Saturdays just got more interesting.
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Floral designer Kelly D. Norris imagined what a vacant lot could be at the 2024 Philadelphia Flower Show. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)
Delaware Valley residents are fortunate that various arts and culture events are the norm. But with so many options, some weekends make it hard to choose which one to partake in. This is one of those weekends, so plan accordingly. “King Hedley II,” the ‘80s-era play in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, opens at the Arden this week.
After being closed for repairs for five years, the Marian Anderson Museum is reopening this weekend with a Sunday gala as part of the festivities. The AzukaFest and Philly Grit are showcasing new theater artists and edgy productions. Hollywood comes to the city as the Philadelphia Film Society hosts its 12th annual Oscars Night Party on Sunday.
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Directed by Megan Bellwoar, New Light Theatre produces Thornton Wilder’s classic set in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. It covers the village community as they contend with life, love and loss in the early 1900s. New Light is partnering with Delaware Hospice for this production to connect its themes with real-world conversations about grief and end-of-life care.
The two-time Tony Award–winning actress, singer and dancer recently starred as Marian Paroo in the Broadway revival of “The Music Man” with rumored boyfriend Hugh Jackman, earning her a seventh Tony Award nomination. She’s probably most recognizable to people outside the theater world as Liza Miller on the show “Younger,” which ran on TV Land for seven seasons. Her one-woman show was scheduled for Wilmington this weekend but has been postponed to April 26 due to illness. Tickets for the original show will be honored or can be refunded.
It’s the 20th anniversary season for the South Camden Theater and they’re kicking it off with a New Jersey premiere. When a 40-something TV actress and stage star head back to their Nebraska hometown, romance and loss are waiting for the former frenemies. The comedic drama explores what happens when big-time dreams meet small-town realities.
Founded in 1829, the Philadelphia Flower Show is the world’s oldest and largest indoor horticultural event, drawing tens of thousands of people to Philadelphia each year. The 2025 theme is “Gardens of Tomorrow” and per organizers, it’s a “celebration of innovation, resilience, and creativity in gardening.” There’s a Future Flowers design challenge featuring the work of several renowned florists, and Artisan Row, an interactive experience where you can upgrade your skills with the help of professionals. The show winds down with the annual Flowers After Hours gala on Sunday, March 8.
Mardi Gras is officially celebrated on Fat Tuesday, but Philadelphians can get ahead of the party via three different events this weekend. On Saturday, Xfinity Live! cosplays Bourbon Street with a big bar crawl that moves between neighboring spots. Beads and commemorative stadium cups come with admission, themed costumes are up to you. At World Cafe Live, Philly Gumbo and Badd Kitti are the featured bands for a Mardi Gras party Friday night. On Sunday, starting at noon, the Wild Bohemians will host its 41st annual Mardi Gras celebration in front of Fat Tuesday’s on South Street.
Hooray for Hollywood! The 97th Oscars ceremony is 3,000 miles away, but you can have a red carpet moment in the City of Brotherly Love at the 12th annual Philadelphia Film Society watching party. There’s even a private champagne toast and lounge for VIP ticketholders as well as a buffet, an open bar, raffle prizes and the chance to rub shoulders with local celebs and film buffs. It’s a night to dress fashionably and drink responsibly. Proceeds benefit PFS and your ticket includes a three-month trial membership to the arts organization.
The life and legacy of artistic director emerita Judith Jamison will be celebrated during the current season of the accomplished dance collective. Jamison died in November at 81 after decades with the company as a dancer and director. This year’s performance includes three world premieres and Ailey’s signature piece, “Revelations.”
August Wilson’s American Century Cycle landed in 1985 with “King Hedley II.” One of the ten plays in the late playwright’s ode to the lives of regular Black folks set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, this one covers a man’s effort to provide for his family after coming home from prison. Pulitzer Prize–winner James Ijames directs the all-Philadelphia cast.
