David Byrne, Philadelphia Film Festival and an ‘Evening of Horror’ at the Academy of Music in this week’s ‘Things To Do’

October in Philly hits that sweet spot between sweater weather and festival season. It all kicks off Thursday as the Philadelphia Film Festival launches 10 days of premieres, panels and after-parties across multiple venues. Music lovers can catch the hometown vibe at Philly Music Fest, through Sunday, spotlighting 22 local acts at venues across the city. In King of Prussia, Friday and Saturday’s Philly Taste Fest at Valley Forge Casino Resort serves up unlimited bites and sips from top chefs and brewers.

Families can head to the Children’s Halloween Spectacular at the Kimmel Center on Saturday, which mashes up classical music and movie themes. Also, Johnnyswim brings their soulful folk-pop to Union Transfer tonight, while Talking Heads frontman turned solo star David Byrne takes over The Met Philadelphia through Saturday with his theatrical Who Is the Sky? tour

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

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Delaware

Puccini’s Tosca

• Where: Opera Delaware, 4 S. Poplar St., Wilmington, Del.
• When: Friday, Oct. 17,  7:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.
• How much: $29 – $109

OperaDelaware and Opera Baltimore come together to bring Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” to Wilmington, starring soprano Emily Margevich in the title role. Tenor John Pickle plays Cavaradossi, baritone Steven Condy is Scarpia and Domenico Boyagian conducts with Haley Stamats directing. Set in 19th-century Rome, “Tosca” follows a singer, her artist lover, and a corrupt police chief whose lust for power and control leads to betrayal, torture and tragedy.

Art Battle Wilmington

• Where: The Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.
• When: Sunday, Oct. 19, 4 p.m.
• How much: $21 – $31.50

The Art Battle heads to Wilmington as part of a nationwide competition that started in New York in 2001. It’s now an international movement, with events held in cities across the U.S. and around the world. In Wilmington’s edition, local and regional artists face off in three rounds, creating original works on the spot as the crowd responds and votes for their favorites. Each piece is then auctioned off, giving fans a chance to take home a freshly made piece of art.

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New Jersey

Asbury Shorts

• Where: Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, N.J.
• When: Thursday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
• How much: $15

Founded in 1981 to bring short films out of festivals and into public spaces, Asbury Shorts has built a reputation for celebrating the best of international cinema in abbreviated form. This South Jersey edition, presented with the Garden State Film Festival and the South Jersey Film Office Cooperative, offers a curated mix of award-winning comedies, dramas and animations from around the world.

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Special Events

Philadelphia Film Festival

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Thursday, Oct. 16 – Sunday, Oct. 26
• How much: Multiple prices

The 34th annual festival lineup includes the Philadelphia premieres of  Rian Johnson’s new “Knives Out” mystery, “Wake Up Dead Man” starring Daniel Craig, Glenn Close and Kerry Washington. Special event screenings include the final episode of HBO’s “Task” filmed in and around Philly, and Prime Video’s documentary, “Allen Iv3rson.” Other highly anticipated selections include “Bugonia” starring Emma Stone, Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On” and Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet.” The 10-day festival also includes panels, Q&As, parties, networking events and multiple independent films from Philly-based and international filmmakers. Pro tip: Cuba Libre is offering an exclusive three-course $45 dinner for festival ticketholders and badgeholders.

Philly Music Fest

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Through Sunday, Oct. 19
• How much: Various prices

Founded by Greg and Jenn Seltzer, Philly Music Fest has grown since its 2017 beginnings into a weeklong showcase of Philly musicians and independent music venues. The 2025 edition features 22 acts, including The Wonder Years, Matt Quinn, Caracara, Catie Turner, Planette Automatic, Nazir Ebo, Black Buttafly, Grace Gardner and Shy Godwin. Beyond the music, there’s also Inside Hustle, a free networking event connecting aspiring artists and executives with established industry talent.

Fall festivals and activities roundup

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Through Sunday, Oct. 19
• How much: Multiple prices

October promised multiple options for fall festivals and festivities, and it delivered. If you can’t get through the season without a pumpkin patch visit, head to Franklin Square, where there’s one on Saturday. Manyunk’s Fall Fest includes a ticketed Mac and Cheese Crawl, making its festival debut. At the East Falls Fest, programming includes live music curated by the Fallser Club. Can’t have a fall festival without apples, so head to the Apple Fest. happening at Fox Chase Farm. In Chadds Ford, the three-day Great Pumpkin Carve continues a community tradition, and Maze Days turns Dilworth Park into a seasonal play space. On Sunday, Bartram Garden’s Harvest Fest includes planting and cider pressing and Chestnut Hill’s Fall for the Arts Festival heads to Germantown Avenue.

