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Welcome to April in Philly, when outdoor events, activities, festivals and dining finally spring to life.
The month kicks off 2025’s big outdoor event schedule, including the return of the Penn Relays, the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival and the first full slate of the new Philadelphia Phillies season, along with Monster Jam and AMA Supercross on the dirt at Lincoln Financial Field.
Celebrate the return of warm temperatures at the region’s gardens as flowering season begins to burst through, highlighted by Spring Blooms at Longwood Gardens.
Spring also means the launch of food fest season, with options like the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival, Linvilla Orchards’ Food Truck Frenzy and East Passyunk’s Flavors On The Avenue. Or finally enjoy outdoor dining again at streateries and patios during citywide restaurant collabs Dining Out For Life and Dine Latino Restaurant Week. April also features several exciting Black Pride events.
Check out our guide to the biggest events and most awesome things to do in Greater Philadelphia in April 2025.
Through Sunday, April 6, 2025
Coming to a close at the University of Pennsylvania’s free-admission Institute of Contemporary Art is the intriguing Carl Cheng: Nature Never Loses exhibition, the first in-depth survey of works from the six-decade-long career of the experimental California artist. Cheng still houses most of his prescient, genre-defying work himself, making this exhibit a rare public opportunity to view his takes on identity, technology and ecology across a variety of multidisciplinary media. The artist’s work seeks to reflects environmental change, the relevance of art institutions to the public and the role of technology in society.
Where: Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 S. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Through Sunday, April 13, 2025 (select dates)
It’s the last opportunity to catch your Philadelphia 76ers as they wrap their season, the franchise’s numerically-appropriate 76th. Come out to Wells Fargo Center to see stars like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George for the final time during the campaign’s final four matchups. On Thursday, April 2, 2025, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks come to town, followed by Karl-Anthony Towns’ Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, April 5, 2025, and the Atlanta Hawks with superstar Trae Young on Friday, April 11, 2025. The regular season finishes up on Sunday, April 13, 2025 versus the Chicago Bulls.
Where: Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Through Tuesday, April 15, 2025 (select dates)
Only two chances remain to head down to Wells Fargo Center and see the hometown Philadelphia Flyers lace up before the orange-and-black’s regular season concludes. The team’s penultimate game comes on Saturday, April 12, 2025, against the division rival New York Islanders and their hall of fame coach Patrick Roy … which is also dollar ice cream night! Then the season finale arrives on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, as the Flyboys attempt to end the regular season on a high note versus the Metropolitan Division rival Columbus Blue Jackets.
March 24 – April 27, 2025 (except Sunday, April 20, 2025)
Where my Peeps at? The adorable, Pennsylvania-made marshmallow treats are the stars of over 130 creative displays during the adorable Peeps in the Village competition, a beloved springtime tradition at Bucks County’s Peddler’s Village indie shopping haven. This year’s sixth annual free Peep-tastic display will take place inside the Visitor & Event Center where regional residents showcase their creative talents through a variety of marshmallow masterpieces including wall art, dioramas, sculptures and more. Come view the Instagram-worthy colorful candy creations and pick up some Peep swag in person while you’re here.
Where: Peddler's Village, 100 Peddlers Village, Lahaska, PA
Of course, you know the famous story. But what if that story didn’t end like you remember? Written by Emmy-winning Schitt’s Creek scribe David West Read, & Juliet flips the script on Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy and asks, “What if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo?” April offers just a few more days at the Academy of Music for this delightfully irreverent what-if tale of a thriving adult Juliet, backed by a rousing score of pop anthems like Since U Been Gone, I Kissed a Girl, Larger Than Life and …Baby One More Time.
I LOVED every minute of & Juliet, the modern reimagination of Shakespeare’s classic play Romeo & Juliet. It’s a high-energy, high-fun, pop music-infused masterpiece putting female empowerment front and center. Leading the way: Juliet, of course, played by powerhouse vocalist Rachel Simone, who commands the stage in every single scene. For me, parting was — you guessed it — such sweet sorrow!
