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City Cast Philly

Find the best that Philadelphia has to offer.

Siani Colón

, it’s a good time to start thinking about what to plant in your garden this season. 

 to your plot and pot. Not sure where to find some? Here are some upcoming plant sales and swaps to spruce up your garden while supporting local businesses.

Remember the former Greensgrow Farm in Kensington? The 

 is taking over in partnership with the New Kensington Community Development Corporation. The institute is kicking this new era off with an 

. Attendees can go on a "wonder walk" that includes snacks and plant activities led by staff. The organization has also opened plant orders. 

 on April 18 to celebrate Earth Day. Make native plant 

 with other community members, along with other activities, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

 on April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The street will be blocked off outside of the MLK Triangle to make way for workshops, music, and plenty of plant supplies. Interested in vending? 

 of Philadelphia County are bringing their 

 on April 26. Guests can browse over a hundred plants, from tasty veggies to fragrant herbs and beginner-friendly houseplants. There will also be opportunities to attend garden tours, plant demos, and workshops.

Stock up on pollinator plants, herbs, and more at 

. Sales will happen on April 21, May 9, June 13, May 30, and Sept. 12. Be sure to check out the 

 while you’re visiting during the weekend.

Support students at Philly’s agriculture high school by attending its 

 on May 2. Not only will you have the opportunity to purchase plants, but you can also receive free vegetable seeds. Stick around and see the students show off the skills they’re learning.

Germantown Residents for Economic Alternatives Together

demonstrations on living well on a budget

 at this event on May 2. Aside from a seed exchange, 

 a foraging walk and citrus juice-making workshop. All activities will be at the Wyck Historic House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Head further up Germantown Avenue the following day to Chestnut Hill for its annual 

 on May 3. Browse plants, pots, and other garden decor from over 300 vendors along the corridor.

PHS hosts monthly plant swaps at its pop-up gardens in 

. Keep an eye on its calendar for other plant workshops throughout the season.

Several festivals and businesses are hosting major pop-up sales to help you find the perfect plants for your garden. 

Where To Shop For and Swap Plants in Philly

Shop and Swap at These Spring Plant Pop-Ups

Find the best of everything that Philadelphia has to offer.

Philly’s Best

Philly's Best

It’s officially April! It’s not just the plants and animals waking from their slumber — Philly’s coming alive this month with outdoor festivals, arts celebrations, and opportunities to give back to our planet. 

This may not be the most exciting announcement to start with, but it is the most important. The deadline to file your taxes is April 15. Several organizations in Philly can 

, and this year you can keep that legacy going strong. Aside from starting small by 

, there are several communal opportunities throughout April. Protect the 

 is back for a second year. Attend live shows all over the city, from a 

. Once the month-long celebration is over, keep up with Philly’s jazz scene 

The Philadelphia School of Circus Arts is hosting free shows and workshops as part of 

, intro courses will only cost $5.20 from April 11 through April 17.

Head over to the Philadelphia Ethical Society on April 12 for the 

 to host this day-long meetup with over 40 local organizations. Join a bike club, book club, or choir. The options are endless.

 is an opportunity for local creatives, from hackers to potters, to show off what they’ve been working on. The DIY celebration of science, arts, and technology takes place on April 19 at Cherry Street Pier.

Pay-What-You-Can at These Live Performances

. The annual celebration of the stage features over 50 performances and workshops throughout the Philadelphia region between April 23 and May 3. See shows from classics such as William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” to a lecture/punk-rock concert with “Fascist Groove.”

City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri will be interviewing "Our Missing Hearts" author Celeste Ng for the Free Library's 

 kick-off celebration on April 7. The event is sold out, but there are 

 celebrating Philly’s favorite annual reading tradition throughout this month and next.

More April Events

Philly’s making sure you spend the whole month outside. 

Your Guide to Philadelphia in April 2026

How to Spend April 2026 in Philly

Spring has just started, but now’s the time to start researching and applying to summer programs. Finding the right one can be difficult and overwhelming. Luckily, several camps across the city offer activities in the arts, music, and technology to help you find the right fit.

Germantown Friends School | 31 W. Coulter St.

 offers a range of activities to personalize a camper’s summer. Subjects include chess, wrestling, mural painting, nature chemistry, and Greek Mythology.

