Philly Fashion Week, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, Boyz II Men, Montco Jazz Festival and more in this week’s ‘Things to Do’

Music and festivals punctuate a busy Philly weekend. The Montco Jazz Festival is at multiple venues in the county, anchored by centennial celebrations of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. The XPoNential Music Festival brings folk and Americana artists to South Jersey starting on Friday night, while the Making Time ∞ Festival’s mix of electronic dance music and rock also kicks off Friday.

Hispanic Heritage Month is here, with a homage to salsa at Teatro Esperanza on Saturday and a focus on sabor at the Latin Food Festival in University City. Boyz II Men join the Philly Pops at the Mann on Friday night, while Ed Sheeran weathers the controversy at the Linc on Saturday. On Saturday, Porchfests in South Wayne and Mt. Airy keep the music playing right at home.

Delaware

A Celebration of Amy Winehouse featuring York Street Hustle

• Where: The Queen, 500 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.
• When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 8 p.m.
• How much: $28.90

On Oct. 27, 2006, Amy Winehouse released her Grammy-winning album “Back to Black.” The British singer-songwriter became a superstar with her throwback sound and instant classics like the title track and “Rehab.” Unfortunately, her star rose and fell in a brief span of time, and she succumbed to addiction in 2011 at the age of 27. York Street Hustle, along with a live horn section, pays tribute to the late artist on Saturday night.

New Jersey

XPoNential Music Festival

• Where: Wiggins Waterfront Park, 2 Riverside Drive, Camden, N.J.
• When: Friday, Sept. 18 – Sunday, Sept. 20
• How much: $16.15 – $309.41

Indie rock, Americana, soul and roots come to the waterfront for the 33rd year of the annual three-day music fest organized by WXPN. Headliners include Portugal. The Man, Dawes and Little Feat, joined by St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Rebirth Brass Band and Madison Cunningham, with additional sets from S.G. Goodman, Devon Gilfillian, Sierra Hull and Langhorne Slim.

Special events

Festivals roundup

Festivals this weekend range from food-dominated ones to others that are a harbinger of the fall harvest season. Here are some of the top fests around the city and ‘burbs.

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Through Sunday, Sept. 20
• How much: Free, pay as you go
  • Railpark Block Party: The elevated outdoor park celebrates its fifth anniversary.
  • Scarecrow Festival: This fest ushers in the fall season in Peddler’s Village.
  • Yardley Harvest Day: Vendor-heavy fall fest now in its 57th year.
  • We Are The Seeds: Indigenous Arts & Culture Festival and Pow Wow: The last PECO Multicultural Festival for the 2026 season, celebrating Indigenous people and culture.
  • 19th Annual Upper Darby International Festival: Upper Darby celebrates its diverse cultures with an inclusive event.
  • Harvest Jawn: A welcome to autumn in South Philly.
  • 17th Annual Mt. Airy Village Fair: Live performances and a pie-eating contest at the annual neighborhood get-together.

College Fest 2026

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Through Sunday, Sept. 20
• How much: Free pass with registration

Welcome to Philly, college students! Campus Philly is offering a welcome package that includes admission to more than 25 museums, historic sites and cultural institutions, with discounts on transit and other necessities as well. There’s also Saturday’s outdoor Block Party, which brings live music, DJs, drag performances, student activations and local vendors to connect students at more than 100 colleges, universities and technical schools in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Phoenixville Film Festival

• Where: Colonial Theater, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville, Pa.
• When: Thursday, Sept. 17 – Sunday, Sept. 20
• How much: Free – $11.53; badges for the entire fest are sold out

More than 60 films are on the schedule for the annual suburban film festival, including four world premieres and over two dozen Pennsylvania premieres, panels, workshops and filmmaker Q&As. While the festival favors emerging and indie filmmakers over A-list talent — there are films with mainstream talent, including “Game of Thrones” actor Owen Teale in the short “Something Pointless.” Opening night spotlights include “The Haunting of Pennhurst” and “Steel Wheel,” a local documentary on Phoenixville’s steel legacy.

