Cherry Blossom Festival, Phillies home opening weekend and Philly Jazz Month in this week’s ‘Things To Do’

It’s now cherry blossom season, though it passes by all too quickly. Philly’s two-day Cherry Blossom Festival happens Saturday and Sunday at the Horticultural Center in West Fairmount Park.

Philly Theatre Week kicks off Thursday with more than 40 productions on stage. At Chris’ Jazz Cafe, Orrin Evans hosts multiple birthday jam sessions for Philly Jazz Month starting this week. In more music this week, both the Talking Heads and Johnny Cash are celebrated in tribute shows, and “Firebird” takes flight with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The Chef Conference and restaurant weeks highlighting eateries featuring Latino cuisine and restaurants in the ‘burbs start on Sunday.

And on the Parkway, Philadelphia’s Greek population pays homage to its independence with a festive parade on Sunday.

Delaware | New Jersey | Special Events | Arts & Culture | Kids | Sports | Food & Drink | Outdoors | Music

Delaware

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

• Where: The Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.
• When: Saturday, April 5, 7 p.m., Sunday, April 6, 2 p.m.
• How much: $37 – $77

Choreographed by Zachary Kapeluck, the First State Ballet Theatre brings a fresh take to one of Shakespeare’s most beloved works. Penned sometime around 1595, it follows the romantic “entanglements” of four young Athenians, the comedic endeavors of amateur actors and the whimsical interventions of fairies led by King Oberon and Queen Titania. In 1962, choreographer George Balanchine premiered his full-length ballet adaptation, set to the music of Felix Mendelssohn. This performance blends Shakespeare’s narrative with the expressive power of dance.

New Jersey

‘A Man Named Cash’

• Where: Broadway Theatre of Pitman, 43 S. Broadway, Pitman, N.J.
• When: Sunday, April 6, 2 p.m.
• How much: $30

The love story of Johnny Cash and June Carter was covered in the Oscar-winning film “Walk the Line,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as the musical couple. The stage tribute version led by vocalist Eric Hofmanis focuses on the music. The Cash estate appointed Hofmanis to embody the Man in Black. He’ll perform a range of songs from Cash’s nearly 50-year career, including classics like “I Walk The Line,” “Ring of Fire,” “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and the 2004 Grammy Award–winning song “Hurt.” Megan Houde as Carter will perform with Hofmanis on songs including “Jackson” and “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” among others.

Special Events

Philly Jazz Month

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Through April 30
• How much: Various prices

The citywide celebration of all things jazz includes a variety of performances from some of Philly’s best homegrown talent. “Eight Eight Time,” a unique performance of music and poetry, kicks things off Thursday, followed by a four-day 50th birthday jam hosted by pianist Orrin Evans. Co-presented by Creative Philadelphia and Mid Atlantic Arts, Philly Jazz Month also features educational programs and community events. Find more about the festival and some of its highlights here.

2025 Cherry Blossom Festival

• Where: Fairmount Park Horticultural Center, 100 N. Horticultural Drive
• When: Saturday, April 5, Sunday, April 6, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• How much: General admission is $15, children under 12 free, ACCESS card holders $5 at the gate

Cherry blossoms are beautiful but their season is achingly short, to reflect, it’s believed, the ephemeral nature of life. Enjoy their moment at the annual two-day festival promoting Japanese culture and celebrating the peak of the blooming season. There will be music performances, cultural demonstrations and a vendor market offering Japanese food throughout the weekend, along with goods for sale and a beer garden. Among the most popular activities are a pet fashion contest, a cosplay fashion show and, by popular demand, karaoke.

2025 Philly Theater Week

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Through Sunday, April 13
• How much: Various prices, limited amount of pay-what-you-can tickets

Over 40 performances will be onstage through the annual week showcasing theater in and around Philadelphia. Now in its eighth year, this celebration highlights the region’s dynamic theater scene, featuring a diverse array of productions, readings and interactive events. Limited tickets are offered as pay-what-you-can, allowing attendees to select their ticket price. But once those sell out, you’ll need to go to the respective theater company’s official website to purchase tickets at normal prices. Find out more here.

2nd Annual Confluence Film Festival

• Where: Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• When: Thursdays, April 3, 10, 17, 24, 5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• How much: $10, $35 for the four-screening package

April is Earth Month, and the 2025 festival theme, “Regeneration,” focuses on how communities around the country are responding to climate change. Each screening during the monthlong festival features panel discussions with filmmakers, scientists and advocates to illustrate community-driven resistance and advocacy efforts that have helped amplify the issue of climate crisis. The festival was curated by community partners, including the BlackStar Projects, cinéSPEAK, Philadelphia Latino Arts and Film Festival and Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, and each screening will begin with complimentary food, drink and socializing.