The programs for rising preschoolers and pre-kindergarteners run from June 15 through July 17. For participants entering kindergarten through ninth grade, the program runs from June 15 through July 31. Children don’t need to be enrolled at Germantown Friends School to attend its camps.

Fleisher Art Memorial | 719 Catherine St.

 runs special summer art programs for youth ages 5 to 18. Classes are organized in three separate age ranges. Topics include mosaics, puppetry, and fiber arts. Because the subject changes weekly, campers can join a specific week of interest or complete different projects throughout the summer. The camp runs from June 15 through July 31.

Yes! And…Collaborative Arts | Multiple Locations

’s summer programs have an arts concentration. Campers can sign up for more traditional topics, such as Theater Camp or Musical Theatre Creation Camp, to either perform on stage or write a musical. Other offerings include Imagination Camp, which uses play to foster creativity; Sort of Things Camp, which connects participants with professional artists; and Shadow Company, which teaches students skills to produce a show for the FringeArts Festival. Each specialized camp has its own schedule with different start and end dates between June and August.

Old Pine Community Center | 401 Lombard St.

 promises nine weeks of fun for its young campers. Children can enjoy the playground, sports, music, arts and crafts, and science programming. Located centrally in the city, the experience offers additional enrichment through field trips. Old Pine’s camp runs from June 22 through August 22.

Viva Verano | 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square, Second Floor

Learn a new language and immerse yourself in cultures across Latin America. 

Viva Verano’s Spanish Immersion Summer Camp

 is taking over the Philadelphia Ethical Society between June 15 and July 31. Campers will explore art, music, and food across the Americas. The program is accessible to new learners and heritage speakers.

Need help finding more summer programs? Use the city’s 

Keep your child engaged while school’s out of session at these local camps. 

Where To Send Your Kid This Summer for Camp in Philly

What value is a bank that stores no money?

Enter the Ministry of Awe, the newest addition to Philadelphia’s art scene. The former Manufacturers National Bank, originally designed by architect Frank Furness, has been transformed into a surreal, immersive art experience that feels like equal parts bank, playhouse, museum, and escape room 一 while also being none of those things.

 Meg Saligman, who serves as the Ministrix of Awe and executive creative director.

“What if we built a place that treats wonder like a serious resource?” Saligman said. “What do you value? What if we create a bank where your attention is the deposit, and your curiosity is the interest rate, and what you withdraw is something you forgot you were allowed to feel?”

The Ministry of Awe indeed requires your undivided attention. As you, the “account holder,” first walk into its lobby, you find yourself in what seems like an old bank. Until you notice something 

Perhaps it’s the giant eyeball watching your every move. Or the enormous nose sniffing you. Maybe it's the disembodied head behind the bars of a teller booth.

The oddities only increase as you wander the nonlinear labyrinth within the six-story building. Each room feels like its own pocket dimension that you can enter by climbing colorful stairwells decorated with murals or venturing through hidden doors. It’s almost uncertain where the art ends and where the bank itself begins, if such a distinction even exists.

All the artwork was completed in collaboration with over 100 Philadelphia-based artists whose work ranges from live performances to set design. The worlds they’ve built explore themes of life, death, memory, connectivity, insecurity, and participation.

You can explore several departments, such as The Vault, where you can rummage through its drawers to unlock its secrets (and some human teeth); the Jewelry Box’s immersive sound experience; The Department of Final Affairs, which passes through the land of the living and the dead; and The Heavens, the celestial space that evolves with as you speak through a mic using AI technology. As you walk around, you’ll run into several characters across the departments and gain insight into the overarching story being told.

“We got to really have fun playing with ideas of management and organs around an institution,” said narrative artist Mimi Hacking. “In general, making something we hope feels alive and forestalls the foreclosure of the human soul.”

Visitors could easily spend hours in the building. No experience will be quite the same. The space not only invites artists to collaborate; it invites them to come 

 and update the stories they’ve created. How you experience an installation today can be much different six months from now, leaving more for you to explore.

“Each act of wonder yields infinite returns,” Saligman said.

The Ministry of Awe is now open. General admission is $29.99. 