Where: Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Through Sunday, June 1, 2025
Rising majestically at the head of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Philadelphia Museum of Art — one of the nation’s largest and most recognizable art institutions — houses vast collections, plus rotating exhibitions. Currently on display inside its iconic halls is Christina Ramberg: A Retrospective, an anthology review exhibit of the famed Chicago artist that highlights her stylized paintings of fragmented female bodies all the way up to her late-career quilt-making projects. This first comprehensive retrospective of Ramburg’s work in three decades presents nearly 100 boundary-blurring pieces on display.
Where: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA
Through Monday, September 1, 2025
The latest iteration of the famous three-decade-old traveling exhibition, Body Worlds: Vital is on display now through September at The Franklin Institute. A joint work of anatomists and over 13,000 body donors, the exhibit is an exposition of dissected human bodies, animals and other anatomical figures that allows visitors to view complex anatomy structures and functions in an unprecedented way — through the innovative preservation process of plastination. The exhibit explores health concerns of contemporary times and celebrates the living human body in its optimal state: healthy, vibrant, vigorous and in motion.
Where: The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Since its founding in 1808, Philly’s Walnut Street Theatre has seen a lot of showstoppers, but these talents are a real dream. Running throughout April is the six-time Tony Award-winning musical Dreamgirls, later adapted into an Academy Award-winning motion picture. The production follows a sensational 1960s Supremes-like girl group through the trials, tribulations and backstage drama of surviving the rapid rise from obscurity into pop superstardom, with an unforgettable original score filled with pop, R&B, gospel and disco, including the smash And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.
Where: Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Spring has officially sprung at Longwood Gardens, Philly’s largest botanical garden. The familiar colors and fragrances of the season are ready to be experienced during the annual Spring Blooms event, offering opportunities to take in the world-renowned thousand-acre attraction’s early spring bulbs, vibrant blooms of aromatic tulips and beloved wisteria, flowering trees and more. Pierre du Pont’s tranquil horticultural oasis showcases nearly 10,000 varieties among its indoor and outdoor grounds. Timed admission tickets are required.
Where: Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA
March 31 – September 28, 2025 (select dates)
The first full month of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2025 season is here as Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler and the rest of the Fightins start racking up homers and wins at Citizens Bank Park. The month starts with the remainder of the Phils’ opening series against the Colorado Rockies, followed by a threesome versus Shohei Ohtani and the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers. After a brief road trip, the boys in red pinstripes return to take on the San Francisco Giants before intra-division series with the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals.
Where: Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, PA
Ongoing
Give the City of Brotherly Love a standing ovation: The internationally renowned TKTS ticket booth service is now running right here in Philly. Joining the ranks of New York, Tokyo and London, TKTS Philadelphia offers unbeatable deals of 30% to 50% off last-minute tickets to select Philly theater and performing arts shows (within 72 hours of the start time) including performances by Ensemble Arts Philly and The Philadelphia Orchestra plus shows at over 20 venues like The Wilma Theater, Forrest Theatre and Walnut Street Theatre. Tickets must be purchased in person at Independence Visitor Center.
Where: Tickets must be purchased at the Independence Visitor Center, 599 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
VIEW OTHER LOCATIONS (8)
Parx Xcite Center, 2999 Street Road, Philadelphia, PA
Miller Theater, 250 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
The Fillmore Philadelphia, 29 E. Allen Street, Philadelphia, PA
The Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Franklin Music Hall, 421 N. 7th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, PA
Theatre of Living Arts, 334 South Street, Philadelphia, PA
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” is the famous line which opens the J.R.R. Tolkien tome that launched a multi-billion dollar Middle Earth saga of 11 films and novels, and this popular 2001 stage adaptation. The Hobbit, playing throughout April and May at Arden Theatre, is the minimalist staged tale of Bilbo Baggins, an unlikely hero who travels through freezing mountains and frightening forests while meeting all sorts of creatures on a mystical adventure to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and battle the dragon Smaug.
Where: Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
The annual Philly Theatre Week is back for its eighth year, celebrating the artists, organizations and audiences that have made Philadelphia one of the most vibrant theater communities in the nation through a series of productions, readings, interactive events and more.
