African Dance Bash
For the first time, we’re bringing you three classes in one night, including our newest addition: Soca Fitness! If you’ve been looking for a fun way to move your body, release stress, and reconnect through rhythm, movement, and community, this is the perfect night out. Bring a friend and come experience the joy of movement, music, and community together! At Kulu Mele, we believe movement is medicine. Through rhythm, culture, music, and community, we reconnect with joy and leave feeling energized and uplifted. All levels welcome. Come dance, sweat, smile, and let the rhythm move you! Pay at the door. Soca Fitness at 6 p.m., Afro-Cuban dance at 7 p.m., and West African dance at 8 p.m.
Where: Community Education Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave.
Broadway Cabaret at Rittenhouse Grill
Beth Leavel closes the Rittenhouse Grill season, bringing her trademark wit, powerhouse vocals, and vibrant stage presence to Rittenhouse Grill. A Tony Award winner for The Drowsy Chaperone and a three-time Tony nominee, Leavel recently completed her fifteenth Broadway show in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends and was honored with the 2025 Sarah Siddons Society Award for outstanding artistic achievement. Her extensive Broadway career includes originating major roles and delivering standout performances in productions such as Lempicka, Bandstand, Elf, The Civil War, Crazy for You, Mamma Mia!, Young Frankenstein, the revival of 42nd Street, and Show Boat. Leavel has earned nationwide acclaim for her cabaret performances, bringing humor, heart, and unmistakable star quality to every stage she graces.
Where: Rittenhouse Grill, 1701 Locust St.
Night Market
East Market’s vibrant, weekly Night Market transforms Chestnut Walk into a glowing open-air marketplace every Tuesday evening this spring. Weather permitting, visitors can explore a curated mix of local vendors offering fresh food, handcrafted goods, seasonal produce, plants, and much more, all set against the backdrop of live music and a lively happy hour atmosphere. Happy hour specials from the East Market Bar Cart and seasonal samples from restaurants Mi Vida and The Wayward add to the fun. Guests are encouraged to stroll beneath string lights, discover unique offerings at each vendor’s booth and unwind with friends as the sun sets over East Market.
When: Tuesdays through June 16 from 3–7 p.m.
Where: Chestnut Walk, 34 S. 11th St.
After Hours at the Museum for Art in Wood
Visitors are welcome to an evening at the Museum and experience our current exhibitions, BA Harrington: Suite Américaine, Viola Bordon: Muliebrity, and A Room of Their Own: Still-Life Sculpture and the Creative Interior. While you’re here, be sure to explore the permanent collection and shop the Museum Store. Also, a free hands-on craft table will be available for guests to get into a flow state after a busy day.
When: Wednesday, May 20 from 5-7 p.m.
Where: Museum for Art in Wood, 141 N. 3rd St.
”Dear Evan Hansen”
Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Dear Evan Hansen follows Evan, a high school senior who becomes entangled in a misunderstanding that grows into a fabricated story he cannot control. As the lie deepens, Evan must navigate the exciting new connections he’s created and the truth he’s avoiding. Featuring iconic songs like “Waving Through a Window” and “You Will Be Found,” this all-new production explores how young people navigate connection and mental health against today’s all-consuming social media landscape. This production is co-conceived with Jorge Cousineau, a longtime collaborator of the Arden whose past scenic and projection work includes Sunday in the Park with George, Next to Normal, and The Lehman Trilogy. In this production, projections and screens create a world where digital and real life intersect, reflecting how quickly a single moment can spiral in the age of social media.
When: Thursday, May 21-June 29
Where: Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd St.
Twilight in the Gardens
Celebrate the spring season with music and art at the first Twilight in the Gardens of the year! Bring a blanket, snacks, and drinks to picnic in our space and kick back to a live performance by Maya Simone to both soothe your soul and electrify your spirit. Backed by Christian Klinefelter, and a special guest, Maya hopes to bring a soulful, immersive sound experience to Twilight in the Gardens, where music, nature, and community meet. At the art tables, artist Linda Shen will be teaching attendees the art of agamographs! An agamograph is a type of kinetic art that changes images when you view it from different angles. Visitors can design their own two images and transform it into one 3-D piece, showing their creativity by creating their own drawings, collages, or a mix of both as part of a piece of optical illusion artwork! Attendees also have the chance to learn more about Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens through fun, casual self-guided tours of our mosaicked basement, and check out “Entre Raíces y Alas or Between Roots and Wings: Works by Santiago Galeas” in the indoor galleries. Space is limited, tickets are required.
When: Friday, May 22 from 7-10 p.m.