The Chef Conference 2025

• Where: The Study Hotel at University City, 20 S. 33rd St.
• When: Friday, April 4 – Sunday, April 7
• How much: Free and open to the public, some ticketed events

The annual four-day conference on the culinary industry kicks off with a series of panels and discussions. Among the highlights: “Breaking Ground & Building Profits: Insights for Success in Today’s Restaurant Industry,” moderated by Ben Fileccia with panelists including Veronica Blum, Phil Falsone, Eli Feldman and state Sen. Nikil Saval; and “State of the Industry: Hot Topics for Independent Restaurants in 2025,” with panelists including chefs Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Michael Solomonov, and Friday Saturday Sunday’s Chad Williams. Appearances are expected from industry leaders like Ghanaian-American chef Eric Adjepong, Tom Colicchio from “Top Chef,” restaurant owner Nina Compton and chef Katie Button, co-founder of Cúrate. Specialty dining events are mostly sold out, though you can sign up to be notified if anything opens up.

2025 Philadelphia Greek Parade

• Where: Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• When: Sunday, April 6, 2 p.m.
• How much: Free

In Philadelphia, the traditional parade hosted by the Federation of Hellenic-American Societies comes not just with dance performances, vibrant floats and an appearance by the Evzones, the presidential guard of Greece, it includes a weekend of celebrations. Saturday’s black-tie Eleftheria Gala will be held at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown hotel, starting with a cocktail hour and a performance by Kalomira. A doxology service at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral starts parade day at 10 a.m., and a post-parade gathering hosted by the FHAS Young Leaders at Uptown Beer Garden is family-friendly, with free admission for children under 16.

Arts & Culture

Miniball 2025

• Where: FringeArts, 140 N. Christopher Columbus Blvd.
• When: Through Monday, April 7
• How much: General admission starts at $25 but organizers say no one will be turned away based on inability to pay; ACCESS cardholders can register for $2 entrance fees for up to four performances

FringeArts occupies a unique space in the Philly arts scene with its quirky, eclectic, sultry and, let’s face it — sometimes downright odd — arts shows, performances and festivals. Miniball 2025 is no exception. The five-day festival starts Thursday with a party featuring “The Naughty Jawn” incorporating drag and burlesque in an interactive show. Multiple shows and performances follow with forays into dance, music, interactive workshops, “queerobics” and the chance to watch experimental works in various stages of development.

Laurie Olin, Drawing to See: The Italian Sketchbooks

• Where: Athenaeum of Philadelphia, 219 S. 6th St.
• When: Friday, April 4 – Sunday, July 5
• How much: Free

Acclaimed landscape architect Laurie Olin traveled to Italy between 1972 and 2023 documenting gardens, architecture, sculptures and the people who make the country special. His sketchbooks provide a look into Italian culture from his discerning point of view, and they’ll be on display at the Athenaeum through July. The free opening reception is on Friday starting at 6 p.m.

Greet the Light Skyspace

• Where: Chestnut Hill Friends Skyspace, 20 E. Mermaid Lane
• When: Selected dates starting Saturday, April 5 through Dec. 21
• How much: $5 – $10

In this art installation designed by James Turrell, attendees can see the sunrise or sunset through a ceiling aperture combined with special lighting to enhance the view. Whether this is a means to further enlightenment, an avenue to contemplation of nature, or a place to rest and relax from the city’s frenetic energy, is up to you. Weather permitting, Skyspace is open for ticketed viewing on Sundays and some Fridays at times that best capture the view depending on the time of year. It opens for the season on Saturday.

Jason’s Lyric Live

• Where: Miller Theater, 250 S. Broad St.
• When: Thursday, April 3, 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 4, 8 p.m.
• How much: $35.95 – $140.95

In 1994, Allen Payne and Jada Pinkett Smith starred in “Jason’s Lyric,” a love story about a couple trying to stay together in the face of familial drama and challenging circumstances. Based on the movie written by Bobby Smith Jr., producer Je’Caryous Johnson adapted it into a stage play. Payne and Anthony “Treach” Criss reprise their roles from the original, joined by Eva Marcille, K. Michelle, Tyrin Turner and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs. The play stops in Philly for two shows, tonight and Friday.

