago rappers living and working in LA — have united under the Previous Industries moniker, and last month dropped an LP on Merge Records called Service Merchandise. Now watch this Jaws-inspired video.
$27.61, 8:30 p.m., MilkBoy, 1100 Chestnut Street.

MUSIC/TRIBUTE
Ramonesmania
DanJoMar — featuring Joe Jack Talcum and Dan Stevens of The Dead Milkmen — and Mikey Erg of the Ergs pay tribute to punk heroes the Ramones.
$14-$20, 7:30 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.

BEER/DOGS
Puppy Pool Party
BYO dog to this family-friendly party at Evil Genius in Fishtown featuring portable dog pools and splash pads, plus face painters, balloon artists, local artists, “finger friendly foods,” beer, non-alcoholic beverages and more.
Free to enter, noon-5 p.m., Evil Genius Beer Company, 1727 North Front Street.

OPERA
Opera in Victorian Philadelphia
Opera on Tap presents this outdoor garden recital at the Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion. “Local opera singers will serenade you with selections that Philadelphians heard at the Academy of Music during the nineteenth century, when the opera house was the center of the city’s cultural, social, and political lives.”
$20-$30, 4-6 p.m., Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, 200 West Tulpehocken Street.

BEER
Smörgåsbeer
The American Swedish Historical Museum hosts its annual summertime evening of lawn games, trivia, music, and regional and international beers alongside Swedish-inspired eats. This event is 21 and up.
$35-$40 ($15 for designated drivers), 6-9 p.m., American Swedish Historical Museum, 1900 Pattison Avenue.

MUSIC
Murder City Devils
It’s funny that I think of Tullycraft when I see the words Murder City Devils all lined up like that, since the former is a gentle indie pop band that happened to namecheck the latter 20 years ago. Meanwhile, the Murder City Devils, well, they sound all loose and scary, like if Camper van Beethoven made an even worse deal with Satan. With TERMINATor.
$20-$60, 8:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl Philly, 1009 Canal Street.

More Saturday Stuff

• BOOKS/ART: Jeffrey Everett, author/artist of Let It Bleed: 20 Years of Concert Poster Design, talking with artist Alex Eckman-Lawn. Free, 5-8 p.m., Partners and Son, 618 South 6th Street.
• COCKTAILS/PARTY: Culture Fest, “a celebration of culture and kinfolk” with art, games, DJs and more. $0-$30, 3-8 p.m., Liberty Point, 211 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard.
• MUSIC: Fiddlehead, with Gel, Soul Blind and Milly. $25-$28, 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street.
• MUSIC: Sloppy Seconds, with The Queers and Raging Nathans. $25, 7:30 p.m., Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 North Front Street.
• MUSIC: Wobbleland, with Svdden Death, Calcium, OG Nixin, Stoned Level and Muerte. $20-$145, 5 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 East Allen Street.
• MUSIC: East Axis. $37.08, 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street.
• MUSIC/TRIBUTE: Back to Back to Black: The Amy Winehouse Celebration, featuring Remember Jones. $20-$35, 8 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
• MUSIC/GOD: Reverend Kristin Michael Hayer. $30, 7:30 p.m., Sanctuary at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut Street.
• DRAG BRUNCH: Chappell Roan VS Charli XCX Drag Brunch, with Buzz Gworls. $18-$25, noon, City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
• MOVIES: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg, 1977). $15.50, 12:30 p.m., Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
• MOVIES: The Omen (Richard Donner, 1976). $15.50, 6 p.m., Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
• MOVIES: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982). $5, 10 a.m., Hiway Theater, 212 Old York Road, Jenkintown.
• MUSIC: John Gorka, with Scotty Rovner & Rich Myers as Sweet Corn. $16, 7 p.m., Bryn Mawr Gazebo, 9 South Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr.
• SHOPPING: Philly Vintage Flea. $50-$20, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks.
• ART-MAKING: Hands-On Clay: Catch-All Dishes. Free, 1-4 p.m., The Clay Studio, 1425 North American Street.

SUNDAY, JULY 28th

MOVIES
Spirit Riser / Psychic Vampire
Bloodsick Underground Cinema presents double feature of independent supernatural horror movies making their Philadelphia premieres with both filmmakers in attendance: Dylan Mars Greenberg’s Spirit Riser and Tate Hoffmaster’s Psychic Vampire.
$14.93, 7 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.

COMEDY/PODCASTS
85 South Show Live
Comedians/podcasters DC Young Fly, Karlous Miller, and Chico Bean land at the Liacouras Center on Sunday to show off their improv, freestyling, and roasting skills.
$31-$196, 7 p.m., The Liacouras Center, 1776 North Broad Street.

FOOD/DRINK
Rembrandt Beer
Pennsbury Manor’s historic brew club, Quakers Behaving Badlye Brewing Co., will present a live demonstration of the making of “Rembrandt beer,” the shade of which will resemble the beer in Rembrandt’s painting The Prodigal Son in the Tavern.
$5-$9 admission to the venue, July 28, 1-4 p.m., Pennsbury Manor, 400 Pennsbury Memorial Road, Morrisville.

MUSIC
Vacations
The Australian/Angeleno indie-pop band released No Place Like Home, in January, a record inspired by frontman Campbell Burns’ OCD diagnosis and relocation from his New South Wales home. Get to Union Transfer early on Sunday to catch Lunar Vacation and a solo acoustic set by Alex Lahey.
$30-$35, 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street.

MUSIC
CultJam Live
Yes, as in Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. Lisa’s not here and they smushed their band name together, but this is the same pop band that delivered big-time ’80s hits like “Head to Toe,” “Lost in Emotion,” ” I Wonder If I Take You Home,” and more. Looks like they’re on their Classic Rewind and Fresh Fast Forward tour.
$12.50-$35, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.

MUSIC
Taylor Kelly
The Rochester-born, Berklee-trained, Philly-based jazz-soul singer celebrates the release of her new EP The Spins at Johnny Brenda’s on Sunday. With Rachel Andie and Human Bloom.
$15, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.

More Sunday Stuff

• DRAG BRUNCH: Mamma Mia! An Abba Fabulous Brunch, with the Neon Queen. $10-$30, noon, City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
• POETRY: Scribes on South. Free, 7 p.m., Tattooed Mom, 530 South Street.
• MUSIC: O.A.R., with Fitz and The Tantrums and DJ Logic. $20-$102, 7 p.m., Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Avenue.
• MUSIC: Foreigner, with Styx and John Waite. $21-$211, Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, 1 Harbour Boulevard, Camden.
• MOVIES: Craig Bickhardt, with John Flynn. Free, 7 p.m., Bryn Mawr Gazebo, 9 South Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr.
• MOVIES: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg, 1977). $15.50, 3 p.m., Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
• MOVIES:The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock, 1956). $15, 4 p.m., Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr.
• MUSIC: Rhett Miller. $29.50-$45, 7:30 p.m., Sellersville Theater, 24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville.
• MUSIC: Richard Thompson. $60, 8 p.m., Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Avenue Cape May.

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