Philly Bike Ride

• Where: Start at Benjamin Franklin Parkway and North 22nd Street, ends at the Philadelphia Art Museum
• When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 7:30 a.m. (corrals open at 6 a.m..)
• How much: $48 – $200, riders 3-7, with an adult rider are free

The fourth annual, non-competitive cycling event gives Philly bike riders of all ages and skill levels the chance to experience the city without having to dodge aggressive, distracted — and sometimes just crazy drivers. Organized by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the ride takes a 20-mile route past popular city landmarks. Participants ride at their own pace, enjoying live entertainment, rest stops, and concluding with food trucks and beer gardens at the Finish Festival. The ride supports the coalition’s youth cycling programs.  Pro tip: Read the FAQ’s beforehand for questions about child riders and e-bikes. There’s also a pre-party on Friday at Urban Saloon that goes from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Fall Fest at Cherry Street Pier

• Where: Cherry Street Pier, 121 N. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
• When: Through Friday, Oct. 31
• How much: Free, pay as you go

Celebrate fall at a monthlong celebration on the waterfront as Cherry Street Pier and Spruce Street Harbor Park transition into their fall iterations. Attractions and activities include themed décor, scary movie nights, a Halloween weekend event with trick-or-treating, a party sponsored by PopUpPlay and a Tails & Ales event. On Sunday, gamers can enjoy a full-day event dedicated to video games, including a ticketed tournament.

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Arts & Culture

Evening of Horror

• Where: Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.
• When: Thursday, Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.
• How much: $29 and up

Spooky season dance is here courtesy of the Philadelphia Ballet. One half of the moody theatrical performance revisits Agnes de Mille’s “Fall River Legend,” inspired by the Lizzie Borden story, while the other half premieres Juliano Nunes’ “Valley of Death,” a contemporary tale of a masked ball gone awry. Dance and drama intersect in these two stories brought to life by the multicultural troupe. Pro tip: The production includes mature themes, so keep that in mind for younger audiences.

The Thin Place

• Where: Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St.
• When: Saturday, Oct. 17 – Sunday, Oct. 26
• How much: $26.50 and up

Fever Dream Repertory debuts its 2025–2026 season with two thought-provoking works. In “The Thin Place,” written by Lucas Hnath, two women determine how much the living and the dead can truly overlap. It’s in the vein of FDR’s boundary-pushing plays, which also includes “Brecht on Brecht,” a look at the life and work of poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht.

Characters Welcome: Nine

• Where: Tattooed Mom, 530 South St.
• When: Friday, Oct. 17, Saturday, Oct. 18, Sunday, Oct. 19
• How much: Free

This annual event brings artists from around the world to showcase their hand-drawn, printed and collaged sticker art, turning the venue’s walls, ceilings and floors into a veritable art gallery. Now in its ninth year, the show features a diverse array of styles and themes, with first-time artists exhibiting alongside seasoned creators. The weekend’s programming includes artist workshops, an all-ages sticker scavenger hunt and a free introductory sticker art class. All proceeds from the event benefit local youth arts programming, including the Village of Arts & Humanities and Fleisher Art Memorial.

The Declaration’s Journey

• Where: Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. Third St.
• When: Saturday, Oct. 18 – Saturday, Jan. 3
• How much: Free with museum admission, $14 – $64

A major new exhibition at the Museum of the American Revolution arrives at a complicated time for the rights defined in the Declaration of Independence. On the eve of the country’s celebration of the semiquincentennial, the show brings together over 120 artifacts and rare documents, including Thomas Jefferson’s Windsor chair and the prison bench on which Martin Luther King Jr. penned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” to illustrate how the declaration’s ideals have been claimed, contested and reinterpreted by movements in the U.S. and around the world. It also tells the lesser-known stories of how abolitionists, suffragists and civil rights leaders reworked its language over time.

Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets

• Where: Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• When: Sunday, Oct. 19 – Sunday, Feb. 22
• How much: Free with museum admission, $30 for adults, $5 for children 13–18, free for children 12 and under

A new landmark exhibition reveals more about the self-taught French painter known for his lush and colorful jungle scenes, among other works. The Barnes holds the world’s largest collection of Rousseau’s paintings, acquiring eighteen between 1923 and 1929. This show reunites many of those with works from the Musée de l’Orangerie and other institutions for the first time in over a century. New research shows that Rousseau, who left a civil service role to become a full-time painter at 51, sometimes responded to audience feedback by reworking his art to appeal to potential buyers. While he wasn’t taken seriously in his lifetime, he’s now among the period’s most revered artists.

GOAToberfest

• Where: Laurel Hill Cemetery West, 225 Belmont Ave., Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
• When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
• How much: $75

The Philly Goat Project’s signature fall fundraiser, GOAToberfest, combines the friendly creatures with community fun. With 13 playful goats leading the way, attendees can stroll along with them, root for their favorite in the Halloween/Oktoberfest costume contest, buy a raffle ticket for goat-themed artwork, enjoy s’mores by firepits, sip limited-edition craft beer, and take guided tours of historic Laurel Hill. Every ticket and donation goes toward sustaining the Goat Project’s year-round programs.

