Broad Street Run, Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival and Philly Tech Week in this week’s ‘Things To Do’

The first weekend in May is off to the races (literally) as most of the country turns its attention to the Kentucky Derby. But in Philly, a different type of race is top of mind, with the annual Broad Street Run and the Bike Party hosted by the Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia. Also this weekend, the Weitzman Museum of American Jewish History hosts Dual Heritage Month Family Day commemorating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. And popular street festivals are back!

Plus, fans of sci-fi, horror, anime and more can find their tribe at Fan Expo. Need a more calming experience? Head to the London Film Orchestra’s moonlit tribute to Hans Zimmer and film and TV music.

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

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New Jersey

The Bodyguard: The Musical 

• Where: Grand Theater, 405 S. Main St., Williamstown, N.J.
• When: Through May 11
• How much: $20 – $30 

Movies turning into musicals is not new — its ground has already been mined by “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King” and “Mean Girls,” among many others. Entering stage left is “The Bodyguard: The Musical,” the adaptation of the 1992 movie, playing through next week in South Jersey. Whitney Houston will always be our Rachel Marron, but the musical is a faithful reimagining of the same songs.

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Delaware

Feeling Inspired: The Fiber Art of Charlese Phillips

• Where: Historic Odessa Foundation, 201 Main St., Odessa, Del.
• When: Through Sunday, June 30
• How much: Free

Though she was born and raised in nearby Maryland, Delaware has become Charlese Phillips’ adoptive home. The mixed media artist works mostly in fiber but adds painting, photography and other textiles to her creations. “Feeling Inspired: The Fiber Art of Charlese Phillips” is on display at the Historic Odessa Foundation through June.

Croce Plays Croce 

• Where: The Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.
• When: Friday, May 3, 8 p.m.
• How much: $49 – $70

A.J. Croce established a career under the shadow of his late father, Jim Croce, with ten albums of his own. But after adding some of his father’s songs to his sets, the response he generated made him consider a deeper dive into his work and legacy. His Croce Plays Croce tour heads to Delaware this weekend with a show that fuses the best work of father… and son.

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Special Events 

Philly Tech Week 

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Friday, May 3 – Saturday, May 11
• How much: Various prices

Philly Tech Week has something for everyone, including panels, workshops, a Builders Conference, a coding workshop, a jobs fair, a Cinco de Mayo/Latins in Tech meetup — and even a film festival. If you are in tech, want to be in tech or are curious about tech, you should check it out. It kicks off Friday with an opening night Block Party hosted by Chill Moody.

Fan Expo Philadelphia 

• Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St.
• When: Friday, May 3, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday, May 5, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• How much: $48 and up

All things anime, horror, sci-fi, cosplay and fantasy are celebrated at the annual Fan Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Celebrities scheduled to appear include Hayden Christensen (“Star Wars”), Rainn Wilson (“The Office”), Beverly D’Angelo and Chevy Chase (“National Lampoon” movies), Marisa Tomei (“Spider-Man”) and others, but if you want to do more than gawk, pictures and autographs come with a separate price. 

Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival 

• Where: Rittenhouse Square, Walnut Street from 15th to 19th streets, 18th Street from Locust to Sansom.
• When: Saturday, May 4, noon – 5 p.m.
• How much: Free, pay as you go

Row, row, here we go! It’s the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival, the city street fest that brings out the neighborhood’s best restaurants, retailers and revelers. New this year: Vinyl hosts Taking it to the Streets, a dance party with DJ sets from Philly luminaries including Lady Alma, Rob Paine, John Raffaele and Jack Stanley.

Chestnut Hill Home + Garden Festival 2024: Postponed

• Where: Germantown Avenue from Rex Avenue to Willow Grove Avenue
• When: Sunday, May 19, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• How much: Free, pay as you go

NOTE: Due to inclement weather, Chestnut Hill’s Home + Garden Festival has been postponed from Sunday, May 5 to Sunday, May 19.

Chestnut Hill celebrates the spring season with its annual Home + Garden Festival. Over 200 vendors will showcase their wares for home and hearth; retailers and restaurants are offering specials and a range of other activities are going on. They include a used book sale, an outdoor cookout at McNally’s Tavern, live performances by Stagecrafters and even a henna tattoo artist.

Candle-Con 

• Where: Location 215, 990 Spring Garden St.
• When: Sunday, May 5, noon – 6 p.m.
• How much: $15 for single admission, $20 for two

Just in time for Mother’s Day, All Black Everything hosts its inaugural Candle Con, featuring a variety of candles created by Black-owned businesses. Over 30 brands of specialty, luxury and novelty candles are expected. Candlemaker and entrepreneur Shan Greggs of Simply Scents Candle Co. will be the keynote speaker.

Bike Party on MLK Drive 

• Where: MLK Drive at Falls Bridge
• When: Sunday, May 5, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• How much: Free

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is hosting a Bike Party in honor of National Ride a Bike Day and the spring start of MLK Drive’s weekend closures to vehicular traffic. They’ll be at three locations with information on their services: MLK Drive and Falls Bridge, Kelly Drive and Falls Bridge and No. 1 Boathouse Row. At noon, they’ll join up with the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia’s weekly Sunny Sunday Ride.

