⚾ Batter up, Philly | Things to Do

Sunny skies and pretty blossoms abound in Philadelphia these days, which means brighter moods and more al fresco options — including the reopening of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s garden bars (more on that below). Where’s your favorite place to dine or drink outdoors in the area? Let me know!

This week’s lineup:

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

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The Phillies are back in business, kicking off opening day in D.C. against the Washington Nationals. After the last two disappointing years, it’s too early to dream of another Red October, but fingers crossed! Stay up to date with our handy guide to opening day.

🦖 Clever girl: Dinosaur lovers, aspiring archaeologists, and adventure seekers can explore a brand new attraction in South Jersey opening on Saturday. Read why the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum is such a unique treat in my colleague Stephanie Farr’s review.

🔍 Fascinating finds: Take a look at rare archives and historic artifacts like activist zines, campaign fliers, and photography at the Asian Arts Initiative’s “Crescendo” exhibit. The coolest part is that you can actually listen along to civil rights anthems from fusion bands like the Afro Asian Music Ensemble. It’s like a multimedia tour through history.

🖼️ Final weekend: It’s your last chance to visit Morton Contemporary in Center City this weekend and see artworks by podcast star Suave Gonzalez and other formerly and currently incarcerated artists who tackle the prison system. “We Are All Doing Time” is poignant and infuriating, and that’s the point.

🎭 Comic classic: Shakespeare’s fantastical comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream is currently playing at Quintessence Theatre with a well-rounded cast, dazzling set, and borderline humor. Catch up on why some jokes land and others miss.

👟 Lace up: The Philadelphia Love Run 2025 — a half marathon and 7K — will take over Center City on Sunday morning. Here’s what you need to know.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Philly Cocktail Festival, Germantown Art & Sound, LUNA

It’s a great time to surround yourself with flowers, and luckily this region is rich in green offerings. At Longwood Gardens, where they recently expanded with a new conservatory and restaurant, the buzzy new color is actually blue. It’s a rare sight caught in nature but right now you can view Himalayan blue-poppies — considered a “botanical jewel” — in full bloom. Whether/if you want even more floral fun closer to home, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is opening its two garden bars (the PHS Pop Up Gardens on South Street and in Manayunk) for the season beginning Friday. Happy Spring!

🍽️ New and noteworthy: This season will see tons of restaurant openings in the Philly area, from a second location for the beloved El Chingón to the French Vietnamese spot Maison Lotus. Here are the 50 openings to watch this spring.

🪩 A comeback: Former nightlife spot The Barbary has been closed for three years but this week the dance bar is reopening its doors in Fishtown. Here’s what we know so far.

🪞 Oh no: Well everyone joked that something bad might happen to the Portal that landed in Love Park last fall and … it did. Sigh. Following vandalism, the Portal will move to a different location in the city.

⭐ The prince returns: Will Smith was in town this week to witness the brand new street named after him in West Philadelphia — Will Smith Way.

📚 Shelf awareness: If you’re looking for a new read, there are several new titles with connections to Philadelphia that are worth adding to your list. We rounded up eight great books to read this spring.

🍾 For pros: You might already have a few favorite Philly BYOBs, but if you’re looking for options a little further outside of the city, we rounded up nine great BYOBs on the Main Line.

Pop music critic Dan DeLuca breaks down the best upcoming shows.

🎸 Thursday: J. Geils Band singer Peter Wolf is a rock and roll storyteller par excellence whose new Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses will be hard to top when it comes to 2025 music memoirs. It tells of a series of brief and not-so-brief encounters with luminaries including Marilyn Monroe, John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, and his ex-wife, Faye Dunaway. Wolf will be at the Free Library with Larry Platt.

🎸 Friday: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee Chubby Checker is at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster. Openers are Twitty and Lynn, a country duet act comprising the grandchildren of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn.

🎤 Friday: If you want to take a little longer road trip to check out another historically significant Philly artist, rapper Beanie Sigel is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his album The B. Coming on Friday night at XL Live in Harrisburg, with his fellow State Property rappers Freeway and Peedi Crakk.

🎻 Saturday: The Firey String Sistas — the jazz, soul, and global groove trio of Nioka Workman, Marlene Rice, and Mala Waldron — heat up the Community Education Center in West Philly on Saturday night, with Belden Bullock and EJ Strickland.

Read more music picks.

This week I raced through the Knives Out-like murder mystery show The Residence, which delivered a funny, dizzying, and escapist journey set at the White House, with lots of birding. What’s on your watch list these days? Drop me a rec!

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the date for The Firey String Sistas show.