Craft Coven Convention

• Where: Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catherine St.
• When: Sunday, Oct. 19, noon – 5 p.m.
• How much: $0 – $75

The immersive crafting event turns Fleischer into a makerspace featuring over 15 local vendors, a supply swap zone for sustainable crafting and a variety of artist demonstrations and hands-on experiences. Other highlights include tarot readings, an ongoing classic movie film festival and a make-and-take crafting room. For those seeking to deepen their skills, a curated selection of ticketed workshops is available, covering techniques such as chainmail keychain building, stained glass art, clay altar crafting and digital spirit photography. The convention encourages diversity, welcoming queer, BIPOC, disabled and trans communities to connect, learn and celebrate the joy of crafting together.

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Kids

Children’s Halloween Spectacular

• Where: Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St.
• When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 11:30 a.m.
• How much: $29 – $65.24

Part of their Family Discovery Series, this concert blends classical staples like Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue” with fun, familiar, kid-friendly soundtracks from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” “On Halloween Night” and movie favorites like “Ghostbusters” and “Harry Potter,” all arranged with families in mind. The intention is to open the doors of orchestral music to young audiences and families, using Halloween season festivities as a gateway for musical exposure.

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Food & Drink

Philly Taste Fest

• Where: Valley Forge Casino Resort, 1160 First Ave., King of Prussia, Pa.
• When: Friday, Oct. 17, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 18, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• How much: $53.49 and up

Philly Taste Fest is a foodie’s dream come true, offering unlimited tastings from dozens of top local restaurants, craft breweries, distilleries and wineries, and it’s all included with your ticket. Local and national celebrity chefs like Food Network’s Tregaye White, Chef Ben Robinson of “Below Deck,” “MasterChef” winner Jennifer Behm-Lazzarini, former White House chef John Moeller and South Philly Barbacoa chef Christina Martinez, will lead live cooking demonstrations and a celebrity signing event is scheduled in the on-site liquor store for those who want to take home a collector’s bottle. The fest includes an entire floor of artisanal food and beverage vendors, where attendees can shop for gourmet goods and ingredients.

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Sports

U.S. Open Squash

• Where: Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center, 25 N. 33rd St.
• When: Sunday, Oct. 19 – Saturday, Oct. 25
• How much: $60 and up

If following the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers is getting too stressful — and trust, we understand — there’s another sporting option in town this weekend. The U.S. Open Squash Championships is heading to University City. Founded in 1954, the tournament has a rich history. It’s grown from a grassroots championship to a platinum-level event on the PSA Tour and was among the first major squash tournaments in the U.S. to insist on equal prize money for men and women. Players to watch: world No. 1 Nouran Gohar is seeking her record fifth title, while No. 1 on the men’s side, Mostafa Asal, goes for his second U.S. Open title.

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Music

Johnnyswim: When the War Is Over Tour

• Where: Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St.
• When: Thursday, Oct. 16, 8 p.m.
• How much: $45.37

The husband-and-wife duo Johnnyswim — Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez — bring their eclectic blend of soul, folk and pop to Philly this weekend, continuing their When the War Is Over tour across the U.S. Sudano, the daughter of legendary disco queen Donna Summer, grew up steeped in music, while Ramirez trained at Florida’s Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Their most recent album, “When the War Is Over,” was released in February, followed by a deluxe edition in October featuring five new songs, including a collaboration with actor Anthony Ramos. Fans might remember their Discovery+ reality series, “The Johnnyswim Show,” which debuted in 2021.

An Evening With David Byrne

• Where: The Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad St.
• When: Thursday, Oct. 16, Friday, Oct. 17, Saturday, Oct. 18, 8 p.m.
• How much: $91 – $382

Talking Heads frontman David Byrne makes a Philly stop on his Who Is the Sky? tour in support of his first solo album in seven years. Produced by Kid Harpoon and arranged with the chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra, the album features standout collaborations with St. Vincent on the lead single “Everybody Laughs,” and Paramore’s Hayley Williams on “What Is the Reason for It?” Byrne’s three-night Philly stand features a 13-musician cast of singers, dancers and instrumentalists drawn in part from his “American Utopia” ensemble. 

An Evening of Opera Favorites

• Where: The Wanamaker Building, 100 E. Penn Square
• When: Friday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.
• How much: Free

Macy’s is gone, but the Wanamaker Building that housed it for decades has been repurposed as a concert space. Organist Peter Richard Conte, who has been the John Wanamaker Grand Court Organist since 1989, and the Opera Philadelphia Chorus, under the direction of Elizabeth Braden, come together for the PIPE UP! Series, which aims to bring high-quality musical performances to the community. If you can’t make it to Center City, the program will be repeated at Longwood Gardens on October 23. 

Orchestra Noir: The Culture 2000 Tour

• Where: Miller Theatre, 250 S. Broad St.
• When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 8 p.m.
• How much: $64.96 and up

Orchestra Noir’s The Culture 2000 Tour is a high-energy musical celebration that combines the sound of a full orchestra with iconic hip-hop, R&B and soul hits from the early 2000s to today. Under the direction of Philadelphia native Maestro Jason Ikeem Rodgers, Orchestra Noir reimagines the music that defined a generation, combining orchestral virtuosity, live vocals and visual storytelling.