The Ministry of Awe invites curiosity as guests interact with performances, art installations, and secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Ministry of Awe Runs Wild With Imagination

Human Spirit Is the Currency at This Bank Turned Art Experience

After a chilling winter, we’re ready to put the snow behind us and enjoy the extended daylight. 

 could bring us down. These are our recs to make the most out of March.

 through March 8. This is the neighborhood’s first winter restaurant week, as it typically takes place in the fall. Right after that, head over to Mt. Airy for its 

 from March 9 to 15. If you’re more interested in the drinks, the 

 has returned to Northern Liberties. Here are some tips for 

Head to the theater and see the latest stage productions that Philly has to offer. If you’re into the classics, the Arden Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare’s 

 pushes boundaries with comedic performances that promise to make you “laugh and squirm” between March 18 and 29. Sing along to the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll at “TINA - The Tina Turner Musical” at the Miller Theater from March 10 to 15.

 in the country is honoring the nation’s founding with “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening.” The event runs until March 8.

 will take over Center City’s streets on March 15. This year’s theme celebrates 250 years of Irish contributions to America.

It’s Oscars Season! You don’t need to travel to Hollywood to get a taste of it. The Philadelphia Film Society is hosting an 

 on March 15 complete with curated food and drinks, a photo booth, and a silent auction to support PFS.

Pause and breathe in the fresh air at Laurel Hill Cemetery’s 

 on March 21. Enter the season of renewal by walking through its arboretum with a focus on transformation and balance.

 against the Texas Rangers is on March 26. Here are some tips for having the 

Cheer on our other teams whose seasons are still in full swing. 

 have seven home games this month and so do the 

, who will have special nights including a birthday bash for Franklin and a homecoming night with limited-edition Mitchell & Ness t-shirts. The 

 just started at the end of February, so you’re just in time to join the hype.

From parades to ball games, here’s how Philly’s welcoming the springtime this March 


Your Guide to Philadelphia in March 2026

How to Spend March 2026 in Philly

If you’re single this Valentine’s Day, you’re not alone. Philly was ranked 

 in 2024, and despite all the engagements you may be seeing on your Instagram feed these days, not everyone is paired up. So how can you find your match in a city of over a million people?

Sometimes it’s hard to put yourself out there, so why not let your friend do it for you? At 

, besties step in as wingmen spotlighting their pals’ best traits in the hopes of scoring them dates. Put together a three- to five-minute slideshow to show Philly why they should date your friend.

Maybe you want to take the initiative yourself but you’re not sure where to start? The brains behind 

 offer their two cents at pop-ups around the city to help you find the one. Services include a vent session, a gut check on your dating drama, and a review of your dating profile (to post or not to post that pic of you with a fish).

 puts on monthly speed-dating events for singles in their 20s, 30s, and 40s to help them find the one. Each event typically consists of a timed speed-dating session with open mingling afterward.

 curates regular happy hours, dance parties, and pop-up events to bring together women-loving women and transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming queer Philadelphians. While this is an opportunity to make new friends, it also could be a chance to meet “the one.”

Go back to the basics of starting up a conversation with a stranger at the bar and see where it goes. It’s worked out for over 200 couples who have found their match at this century-old Irish pub. 

 has prided itself as Philly’s cupid and even has a “Love Letters Book” 

keeping track of all its meet-cute stories

our conversation with professional matchmaker

Philly Love Stories

Where have you found love in Philly?

Are you without a valentine? These groups are matchmaking in Philadelphia year round. 


Where To Find a Date in Philly

Who’s Helping Philadelphians Find Love?

It’s February, the shortest month of the year. Make the most of it by adding these activities to your calendar.

 will have dedicated Black History Month programming across its branches, including a 

Black cultural heritage fair & celebration

 at Parkway Central Library on Feb. 21, a 

 event at Haddington Library on Feb. 24, and a 

 on Feb. 7. If you prefer to learn at your own pace, try a 

Learn about Philly’s connection to the Underground Railroad by 

Visit the Historical Society of Pennsylvania or join virtually on Feb. 22 for a talk on “

Black History in Times of Self-Evident Truths, Half-truths, and Untruths

Now+Then Marketplace’s Make Love Market

Find out your astrological love language at this 

 is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a live figure drawing night, accompanied by live music, themed mocktails and lattes, and charcuterie.