Montco Jazz Festival

• Where: Multiple venues across Montgomery County
• When: Sept. 15-20
• How much: Various prices, with many free

The 2026 Montco Jazz Fest marks its fifth year with a six-day run blending live concerts, pop-up performances and community programming that highlights both local, national and international musicians. Curated by Grammy-nominated vocalist Joanna Pascale, the 2026 festival doubles as a tribute to the centennial celebrations of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.  Participating artists, including Josh Lawrence, Chelsea Reed, The V. Shayne Frederick Trio and more, perform at free and ticketed events from concert halls to breweries and parks throughout the county.

Philly Fashion Week

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: Through Saturday, Sept. 19
• How much: Various prices

Now in its 20th year, Philly Fashion Week winds down with the Avant-Garde Ball and Philadelphia Fashion Awards before culminating in two major runway presentations. This year’s designer lineup includes new and established designers like Prajje Oscar, Jeanett Limas and Autumn Lin, with additional collections from D’Marsh Couture, Byron Kyheem, Andy Yu x Big Ocean and KD Kollection anchoring the runway shows.

‘Washington’s Farewell: A Constitutional Convention Send-Off’

• Where: First Bank of the United States, 120 S. Third St. 
• When: Thursday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• How much: $50

Back in 1787, George Washington and the Constitutional Convention delegates partied like rock stars after the convention was over. At the farewell event hosted by the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, historical records show that the bar tab at City Tavern was about 89 pounds, or $15,400. We thought only professional sports teams had bar tabs that high. “Washington’s Farewell: A Constitutional Convention Send-Off” is a one-night, immersive historical fundraiser that re-creates the night as a themed evening of toasts, tastings, period-inspired food and drink, and live interpretations of the original bar tab moment.

Philly Plant Crawl

• Where: Multiple locations
• When: Thursday, Sept. 17 – Sunday, Sept. 20
• How much: Free, pay as you go

Plants clear the air and make a home into a sanctuary, so much so that aficionados often consider themselves “plant parents.” The Philly Plant Crawl makes adopting new leafy “kids” easier with a citywide, multiday scavenger hunt across 16 independent plant stores, including faves like STUMP Bella Vista, Plant & People and City Planter. The shops will offer in-store specials, plant swaps, workshops and giveaways via a passport-style stamp system that includes raffle entries.

Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show

• Where: Rittenhouse Square 
• When: Friday, Sept. 18, Saturday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• How much: Free, pay as you go

The fall version of the biannual art show returns to Rittenhouse Square. The outdoor art gallery features work in multiple disciplines, including printmaking, oil and acrylic, mixed media, watercolor, sculpture and more. It’s not just a show with work by experienced artists, though more than 150 of them will be on the square. Since its inception in 1928, when students at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts petitioned city leaders to use the park as an art gallery, art students have always been a part of the show.

Making Time ∞ Festival

• Where: Fort Mifflin, 6400 Hog Island Road.
• When: Friday, Sept. 18 – Sunday, Sept. 20
• How much: $125 – $295

EDM fans, you’re getting fed. Last weekend, the Breakaway Music Festival was here. This weekend, a locally and organically grown EDM gathering created by Dave Pianka that evolved from parties he started throwing 26 years ago, led by his “PLURT” ethos of Peace, Love, Unity, Respect and Transcendence. More than 120 EDM acts and musicians from other genres will perform. The range goes from icons like former Sonic Youth frontwoman Kim Gordon to acts including Theo Parrish, Skee Mask, Daphni, Avalon Emerson, Smerz, Marcel Dettmann, John Talabot, DJ Python and They Are Gutting a Body of Water.

Second Annual Philadelphia Arena Polo Championship

• Where: Chaumonix Equestrian Center, McCausland Arena, 98 Chaumonix Drive. 
• When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m.
• How much: $36.70

Work to Ride began as an organization to connect young people in challenging circumstances with horses. The second annual Philadelphia Arena Polo Championship features current student-athletes, program alumni and competitive riders in two matches that highlight equestrian sports and the power of mentorship. Between matches, there’s a festival with food trucks, local vendors, lawn games, DJ sets and interactive activations. Proceeds help support year-round programming, including riding instruction, academic support and summer youth camps at its newly renovated West Fairmount Park location.