Where: Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, 1020 South St.
Twilight Tours
Enjoy a free after-hours walking tour around the national park hosted by Independence Historical Trust. Knowledgeable Twilight Guides lead visitors through iconic landmarks and hidden corners, sharing stories that bring Philadelphia’s history to life. Meeting Point at the Liberty Bell Center viewing window.
When: Friday, May 22-Sept. 7 at 5:15 p.m.
Where: Liberty Bell Center, 101 S. Independence Mall W.
”Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly”
Just in time to mark America’s 250th, Morris Arboretum & Gardens brings America’s past and present vividly to life through three interconnected exhibitions. Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly invites visitors of all ages to take a miniature journey through eighteenth-century Philadelphia. Bustling model trains wind along more than a third of a mile of track, passing handcrafted replicas of iconic landmarks such as Independence Hall, and scenes modeled after events like the Battle of Germantown. Running in conjunction with the Garden Railway, the self-guided exhibition Plants from the Colonial Era highlights the trees, herbs, and flowers that fed, healed, sheltered, and inspired colonial Philadelphians.
When: Friday, May 22-Sept. 30
Where: Morris Arboretum & Gardens, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.
Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest
The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation welcomes the return of Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest for its 2026 Season. While Summerfest returns for the season with its signature roller skating in partnership with Independence Blue Cross, DRWC is expanding its wellness programming across its Waterfront parks, offering more opportunities for visitors to stay active through accessible outdoor experiences, including Wellness on the Waterfront: Yoga at Race Street Pier presented by Independence Blue Cross, Tai Chi at Spruce Street Harbor Park, and Fishing with Friends at Pier 68 in partnership with Riverways. The Independence Blue Cross RiverRink has long shaped the Philadelphia Delaware River Waterfront as the go-to destination for seasonal traditions and outdoor recreation. This Summer 2026, Independence Blue Cross RiverRink will transform into Summerfest – offering Philadelphia’s ONLY outdoor roller-skating rink – to create the ultimate family-friendly summer hangout. Against the backdrop of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Summerfest will continue to prioritize accessibility with free entry and flexible, pay-as-you-go options that invite visitors to create their own experience
When: Friday, May 22-September
Where: Spruce Street Harbor Park, 301 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.
Somewhere in Philly: Rock the Block Logan Community Festival
For the first time in 30 Years, Logan comes alive with a community festival featuring local artists, special celebrity guests, food, and fun. The event is Sponsored by The City of Philadelphia Commerce Department, Councilwoman Cindy Bass, LaSalle University, Black Fish Music Distribution and Alston Automotive. Celebrity Performance by Schooly D and others.
When: Saturday, May 23 from 12-5 p.m.
Where: 4900 Block of Old York Road
Move. Connect Recharge at PHIL-LIT! SOCIAL
This is not your typical wellness event. Enjoy a full night of movement, music, dancing, food, and connection all under one roof. PHIL-LIT! SOCIAL happening one night only! We’re bringing together some amazing Philly instructors for a beginner-friendly wellness party where you can move at your own pace and just enjoy the atmosphere. Attendees can expect a live DJ all night, group wellness sessions, line dancing, food and social time, and good people and good vibes. This event is about wellness, fun, and community in a way that feels real and welcoming. Tickets are required.
When: Saturday, May 23 from 6–9 p.m.
Where: New Journey Christian Center, 1001 E. Chelten Ave.
Ari Lennox comes to Philly
GRAMMY-nominated R&B powerhouse Ari Lennox is hitting the road in 2026 with her highly anticipated North American tour in support of her critically acclaimed third studio album “Vacancy.” Lennox is soul in its purest form: fearless, radiant, and singular. Hailing from Washington, D.C., the GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter has built a career rooted in emotional honesty, anchored by vocal excellence, and guided by artistic integrity. Her live presence is equally compelling. From major festival stages to her sold-out 2023 headlining tour, which moved nearly 90,000 tickets worldwide, she continues to connect deeply with a wide range of audiences. With Vacancy, Ari Lennox steps fully into her “Soft Girl Era,” not as a reinvention, but as a refinement. A decade into her career, she is grounded in her voice, confident in her vision, and continuing to shape the future of soul music on her own terms.
When: Sunday, May 24 at 8 p.m.
Where: The Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad St.
”The Weight of Time” at Morton Contemporary
Morton Contemporary is proud to present “The Weight of Time,” an intimate exhibition featuring a group of ten artists all presently incarcerated at SCI Phoenix prison in Pennsylvania. Each artist offers a deeply personal reflection on coming of age and growing old behind bars, collectively forming a portrait of lives shaped by confinement and the passage of time. As a unified body of work, this group exhibition powerfully depicts a community of men navigating the realities of daily life in prison as they meditate on the past, endure the present, and reach toward an uncertain future.