The week includes four-dozen shows at theaters across the city and the countryside, and featured theatre companies include Quintessence Theatre Group, InterAct Theatre Company and Arden Theatre Company. The best part? Tickets are pay what you can while they last.
Where: Various locations including Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
Sponsored by Visit Philadelphia with Resy/American Express, the second-annual The Chef Conference brings some of the country’s best chefs, culinary minds, emerging talents and food experts to Philly. The four-day event — hosted at The Study at University City — features hospitality panels, lectures and roundtables, plus collabs at top restaurants like Her Place Supper Club, Superfolie, Bloomsday, Royal Izakaya, Kalaya and Friday Saturday Sunday. This year’s lineup of speakers from the culinary and television worlds include Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Michael Solomonov, Amanda Shulman, Tom Colicchio, Stephanie Wu and Andrew Zimmern.
Where: Various locations including The Study at University City, 20 S. 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
When the cherry blossoms bloom in Fairmount Park, spring has officially arrived. To mark the occasion, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) hosts the annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia, featuring over 1,600 cherry trees borne from their original 1926 plantings. Month-long events are scheduled throughout the city, but the centerpiece is the two-day ticketed Sakura Weekend held outside the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and Centennial Arboretum. The celebration includes music, dancing, cultural activities, workshops, food vendors, a beer garden, and lots and lots of cherry trees.
Where: Various locations including Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, 100 N. Horticultural Drive, Philadelphia, PA
Opens Saturday, April 5, 2025
Outdoor market season is back, and this beloved Philly culinary treasure returns to the heart of South Philly’s FDR Park. A nationally renowned seasonal market, the Southeast Asian Market pops up every weekend (save for during Eagles home games and occasional special events), showcasing some of the best Lao, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian cuisine in the city.
Last year’s market saw over 70 vendors offering traditional dishes, authentic street food and culturally specific produce, plus plants, jewelry and clothing. For the best experience, pack a picnic blanket and don’t forget to bring cash — some vendors are cash-only and there’s no ATM on site.
A great meal is a walk in the park at the Southeast Asian Market. It’s accessible by subway or car, so pack some cash and a blanket, then prepare for a multi-course picnic. The grills fill the air. The fresh juice and fruit offer refreshing flavors for a summer’s day. Start off with a Vietnamese coffee or sugar cane juice before walking around to look at the endless options. After a walkthrough, go back to what stands out to you. Mix sweet and savory the whole way through. My choices (to start): stuffed chicken wings and papaya salad.
Where: FDR Park, Pattison Avenue & S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
The twice-a-year Dine Latino Restaurant Week aims to boost business for local Latino restaurants both in the city and the countryside. The Spring 2025 edition features over two-dozen of Filadelfia’s best Latino eateries, including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Colombian and Peruvian spots and more. Plus, for the first time, food trucks will also be participating. Each restaurant (specific locations to be announced) offers either a buy-two-entrees, get-an-appetizer-free promotion or a special limited-time menu. The celebration includes a Chef’s Tasting on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at La Cucina at the Market.
Where: Participating locations including Arepa Grub Spot, 1112 S. 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA
April 6-27, 2025 (Sundays only)
Roam the streets and shop till you drop. For four Sundays this April, one of Philadelphia’s top shopping and dining destinations transforms into a car-free oasis.
During Open Streets: West Walnut, pedestrians are invited to shop, dine and mosey along seven car-free blocks while enjoying acoustic music, strolling performers and family-friendly activities. Check out the official website for an entertainment schedule and a list of retailer and restaurant happenings.
Where: 18th Street between Locust Street and Chestnut Street; Walnut Street from 15th Street to 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Best described as motocross on steroids, supercross challenges the best dirt bike racers to take their skills to the max. That’s what fans will experience at the AMA Supercross Championship where, with the help of 26 million pounds of dirt, Lincoln Financial Field will be transformed into the ultimate motorbike obstacle course, forcing competitors to jump, turn and race their way to victory. The day kicks off at 8 a.m. with the Supercross FanFest featuring a video game rig, a pump track, toy play tables and more.
