By Molly Given

Looking for some fun and unique things to do in Philly this weekend? We’ve got you covered.

Jazz Night at Positano Coast

Positano celebrates the blues on the first Friday of every month, with 2026’s first iteration happening on Jan. 2. Featuring live music by the ‘To the Max’ Jazz Project, Philadelphians can hear soulful tunes from 6 to 10 p.m., while also ordering up some treats from Positano’s food and drink menu. Highlights span spicy fried calamari, four cheese arancini, pan-seared pork chops, chicken vodka flatbreads, sweet potato ravioli, vanilla cheesecake, a variety of cocktails and more.

212 Walnut St., 2nd floor, positanocoast.net

‘Fantasia’ with the Philadelphia Orchestra

For its 125th anniversary, the Philadelphia Orchestra is putting on a special concert series showcasing ‘Fantasia.’

In the late 1930s, under the baton of Leopold Stokowski, the Philadelphia Orchestra recorded much of the original 1940 Disney film’s soundtrack—including staples like Bach’s ‘Toccata’ and ‘Fugue in D-minor’, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker Suite’, Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’, Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’, and Mussorgsky’s ‘Night on Bald Mountain.’

Many of those tunes the Orchestra has continued to play to this day, and it’s just some of what Philadelphians will hear at the organization’s series, set to run for three shows from Jan. 2  to 4 at the Academy of Music on the Kimmel Cultural Campus.  Tickets (starting at around $60) are currently available online.

240 S. Broad St., philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org

A Very Longwood Christmas

‘A Longwood Christmas’ is one of the venue’s fan favorite traditions (on site through Jan. 11), with roots dating back to Pierre S. du Pont’s love of holiday tradition and spectacle.

For one, the conservatories are completely transformed  into “gemstone-inspired wonderlands.” What visitors will find wandering through the halls (and take note, the indoor spaces are quite massive) is a barrage of Christmas trees floating over water, an organist belting out festive tunes, light displays sprinkled throughout the flowers, and perhaps, a group of carolers on site to tie your experience up with a bow.

Outdoors, the venue is equally as decorated with more than half a million lights illuminating the gardens throughout different displays (like the Meadow Tunnel of Lights and Open Air Theatre’s Fountain Show.) One of the more unique aspects of the venue is its Garden Railway, made up of miniature trains. This time of year, it’s dressed to the nines with twinkling fixtures to add to its allure.

1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, longwoodgardens.org

Otherworld Philadelphia

Otherworld holds 55 unique rooms and installations, which visitors can explore in a self-guided tour. The concept is the brainchild of 100 artists, modelers, animators, creative technologists, fabricators and more, led by founder Jordan Renda. This particular venue encourages guests to freely explore and interact at their own pace with each section of the building. Visitors will find installations from local artists like Big Howl, Adam Crawford, Mz Icar, Evan Lovett, Sue Moerder, Kristin Scholz, Justin Gellar and David Guinn.

Through Jan. 4, locals can also check out ‘The Magic of Willow’ while there. The annual light show features 600 strands of LEDs that dance along to music throughout the space.

2500 Grant Ave #1, otherworldphila.com

Astra Lumina

Created to be an immersive, family-friendly experience, this one-mile pathway features cosmic lights, sound, and projections, and puts on a show where “nature and technology merge to tell the story of visiting stars descending to Earth before rising again to the night sky.”

Housed at the Abington Art Center, Astra Lumina will be open through March. Tickets start at $27 (there are also discounts for large groups) and can be bought online.

515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, feverup.com

Keywords

Philadelphia Orchestra,

Fantasia,

Longwood Gardens,

Positano Coast,

Astra Lumina