Unfiltered and unapologetic are the best descriptions of the play “Heart Ripped Out Twice And So Can You!” and the one-woman show “Koal” onstage for the 2025 Philly Grit series. Inspired by her challenging medical experiences and a tough breakup, “Heart’s” writer and star Linnea Bond blends humor with heartfelt storytelling. “Koal” incorporates audience interaction for a unique look at the 2019 Australian bushfires. In a bonus performance, drag queen Cookie Diorio presents “Camp Cookie,” a speakeasy cabaret including music, laughter, and, yes, actual cookies.
You likely already have some idea of the story, but what’s unique about this production of the Shakespeare classic is that it’s part of Quintessence Theatre’s Reckless Romance Repertory, where a dozen actors perform both “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Antony & Cleopatra” on a rotating schedule. It’s a fresh take on two of the Bard’s most popular works, allowing audiences to take in Shakespeare’s works in a new way.
During the three-day festival, twelve new plays will be introduced by young playwrights. They range from a choreopoem — combining dance, poetry and music — to a “sketch of a comic strip of a play or maybe the other way around.” Be the first to see what could become the next play to become part of the American canon or, at the least, the start of an impactful career in the theatre.
This exhibition delves into multidisciplinary art projects from 1981 to 1999 that intersected with Asian American social movements. Drawing inspiration from the jazz and improvised music central to the Black Arts Movement, the featured artists used their craft to build solidarity across races and ethnicities. The opening night reception is on Friday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. Tickets are pay-as-you-wish.
After a devastating flood destroyed the building in 2020, the museum closed for five years for renovation. It’s now celebrating its reopening with events over the weekend, including Saturday’s ribbon cutting, a rededication ceremony and a gala. The gala is also a fundraising event for the museum that celebrates the life of the revered classical vocalist born and raised in Philadelphia.
Spring beckons, and at the Barnes, it comes with its monthly free admission day, with activities for children and families. This Sunday, Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, a bilingual author and storyteller, reads her work, and Mexican dance troupe Ñuuxakun along with educator and dancer Andrea Garcia perform “Mexican Spring.”
The suburban restaurant week continues through Sunday with multi-course, prix fixe menus priced at $30, $40 or $50 from more than 15 participating restaurants. Discounted parking in the area is an added perk.
In East Passyunk, 18 participating restaurants offer prix fixe menus priced at $20, $40 and $60 from eateries with cuisines ranging from Italian to Vietnamese to Mexican. Reservations are recommended. See a full list of participating eateries here.
The legendary hoops crew celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026. Though the group didn’t originate in Harlem (a hundred years ago, it was the mecca of the basketball world, thus the moniker), it has lived up to its promise of globetrotting, doing over 26,000 performances in 124 countries. They make a stop in Philadelphia this weekend.
From a college project to a staple of the jam band scene for three-plus decades, the band combines rock, blues and psychedelic influences to gain a loyal following with its improvisational style, tight musicianship and electric live performances. Gotta love a band and a fanbase that doesn’t take itself too seriously (theirs is called the “moe.rons.”) They are at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night.
The electronic music pioneer debuted in 1983 with his synth-driven hit “New Song” leading up to his debut, “Human’s Lib,” which topped the UK charts in 1984. Over his career, Jones has sold over 10 million albums worldwide. While he’s in town to support his most recent project “Dialogue,” released in September 2022, you can expect his set to include old faves. The U.K. band ABC, still fronted by Martin Fry, is best known for their 1982 hit “The Look of Love,” an early hit on MTV.
Since we are already heading down memory lane, let’s go back to the big hair and catchy hooks that characterized the ’80s. The band Duran Duran provided much of the soundtrack of that era with songs like “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “The Reflex” and “Girls on Film.” Double Duran, billed as the “ultimate” tribute band for the British supergroup, comes to Glenside to recreate those heady days of yesteryear as best they can without a time machine.
Saturdays just got more interesting.
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