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Arts & Culture 

The Worst Cafe in the World

• Where: Poth Brewery Lofts, 3145 Jefferson St.
• When: Thursday, May 2, 6:30 p.m., Sunday, May 5, 2 p.m.
• How much: $25

Northern Ireland’s Big Telly and Philadelphia’s Tiny Dynamite are collaborating on a unique show, “The Worst Cafe in the World.” Your ticket includes a beverage, a snack and an a la carte “menu” to choose your preferred theater experience from. Despite its title, the “food” must be good, as several performances are already sold out. 

Dual Heritage Month Family Day

• Where: Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 S. Independence Mall E.
• When: Sunday, May 5,  1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
• How much: Free, with registration

On Sunday, The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History hosts the Dual Heritage Month Family Day. It honors Jewish American Heritage Month and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, with a celebration encompassing all cultures. Dance, music, story time and games and crafts are part of the contributions from both groups. 

Open Studio 

• Where: Bok Building, 1901 S. 9th St.
• When: Friday, May 3, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• How much: Free, pay as you go

Artists in the Bok Building open their studios to the public to provide insight into the lives of creatives — and to potentially close some sales. The annual Open Studios event is pay-as-you-go and is free to attend. 

All nine floors, filled with fine artists, photographers, jewelers and even guitar makers, will be open. New for 2024 is a partnership with food vendors from the Association of Mexican Business Owners of Philadelphia.

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Kids

Philadelphia Children’s Festival 

• Where: Penn Live Arts at the Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St.
• When: Sunday, May 5 – Tuesday, May 7
• How much: Free – various prices. West Philly residents pay $15 for all ticketed shows.

Sunday marks the beginning of the Philadelphia Children’s Festival, which includes seven free and ticketed events. Weather permitting, Alex & the Kaleidoscope and the Give & Take Jugglers will perform outside on Sunday in the two free events, while the Calpulli Mexican Dance Company and Machine de Cirque are two of the ticketed shows that day. 

Outdoors

Broad Street Run/Health and Fitness Expo

• Where: Expo: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Hall F, 1101 Arch St., Run: Central High Athletic Field on Broad Street between Fisher and Somerville Avenues.
• When: Expo: Friday, May 3, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday, May 4, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Run: Sunday, May 5, 7:30 a.m.
• How much: Free

The Broad Street Run is here! If you’re in the race, you probably already know. If you’re not, it comes with a Health & Wellness Expo that might help you get there next year. Or you can spectate from several good vantage points and register kids under 12 for children’s activities, including the Fun Run. What you can’t do is park your car on Broad Street from Olney to the Navy Yard after 2 a.m. the night before until afternoon the day of. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. 

Food and Drink Roundup 

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Through Sunday, May 5
• How much: Various prices

Cinco De Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, May Day celebrations and other festive occasions converge this weekend. Here are a few places to go to enjoy them.

• Market After Dark in Suburban Square on Thursday
• Uptown Beer Garden opens for the season
• Parks On Tap adds yoga for 2024
• The Twisted Tail’s Kentucky Derby Party includes a Best Dressed Contest
• The South Street Block Party brings multiple restaurants, vendors and breweries together on Saturday, including the newly reopened Jim’s Steaks
• Dock Street Fishtown and Cantina La Martina are hosting Cinco de Mayo events
• Cinco de Mayo bar crawl on Saturday

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Music 

Sing Us Home

• Where: Venice Island Performing Arts & Recreation Center, 7 Lock St.
• When: Friday, May 3 – Sunday, May 5
• How much: $49 – $118

Roxborough’s own Dave Hause is bringing some musical friends back to the ‘hood with his three-day Sing Us Home Festival. His brother Tim Hause will be there, along with Amythyst Kiah, the Ocean Avenue Stompers, The Fishtown Choir, The Jayhawks, Langhorne Slim, Laura Jane Grace and Dave’s band, The Mermaid, among others — can’t say the man doesn’t appreciate where he came from. 

Brazilian Fridays With Dendê & Band

• Where: World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.
• When: Friday, May 3, 8:30 p.m.
• How much: Free

First of all, it’s free. The band is playing Afro-Brazilian music, samba and funk, and there may be some special guests. There’s pay-as-you-go food and drinks and someone else who wants to decompress from the work week on the dance floor at Brazilian Fridays with Dendê & Band. Any questions?

The London Film Music Orchestra: A Tribute to Hans Zimmer and Film Favourites By Moonlight

• Where: Miller Theater, 250 S. Broad St.
• When: Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m.
• How much: $65 – $86 

Moonlight and music go together like a good meal and good wine. That’s why the London Film Music Orchestra is combining them in their Tribute to Hans Zimmer and Film Favorites by Moonlight. All of your favorite TV and movie themes — “Star Wars,” “Jurassic Park,” “Jaws” and “Gladiator”  — get the moonlight treatment while you get the memories.