Arts and culture

A Night of Words and Conversation With Kevin Powell

• Where: Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St.
• When: Thursday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• How much: Free, with registration

Kevin Powell first made the cultural zeitgeist as a star on the debut season of the seminal 1992 MTV show “The Real World,” widely considered the precursor to today’s dominant reality TV landscape. But over the past few decades, he’s become a prolific writer, now on his 17th book and fourth poetry collection. In recent appearances, Powell paired readings of his work with conversations on culture and history, which he’ll do here in Philadelphia on Thursday.

 ‘¡Salsa!’

• Where: Teatro Esperanza, 4261 N. Fifth St. 
• When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 3 p.m.
• How much: $20; free for seniors and students

Salsa was created in the streets of New York City by musicians of Latin and African descent who combined their musical traditions to create something brand new in the 1960s and ‘70s. Celia Cruz and Héctor Lavoe were its early superstars. This event celebrates the vibrant genre with performance, teaching and social dance featuring acclaimed dancers Ashley Rivera and Elian Gomez alongside the Siempre Salsa All Stars, with vocalist Carlos Sanchez and four-time Grammy winner Willy Torres.

Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest

• Where: Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St.
• When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m.
• How much: Free

The annual free celebration turns the Kimmel Center into a season-opening showcase of the city’s major cultural institutions, from opera and ballet to Broadway, jazz and classical music ensembles. More than 50 regional arts organizations come together for live performances, interactive demonstrations, backstage tours and ticket promotions. It’s a community day and a preview of what’s coming across the Philadelphia Orchestra, BalletX, Opera Philadelphia and other resident companies.

Odunde Art Sho

• Where: JFK Plaza Love Park, Arch Street. 
• When: Friday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• How much: Free, pay as you go

Oshunbumi “Bumi” Fernandez has more than extended the legacy of her mother, Odunde founder Lois Fernandez. One way she’s done so is by curating a series of year-round events inspired by the festival. This weekend it’s the latest in the Odunde Art Sho series, an outdoor gathering of African and African-American artists displaying their work and hopefully making some sales. Many of the artists are also vendors at Odunde; this gives prospective buyers time to focus exclusively on the art.

‘Noguchi to Asawa: Designing Post-War America’

• Where: Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. 
• When: Sunday, Sept. 20 – Sunday, Jan. 10
• How much: $5 – $30

The new exhibit shows how a generation of Japanese American artists and designers — including Isamu Noguchi, George Nakashima, S. Neil Fujita, Kay Sekimachi, Leo Amino and Ruth Asawa — helped shape modern American design while rebuilding their lives after wartime incarceration and displacement. Their work spanned sculpture, furniture, fiber art and graphic design, creating essential pieces for which they never received their proper acknowledgement or credit. The exhibition includes additional programming like Sunday’s curator conversation and an in-person seminar on Oct. 20 and Nov. 17.

‘A Christmas Carol: The Rap Musical’

• Where: Yellow Bicycle Theater, 1435 Arch St. 
• When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, 1:30 p.m.
• How much: $20

A Fringe Festival remix of a literary classic reimagines Charles Dickens through hip-hop. Ebenezer Scrooge’s story becomes a 60-minute performance built on original rap and a chorus that blends traditional carols with modern flow. Created by Philadelphia artist Michael Radzwilla, the production uses different eras of hip-hop to make  Scrooge’s redemption story more accessible to contemporary audiences.

‘These Shining Lives’

• Where: Stagecrafters Theater, 8130 Germantown Ave.
• When: Friday, Sept. 18 – Sunday, Oct. 4
• How much: $20 – $26

Back in the 1920s, a good-paying job at a radium factory painting watch dials seemed like a great idea, especially as it was a rare opportunity for women to earn their own money. Unfortunately, the radium was toxic, leading to the untimely deaths of the female workers. “These Shining Lives,” written by Melanie Marnich, dramatizes the real-life story of the doomed women who sued and won to change conditions at the watch factory, something that had an impact well beyond their short lives.

‘Drunk Black History’

• Where: Punch Line Philly, 33 E. Laurel St.  
• When: Sunday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m.
• How much: $35 – $46

Black history isn’t always funny, but “Drunk Black History” surely is. Historians, comedians and storytellers who have had a few drinks recount overlooked and under-taught moments in Black history with commentary from host Brandon Collins. The show, which has been featured at major comedy and cultural festivals across the country, has built an earned reputation for combining education with satire while platforming guest storytellers from media, podcasting, and the arts.