When: through Monday, May 25
Where: Morton Contemporary Art Gallery, 115 S. 13th St.
”The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales”
This spring, Arden Children’s Theatre invites families into a hilariously twisted world where classic fairy tales don’t go quite as expected in its final production of the 2025/26 season, “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.” Based on the beloved book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, adapted by John Glore, the production brings the book’s whimsically fractured fairy tales to life for kids and adults alike. Directed by Steve Pacek, the laugh-out-loud production is where fairy tales get scrambled, mixed up, and turned upside down. Classic fairy tales get scrambled and turned upside down. The Ugly Duckling doesn’t become a beautiful swan, just a Really Ugly Duck. A princess kisses a frog and ends up with a mouthful of slime. Familiar characters wander in and out of the wrong stories, narrators lose control of the plot, and the title character himself, a very smelly cheese, tries to steal the spotlight.
When: through Sunday, May 31
Where: Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd St.
Cirque du Soleil’s “LUZIA”
Cirque du Soleil’s iconic Big Top returns to the greater Philadelphia area for the first time since 2023 with its delightfully-imaginative and visually-stunning production LUZIA, a waking dream of Mexico. Audiences are invited under the famed Big Top to escape to an imaginary Mexico: a sumptuous world suspended between dreams and reality. In a series of grand visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances, LUZIA takes audiences on a surrealistic journey through a vibrant world filled with wonders, playfulness and striking artistry. Smoothly passing from an old movie set to the ocean to a smoky dance hall or an arid desert, LUZIA cleverly brings to the stage multiple places, faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity. Rich in awe- inspiring moments, LUZIA enchants by incorporating rain into acrobatic and artistic scenes – a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production.
When: through Sunday, June 7
Where: The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, 100 Station Ave., Oaks, PA 19456
Stamp Rally
April marks the return of Historic Germantown’s highly-anticipated spring Stamp Rally. The theme for the popular program is “Trees of Germantown.” The free program allows participants to pick up a passport book and collect stamps at various sites, providing residents and visitors with a fun, interactive way to explore Germantown. Participants have the opportunity to discover the neighborhood through an entertaining scavenger hunt, with prizes awarded to those who complete the challenge.
When: through Sunday, June 21
Where: various locations throughout Germantown
”America Today: Voices in Contemporary Print” at the Print Center
“America Today: Voices in Contemporary Print” brings the works of more than 30 artists from across the country together to explore core principles of democracy, including civil rights, social justice, racial equality, and political engagement. With Philadelphia at the center of America’s founding, the exhibition bridges past and present, inviting audiences to reflect on how democratic ideals continue to evolve at a pivotal moment in the nation’s history. Featuring widely recognized artists whose work has been exhibited in major museums around the world, “America Today” offers a compelling opportunity to engage with contemporary perspectives on urgent national issues.
When: through Saturday, July 25
Where: The Print Center, 1614 Latimer St.
”Muliebrity” by Viola Bordon
Philadelphia-based interdisciplinary textile artist and educator Viola Bordon blends sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and fibers to explore the interplay between materiality and environmental fluctuation. Her textile-focused practice draws upon pre-industrial craft techniques like weaving and quilting, intertwining them with inquiries into contemporary issues in our society. For Radical Americana, Bordon conducted research at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to create her exhibition, Muliebrity, where she examines the invention and evolving meanings of American liberty in the national identity.
When: through Sunday, July 26
Where: Museum for Art in Wood, 141 N. 3rd St.
”Freedom Dreams” at the Barnes
As Philadelphia and the nation prepare to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, Freedom Dreams brings together powerful works by artists in film, video, and installation that invite viewers to immerse themselves in the memories, dreams, and histories of Black Americans. The exhibition features works by Arthur Jafa, David Hartt, Garrett Bradley, Ja’Tovia Gary, and Tourmaline, all exploring history, archives, and cultural memory. Freedom Dreams highlights the fluid boundary between past, present, and future and encourages viewers to reflect on how Americans of color have shaped identities and created spaces of resistance, joy, and resilience in the face of systemic oppression. The exhibition is co-curated by Maori Karmael Holmes, Chief Executive and Artistic Officer of BlackStar Projects, and James Claiborne, Fleischner Family Vice President for Engagement at the Barnes.
When: through Sunday, Aug. 9
Where: The Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.
