It’s finally spring! The sun is shining (when we’re not dealing with April showers, of course), the birds are chirping, and there are many outdoor events in Philly. You can look forward to food festivals, egg hunts, and Earth Day activities all month long this April.
👟 Explore
One of Philadelphia’s beauties are the cherry blossoms at the Shofuso Japanese Center in West Fairmount Park. Celebrate springtime and Japanese culture during Sakura Weekend at the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia on April 5 and 6. Tickets are $15. Participate in a traditional tea ceremony, listen to taiko drumming, and dress up in kimonos.
If you’re looking for a completely different vibe while everyone’s under the sakura trees, find the creepy, odd, and macabre at the World Oddities Expo. The expo is making a stop in Philly on April 5 and 6 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. A one-day general admission ticket is $20.
Check out the latest local and international movies at the Philadelphia Film Society’s Springfest. Enjoy a weekend full of independent, critically acclaimed work. Screenings will take place at PFS East in Old City from April 17 through 24. An all-access badge is $120 but you can purchase individual tickets for the screening of your choice. Maybe you’ll enjoy the films so much you’ll consider joining a local film club.
🍽️ Bon Appétit
Dine Latino Restaurant Week is back between April 6 and April 12. This season you can order from participating food trucks, attend a chef’s tasting, and score a free dessert or appetizer if you order two entrees.
Eat for a good cause by participating in Dining Out for Life on April 24. Over 30 participating restaurants will be donating a portion of sales to Action Wellness, which serves people living with HIV in Philadelphia, Bucks, and Delaware counties.
You’ll have to head down to Main Street with an empty stomach if you plan on going to the Manayunk StrEAT Festival, which food trucks and vendors will be taking over on April 27.
🎭 Shows To Watch
The Arden Theatre’s run of The Hobbit begins April 2, adapting the classic fantasy series into a stage production geared toward children. The performance will run through May 25.
Philly Theatre Week is back! Check out over 50 events, including stage performances of Pirate Queens and Juliet & Romeo. The celebration of local theatre will take place from April 3 through April 13. Tickets for all events are pay-what-you-wish. Select a show here.
Sesame Street isn’t the only place you can find a community of puppets. The Greater Philadelphia Area Puppetry Guild is hosting performances all day long for a National Day of Puppeteering Celebration. Get up close and personal on April 26 in Abington.
April is National Jazz Month. Listen to live music at the East Passyunk Jazz Crawl, Jazz Jam at the World Live Cafe, or Friday Night Jazz at Pretzel Park. The city’s curated a whole lineup of jazzy affairs throughout April.
Maybe you want to hear a spoken word performance? April’s also National Poetry Month. Listen to performances at Elfreth’s Alley, the Late(ish) Poetry Show, or the Wild Indigo Poetry Series.
🛍️ Shop Local
Philly Fat Con is making fashion size-inclusive with its Spring Fat Flea. Shoppers can support 20 vendors selling clothing, accessories, art, and other trinkets. The flea market will be at the Braid Mill in Germantown on April 27 from noon to 6 p.m. General admission is free but you can enter a raffle upon registration for $5-$20.
Peruse restaurants, shops, and other local vendors at the Fairmount Arts Crawl. The festival will take place April 27 both indoors and outdoors across the neighborhood.
🐰 Hop Into the Spring Spirit
No one runs faster than a kid participating in an egg hunt, and there’s several happening in Philly.
The Stenton Museum is hosting egg hunts, natural egg dyeing, and other crafting activities on April 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The Philly Egg Hunt is holding one event in Roxborough on April 12 and another in King of Prussia on April 19. The kiddos can scramble to collect eggs, take pictures with the Easter Bunny, and ride ponies.
The American Swedish Museum is having an Easter Family Day where children can dress up as Swedish Easter witches and participate in an egg hunt.
🌎 Give Mother Earth Some Love
Plant trees with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and neighborhood Tree Tenders groups throughout the month.
Volunteer on April 19 at the Farm at Awbury Arboretum, play with the goats from the Philly Goat Project, or participate in a foraging workshop.
Join the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education on April 26 for Naturepalooza.