Kids

Play-A-Palooza

• Where: Smith Memorial Playground, 3500 Reservoir Drive, East Fairmount Park
• When: Saturday, April 5, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• How much: Free

Smith Memorial Playground kicks off its annual play season with this interactive event for the entire family. DJ Darryl will be on hand to keep the energy up, not that it’s hard when kids and a playground are involved. Activities from kid-friendly organizations including Music Theater Philly, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts and the Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy are part of the schedule, along with workshops and sports. Smith is the location for KidChella, the free summertime music festival for children.

Sports

Philadelphia Phillies Home Opening Weekend

• Where: Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way
• When: Thursday, April 3 – Sunday, April 6
• How much: $36 and up

The fightin’ Phils continue their opening week homestand with five games versus the Colorado Rockies and the defending World Series champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are starting strong, to say the least. It was a bittersweet ending last season after winning the National League East pennant, then going down in flames to the New York Mets. But let this be the season the Phillies, like the Eagles, rise to the occasion and bring the city another championship.

Food & Drink

Restaurant Weeks

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Sunday, April 6 – Saturday, April 12
• How much: Various prices

Dine Latino Restaurant Week and Media Restaurant Week are on the map this month as the latest to offer discounted dining in the area. While most weeks offer varying prix fixe choices, these promotions have a different set of discounts and specials. Dine Latino focuses on more than two dozen restaurants offering Latin cuisine, while Media is showcasing the ‘burb’s 16 participating eateries. New for 2025: Dine Latino’s week includes food trucks.

Outdoors

Open Streets West Walnut

• Where: Walnut Street (15th to 19th) and 18th Street (Locust to Chestnut)
• When: Sunday, April 6, 13, 20, 27, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• How much: Free, pay as you go

Anytime you can avoid traffic is a good time in Center City. This four-week initiative takes all but foot traffic off several downtown blocks to give pedestrians an unchallenged right of way. Though the seven-block radius will still allow cars at certain intersections, the idea is to allow more time and space for eating, shopping and strolling. Participating restaurants are offering expanded outdoor seating, retailers are advertising specials and RippedPHL is hosting a free “Booty Band” class. Even the Easter Bunny is coming out! Turns out, he too, prefers less vehicular traffic.

Philly Queer Birders Birding Walk

• Where: Awbury Arboretum, 1 Awbury Rd.
• When: Sunday, April 6, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• How much: Free, no registration required

Join the birding community as they seek out the Eastern phoebes, yellow-rumped warblers and palm warblers, who head to Philly in early migration patterns. The group joins up at the arboretum’s Ardleigh Street entrance for a walk that includes a chance to rest at picnic tables and some benches along the way. The terrain should be fine for most, but it is described as “gently sloped” for anyone with mobility challenges.

Music

Stravinsky’s ‘The Firebird’

• Where: Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St.
• When: Thursday, April 3, 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 4, 2 p.m., Saturday, April 5, 8 p.m.
• How much: $25 and up

Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will conduct Igor Stravinsky’s classic for three performances. He’ll be joined by violinist Juliette Kang celebrating her 20th year with the orchestra as the first associate concertmaster. When Stravinsky first wrote the ballet score in 1910 he was a relative unknown, but the success of the composition turned him into a star. Also on the program is Béla Bartók’s “Violin Concerto No. 2,” featuring Kang.

Deftones North American Tour 2025

• Where: Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.
• When: Friday, April 4, 7 p.m.
• How much: $95 and up

The alternative metal band known for its mixed-genre sound that blends heavy guitar riffs with atmospheric elements has established a loyal fanbase over almost three decades. Albums like “Adrenaline” (1995), “Around the Fur” (1997) and “White Pony” (2000) showcased their ability to combine aggressive metal with melody and even electronic elements. They conclude the first leg of their American tour in Philly with opening acts The Mars Volta and Fleshwater.

Start Making Sense & the Ocean Avenue Stompers Horns

• Where: City Winery, 990 Filbert St.
• When: Friday, April 4, 7:30 p.m.
• How much: $30 – $45

Tribute band Start Making Sense links up with the Ocean Avenue Stompers horn section for a lively tribute performance. Start Making Sense plays the music of the Talking Heads, the ’70s punk band considered among the pioneers of new wave. The Ocean Avenue Stompers, created by trombonist and South Jersey native Ian Gray, was formed to promote the best of New Orleans jazz with top-tier musicians from South Jersey, New York and Philly.