🌻 Your ultimate guide to the Philadelphia Flower Show | Things to Do

Happy Leap Day! The special extra day literally makes up for lost time — 1,440 minutes of it, to be exact. So carpe diem: Let’s have some fun this weekend.

The biggest thing around town is the Philadelphia Flower Show, which kicks off on Saturday. There’s also great new theater, from a Groucho Marx play to a Bob Dylan musical.

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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Starting Saturday, the convention center will be teeming with tulips, orchids, begonias, monsteras, cacti — you name it, the Philadelphia Flower Show will likely have it on display or for sale. It’s a dazzling showcase of floral artistry that has involved thousands of gardeners, designers, crafters, and volunteers. Take a look behind-the-scenes ahead of the show to see the painstaking and loving process to create the massive and majestic floral world.

We also have you covered with everything you need to know about the 2024 PHS Flower Show if you’re planning on attending. Plus, where to eat around the convention center and even how to get to the show.

🌹 Near the show: Need a bite in between your Flower Show excursions? If you’re looking for restaurant recommendations, we’ve got you covered.

🥸 A play of hecklers: A hundred years ago, the Marx Brothers performed at the Walnut Street Theatre. Now the stage is playing Groucho: A Life in Revue, a vaudeville comedy show about the famous quartet that delivers old-timey jokes and a good dose of heckling.

🎸 New musical: The Bob Dylan musical at the Forrest Theatre is unlike typical jukebox musicals that center on the celebrity’s life — because that would’ve been too corny for Dylan. Instead, the Tony-winning Girl From the North Country uses Dylan’s songs to follow multiple families struggling through the Great Depression in Minnesota. The show ultimately made Dylan himself cry.

🏒 Gritty x Pearl Jam: The Flyers will host another Pearl Jam night in March though, spoiler alert, the band won’t be there themselves. See the Jam tribute band the Ledbetters ahead of the game and get a custom band t-shirt with Gritty on it.

🎥 Legacy of horror: Meet Ishana Night Shyamalan, daughter of the famous director who lives in Willistown Township. Shyamalan has worked with her father on previous projects but her latest will be her directorial debut, a mysterious thriller called The Watchers. Here’s what we know so far.

📅 My calendar picks this week: First Friday Open Mic and Poetry Night, Philly Whisky Walk, and East Passyunk Restaurant Week.

Black History Month is ending, but the opportunities to support Black artists in Philly’s rich creative scene are endless. One venue on my list is the Print Center, which has been around for more than a century and is currently hosting exhibits from artists who won the organization’s annual competition, including collage artist Gary Burnley. He makes historical portraits anew, layering different photographs on top of each other for fascinating cut-outs using yearbook and family photos. Through these curious images, Burnley questions race, beauty, and who has been considered worthy of portraiture. “Caste” runs at the Print Center through March 30.

🔥 Some like it hot: Quinta Brunson does not. She rejected the chance to sample spicy wings on Hot Ones years ago, but she recently decided to go for it — with unsurprisingly funny results.

🍽️ Not to miss: Liz Grothe, the chef mastermind behind the massively popular Couch Cafe supper cafe, plans to open a restaurant, so hopefully those quick-to-sell-out seats will be a little easier to snag. Here’s everything you need to know.

1️⃣ The loneliest number: Loneliness abounds in Philadelphia among all ages, but some folks are trying creative solutions to connect with people.

💪 Enter the ring: WrestleMania is coming to Philly for the first time in 25 years with celebrity showdowns, title fights, and lots of fan fun, too. We’ve got a guide to what to expect.

What’s Pennsylvania’s state flower?

A) Wild geranium

B) Mountain laurel

C) Sunflower

D) Orange coneflower

📮 To let me know which of the above is correct, write me back.

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There’s so much good television right now! I’m keeping up with Abbott Elementary (obviously), RuPaul’s Drag Race, and binging the remake of Avatar the Last Airbender. If you’re watching these, too, let me know!