”Printmaking by the People: Posters for a Reimagined Declaration of Independence” at Parkway Central Library
What would the Declaration of Independence say if ordinary people from all walks of life came together to write it today? This spring, Mural Arts Philadelphia and the Free Library of Philadelphia present Printmaking by the People: Posters for a Reimagined Declaration of Independence, an exhibition of hundreds of posters created by Philadelphians who were asked to share their visions of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This special exhibition is part of Printmaking by the People, the largest 2026 public art and engagement project in Philadelphia inspired by the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding. The vibrant, colorful, and compelling artworks in the exhibition were created by hand in 35 artist-led workshops, held in 13 neighborhoods across the city. Over a thousand people attended these workshops, utilizing various printmaking techniques to bring their ideas to life—including some of the very same techniques used to communicate during the time of the American Revolution. The result is hundreds of unique posters and prints, representing a rich and diverse assemblage of aspirations for our nation, our city, and ourselves, as we move into the next chapter of our country’s historic journey.
When: through August 2026
Where: Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St.
“Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design” at AAMP
The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) presents a cultural milestone exhibition “Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design.” The acclaimed exhibition, celebrating the power of art, identity, and imagination, marks its Philadelphia debut with nearly 80 original costumes from films that have shaped global culture — including “Black Panther,” “Selma,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Amistad,” “Dolomite is My Name,” “Coming 2 America,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and, for the first time ever, “Sinners.” As the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards, Ruth E. Carter has transformed costume design into a form of cultural storytelling, honoring the past while envisioning what’s possible for the future. Her journey from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Hollywood’s most celebrated stages resonates deeply with Philadelphians.
When: through Sunday, Sept. 6
Where: African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St.
”Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition” at Franklin Institute
Step inside the creative and innovative world of theme parks through the lens of Universal’s fan-favorite attractions, including “Jaws,” “Illumination’s Minions,” “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Sing,” SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™, “Jurassic World,” DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon,” Universal Monsters, and more. Play your way through eight themed galleries, where 100 original artifacts bring each experience to life. From authentic costumes and iconic props to early concept models, experience the creativity, artistry, and innovation behind Universal’s most epic attractions. Snap a photo, storyboard a ride, design and animate horror masks, cue a live show, and experiment with animation and projection mapping — all while hearing directly from the creators, animators, and show writers who make it happen. “Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition” is a timed-entry exhibit, which allows the museum to manage the number of guests in the exhibit, providing the best possible experience for everyone. Advanced tickets are recommended.
When: through Monday, Sept. 7
Where: The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.
”Paths to Independence, 1765-1787” at HSP
In 1763, most American colonists proudly saw themselves as members of the British Empire. Yet by 1776, many were ready to break from Britain and condemn King George III as a ‘Royal Brute.’ Paths to Independence explores how this remarkable shift happened in just over a decade. The exhibit showcases rare documents from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania—including letters, pamphlets, broadsides, prints, and early drafts of the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution. Tracing the complex path to American independence, these documents reveal the ideas of well‑known leaders such as Benjamin Franklin, John Dickinson, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Wilson, as well as the everyday Philadelphians whose experiences shaped the struggle for independence.
When: through Friday, Sept. 18
Where: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St.
”Ancient Egypt in Watercolors: Paintings and Artifacts from Dra Abu el-Naga” at Penn Museum
Spotlighting century-old watercolor paintings by Egyptian artist Ahmed Yousef, Ancient Egypt in Watercolors: Paintings and Artifacts from Dra Abu el-Naga will go on view at the Penn Museum. Last exhibited in Cairo during the 1920s, the watercolor paintings have been carefully preserved in the Penn Museum’s Archives for more than 100 years. They have never been on display in the United States. Ancient Egypt in Watercolors reveals the often underappreciated, but critical function of art in archaeology. The 1,500 sq. ft. exhibition highlights elaborately decorated tomb chapels during the New Kingdom (approximately 1550 BCE-1070 BCE), a “golden age” that marked the height of Egypt’s power and wealth. Many affluent officials built their tombs at Dra Abu el-Naga — a key part of the larger Theban Necropolis. Their tomb paintings show scenes from everyday life and imagery depicting the journey to the netherworld — illuminating how much the ancient Egyptians valued family bonds, honoring their ancestors, and continuing one’s identity into the next life. Ancient Egypt in Watercolors will close in November—just ahead of the grand opening for the Penn Museum’s Egypt Galleries: Life and Afterlife on Dec. 12.
When: through November 2026
Where: Penn Museum, 3260 South St.
Stay informed and connected — subscribe to The Philadelphia Tribune NOW! Click Here