Whether you’re celebrating platonic or romantic love, toast to it at 

 on Feb. 14. Make your own bouquet, write love letters, and enjoy a complimentary cocktail and snacks as you party the night away.

 is already decked out in purple, green, and gold for its annual Mardi Gras pop-up. Stuff your face with king cake, crawfish mac and cheese, and jambalaya.

It isn’t Mardi Gras without a jazz band. 

 is coming to Chris’ Jazz Cafe on Feb. 17. There will be a parade heading down Chestnut Street to Broad Street and back up Sansom Street to finish the party inside the venue.

If you didn’t hit the ground running in January, here’s your chance to start the year fresh. The Lunar New Year is Feb. 17, but Philly’s Asian community has several days of celebrations.

Asian Americans United’s Lunar New Year Market

Ring in the new year on Feb. 18 with a song at 

 will be performing lion dances throughout the month, including during Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Midnight Parade on Feb. 16 or the Day Parade on Feb. 22.

 is celebrating both the Lunar New Year and Ramadan at Icebox Project Space on Feb. 21. Guests can enjoy workshops, live performances, spa services, mahjong, and a raffle with proceeds benefitting Juntos and Vietlead.

Philadelphia Brewing Co.’s Hearts & Farts Chili Cookoff

If one of your goals for this year was to eat somewhere new, two upcoming restaurant weeks are giving you that chance on a budget. 

Love is in the air in Philly, and these are the events we’re loving this month!

Your Guide to Philly in February 2026

What To Do in Philly in February 2026

City Cast Philly staff

Happy Hour has become the go-to activity to kick back and relax after work. But what if you’re sober, cutting back on your alcohol intake, or just tired of 

hanging out at the bar? Finding after-hours hangs can be tough, but if you look close enough, Philly has a range of zero-proof options to start your night with.

You deserve a treat after work. If you’re craving something sweet, visit Chinatown’s 

 Cake and Cafe. Known for its cute pastries in unique shapes like lambs and pandas, customers can opt for just a slice or the whole cake. If you’re feeling thirsty, you can choose from milkshakes, hot tea, or bubble tea. A La Mouse is open until 11 p.m. every day except Friday and Saturday, when hours are extended until midnight.

, Fishtown’s non-alcoholic bar 一 and the only one left in the city. If you are looking for the bar experience with exclusively zero-proof options, its extensive menu changes regularly. Sip on these craft cocktails anytime between 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays, 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

Catch up on the latest releases or watch some niche films with 

, sci-fi, or genre-bending flicks, movie nights can be a laid-back way to socialize with other movie buffs.

Not everyone is comfortable with solo nighttime outings in nature. Instead, try getting some fresh air at night with groups like 

. These birding clubs host meetups in the evening, as both dawn and dusk are optimal to catch avians in flight. And if you want to explore on your own time, 

If you want to talk (or yell) over something other than a drink, why not a board game? 

, including Queen & Rook, Board and Brew, and BUBS.

 also has an extensive game library, from card games to video games, available during its regular game nights. Snacks and nonalcoholic beverages are also available. Be sure to visit Maisy’s on other nights for a Super Smash melee tournament, trading card night, and Mario Kart tournament.

Who said skating was just for the kids? Local roller rinks such as 

 Skate Center are open every day of the week.

In addition to its regular programming, Philly Skateplex hosts adult skate nights with the schedule as follows:

Wednesdays, 9 p.m. to midnight with $10 admission

Thursdays, 9:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. with $13 admission

Thursdays (R&B Skate), 9:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. with $13 admission

Saturdays, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. with $13 admission

Sundays (R&B Skate), 8:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. with $15 admission

Rolling Thunder offers specials, including $1 admission from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays and $2 admission from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays.

🎧 Want even more suggestions? Be sure to 

listen to today's episode of City Cast Philly

 for ABV-free clubs to join, places to dance, and comedy clubs to laugh in all night long.

Wind down after your 9-5 with these alcohol-free activities around Philly.

Philly's Best

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How to Spend April 2026 in Philly

Where To Send Your Kid This Summer for Camp in Philly

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