”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: ends Monday, May 25
Where: Morton Contemporary Art Gallery, 115 S. 13th 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.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Featuring music by legendary composers including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams, and Charles Mingus, alongside new works from the orchestra’s unrivaled collection of world-renowned composers and arrangers, the evening highlights the extraordinary artistry that has redefined modern big band music. Under Marsalis’ direction, the ensemble delivers performances marked by swinging rhythms, soulful melodies, and electrifying improvisation — each one a celebration of the enduring spirit and influence of jazz.
When: Tuesday, May 26 at 7 p.m.
Where: Marian Anderson Hall, inside the Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St.
”The Outsiders”
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their Greaser family of ‘outsiders’ battle with their affluent rivals, the Socs. The Outsiders navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, “The Outsiders” is a story of friendship, family, belonging… and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.”
When: Tuesday, May 26-June 7
Where: Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.
Open Wardrobe Offers Free Attire for Parents and Caregivers
With a mission of eliminating clothing insecurity, The Wardrobe opens its doors this month for parents and caregivers to access free attire. This month’s Open Wardrobe – the nonprofit organization’s monthly open event to meet the needs of specific communities – will offer attire for all parents and caregivers in need of free clothing. Participants will receive free clothing along with additional community resources. This event is open to any parent or caregiver in need of clothing. All styles, genders, and sizes welcome. All participants must RSVP at wardrobepa.org/open-wardrobe.
Where: Available at five Wardrobe locations: 413 N 4th St., Philadelphia; 62 W. Marshall Rd. Upper Darby; 345 Scarlett Road, Kennett Square; the Exton Square Mall (2nd floor near Boscov’s), and 536 George St., Norristown.
Concourse Lake Community Workday
Join Fairmount Park Conservancy staff for a community workday at Concourse Lake in West Fairmount Park. Work includes removing invasive species, trail cleanup, woody cleanup along the lake edge, and trash removal. All tools and materials will be provided.
When: Wednesday, May 27 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Concourse Lake. 4321 S Concourse Dr.
”British Invasion” concert with the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus
As America prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus is throwing it back across the pond! From Amy and Adele to Elton and Eurythmics, we’re blending British brilliance with Philly pride in the city where it all began. Join us for a cheeky, charming, and powerful celebration of music, identity, and freedom! The choir will perform four shows at the beautiful theater located inside the Independence Seaport Museum. Tickets are required and all proceeds go to supporting this amazing LGBTQ+ organization. Free entrance to this incredible museum is included with your ticket so be sure to come early to explore the exhibits.
When: Thursday, May 28-30
Where: Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.
Martha Graham Dance Company
“One of the great companies of the world,” (The New York Times) the iconic Martha Graham Dance Company celebrates a century of Graham’s groundbreaking and uniquely American dance style. The ensemble performs the world premiere of in case of fire, speak, a commissioned piece by Tommie-Waheed Evans, for which the company will be joined by dancers from PHILADANCO! The program also features the Philadelphia premieres of Hope Boykin’s En Masse, a new work set to the music of Leonard Bernstein in honor of America’s 250th anniversary, and Frontier, a tribute to the vision and independence of the pioneer woman. Night Journey, offering a different perspective on the Greek myth of Oedipus, completes the program. Tommie-Waheed Evans’ in case of fire, speak is a co-commission of Penn Live Arts and ArtPhilly as part of the What Now: 2026 Festival. These performances are made possible with support from the Penn Live Arts Accelerator Program. The 25/26 season dance series is co-sponsored by Arthur Kaplan, C’67 and Duane Perry alongside Lynn Jerath, W’95 and Kunal Jerath.
Where: Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St.
FAN EXPO Philadelphia
Fans of the beloved franchises Star Trek, The Goonies and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be especially excited with FAN EXPO Philadelphia. The annual pop culture gathering celebrates everything from the worlds of movies, television, art, science fiction, anime, animation, cosplay, gaming, literature, and more. FAN EXPO HQ is the largest comic con producer in the world.
Where: Philadelphia Convention Center, 1101 Arch St.
Yoga in the Park: Rise and Flow with Eunmi
Join Fairmount Park Conservancy and Eunmi Chang from Eunmi’s Sound Healing & Yoga for an all-level yoga class in East Fairmount Park.
When: Sunday, May 31 from 10-11 a.m.
Where: Boxers’ Trail Gateway, 33rd and W. Dauphin streets
”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: ends Sunday, May 31
Where: Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd St.
Alex Isley comes to Philly
GRAMMY®-nominated singer-songwriter Alex Isley brings her When The City Sleeps Tour, a North American run celebrating the upcoming release of her highly-anticipated album “When The City Sleeps.” The tour arrives at a milestone moment for the acclaimed vocalist, with “When The City Sleeps” release serving as Alex Isley’s major-label debut – a project that finds her fully stepping into her own and delivering a timeless, intimate ode to Los Angeles. On this run, fans will experience these songs in their most immersive setting yet.
When: Sunday, May 31 a7 8 p.m.
Where: Brooklyn Bowl Philly, 1009 Canal 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
”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: through Monday, June 29
Where: Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd St.
”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.
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: through Monday, Sept. 7 at 5:15 p.m.
Where: Liberty Bell Center, 101 S. Independence Mall W.
”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.
”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: through Wednesday, 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
Where: Spruce Street Harbor Park, 301 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.
”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.
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