Food and drink

Manayunk Restaurant Week

• Where: Multiple locations
• When: Through Sunday, Sept. 20
• How much: $15 – $45

Manayunk Restaurant Week wraps up its week of offering prix fixe meals at $15, $25, $35 and $45 per person. The lower-tier pricing is generally for casual dining, while mid-range menus expand into two- and three-course dinners featuring dishes like Thai curries, sushi, pasta and barbecue. The $45 tier includes multicourse experiences with seafood, chef specials and dessert pairings. Participating restaurants include Bar Jawn, Lucky’s Last Chance, Taqueria Amor, Yanako, New Leaf, Mia Ragazza, Jake & Cooper’s Wine Bar, SOMO and The Goat’s Beard.

Sazón Latin Food Festival

• Where: Two Locals Brewing, 3675 Market St.
• When: Saturday, Sept. 19, noon – 5 p.m.
• How much: Free with registration; pay as you go

Latin American food, music and community culture are highlighted in this national outdoor festival that dovetails with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. Curated vendors representing flavors from the Caribbean, Central America and South America are on site alongside live DJs and cultural programming. Instead of upscale, chef-endorsed food, this sabor-driven fest prioritizes home-cooked and street food and the richness of the Latin diaspora’s shared food history.

10th Annual South Philly Sausage Fest

• Where: Broad Street and West Passyunk Avenue
• When: Saturday, Sept. 19, noon – 7 p.m.
• How much: Free, pay as you go

Whether it’s upscale or street, Philly’s food scene is legendary, and the South Philly Sausage Fest is just one reason. What started as a community fundraiser is now a multiblock event with sausages of every conceivable kind plus live music, arts vendors, locally-produced beers and a vintage flea market. Philly School of Rock and Joy Burkland and Her Band are among the live performers.

Music

Rufus Wainwright

• Where: City Winery, 990 Filbert St.
• When: Thursday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.
• How much: $78 – $126

Rufus Wainwright’s most recent studio album, “Folkocracy” (2023), earned a Grammy nomination by reimagining folk standards through collaborations with Brandi Carlile, Chaka Khan, John Legend, Sheryl Crow and others. In recent years, he’s also been staging large-scale symphonic presentations of his “Want One” and “Want Two” era, while advancing his “Dream Requiem” project, which premiered with major European orchestras and featured narration by Meryl Streep. Expect a setlist ranging from pop fare like “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” and “Poses” to orchestral works and classical reinterpretations.

Boyz II Men with The Philly Pops

• Where: Highmark Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Ave.
• When: Friday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m.
• How much: $49.90 – $94.75

Boyz II Men return to the Mann for a full-orchestra collaboration with The Philly Pops, blending their R&B catalog with symphonic arrangements under conductor Anthony Parnther, in a show that highlights the group’s over 30-year legacy. If you’re an R&B fan, you’ll hear new takes on signature hits like “End of the Road” and “I’ll Make Love to You,” and if you’re a classical fan, you’ll have an entry point to the music of one of the city’s most successful groups of all time.

Ed Sheeran

• Where: Lincoln Financial Field, One Lincoln Financial Field Way
• When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 5:30 p.m.
• How much: $96 and up

Mop-headed British superstar Ed Sheeran was having a pretty successful arena tour before controversy started brewing over opener Macklemore’s departure from the tour. It appears that the Philly show, part of the “Loop Tour” supporting Sheeran’s latest album “Play” (2025), will go on, but without its opening acts. The singles “Azizam,” “Old Phone” and “Sapphire” represent a new sound for Sheeran after his “Mathematics” era, but it remains to be seen how, or if, the controversy will impact his career.

Mt. Airy, South Wayne Porchfests

• Where: Multiple locations in Mt. Airy and in Wayne, Pa.
• When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Wayne; 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Mt. Airy
• How much: Free, pay as you go

In Wayne, the 2026 Porchfest heads into its ninth year with special collaborative showcases tied to celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary. More than 50 artists will be spread across the suburban city, with street closures on Midland Avenue, St. Davids Road and Windermere Avenue to facilitate ease of movement. On the same day, the Mt. Airy Porchfest is enjoying its fifth year, with 43 performances throughout the Northwest neighborhood.