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, 1 Lincoln Financial Field Way, Philadelphia, PA
Join Chase, Marshall, Skye and all your favorites as the gang works together to save Adventure City with their Mighty Pup Powers — and you get to watch it all live when Ensemble Arts presents Paw Patrol Live! A Mighty Adventure, coming to the Academy of Music. Expect plenty of heroic action, catchy tunes and bark-loads of interactive fun in this electrifying new show. VIP meet-and-greet experiences are available (for very important pups, of course). This show is a part of Ensemble Arts Philly’s buy-two-or-more Family Discovery Series savings package.
From Ireland to the world, the cultural stepdance phenomenon first captured international attention as a seven-minute dance performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. Miller Theater will mark the iconic show’s third decade with Riverdance 30: The New Generation, featuring the unforgettable music, movement and magic you’ve come to expect, reimagined with updated choreography, new costumes, state-of-the-art projections and enhanced motion graphics showcasing a brand-new cast all under the age of 30, representing the next generation of Riverdance. Ní neart go chur le chéile!
Where: Miller Theater, 250 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Hundreds of flags and banners stitched by colonial Philadelphia flagmakers like Betsy Ross and Rebecca Flower Young were carried by Revolutionary soldiers and militiamen, but only 30 are known to have survived. The Museum of the American Revolution celebrates the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War and the birth of the U.S. Armed Forces with the milestone exhibit Banners of Liberty: Exhibition of Original Revolutionary War Flags, which showcases over a dozen of these original flags, the largest collection of Revolutionary-era banners seen together in over 200 years.
Where: Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
Each year, Dining Out for Life returns to cities across the globe — including Philadelphia — to help raise funds for community-based organizations serving people living with or impacted by HIV. Restaurants donate a percentage of their sales from the event to a local HIV service organization, which in turn fills participating restaurants with diners. This year’s Philly version, the 35th annual, benefits Action Wellness, and features dozens of eateries across Philadelphia and the Countryside, including Good Dog Bar, Jack’s Firehouse, Loco Pez, Urban Village Brewing, Stina, Positano Coast and more to be announced.
Where: Participating locations including Good Dog Bar, 224 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA
The renowned Penn Relays, celebrating its 135th anniversary in 2025, is the oldest and largest track and field meet in the nation. Held at the University of Pennsylvania’s historic Franklin Field (which was constructed in 1895 to hold the event), the massive three-day festival features over 15,000 athletes from a dozen countries participating in more than 300 track and field events in front of 110,000 spectators. The meet includes competitions in high school, college, Olympic and masters divisions, along with a Carnival Village featuring music, merch, apparel and food vendors.
Where: Franklin Field, 235 S. 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
Visitors come from near and far for the annual four-day Philly Black Pride event, a celebration emphasizing the strength and resilience of Philly’s community of LGBTQ+ people of color. This year’s 26th annual event takes place at locations around the city with a variety of activities and gatherings, including a welcome reception, dance parties, open mics and poetry slams, lectures, film screenings, drag brunches and more. Details and schedules for 2025, with the theme of Love is Love, will be announced shortly.
Where: Various locations including Club Quarters Hotel Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, 1628 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Lace up and let’s gooo! Roller skating returns to the west side of City Hall as Dilworth Park’s Rothman Orthopaedics Roller Rink reopens for the season. Regular hour-long skate sessions on the retro checkerboard rink start up on April 25, 2025 and are available seven days a week. Advanced reservations are encouraged.
Kick the fun off early with a live DJ, performances and more at a special public preview party on Thursday, April 24, 2025 from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are required and include skating, light bites and two drink tickets.
Where: Rothman Orthopaedics Rink, 1 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA
One of the nation’s leading art and design fairs, The Philadelphia Show returns to the Philadelphia Museum of Art (now its permanent home) for the fourth consecutive year. Staged on the museum’s East Terrace (above the Rocky Steps), the 63rd annual show features over 40 exhibitors and dealers from across the nation specializing in fine art, Americana, period furniture, folk art, ceramics, porcelain, silver, jewelry, textiles and decorative arts. Other activities include dealer talks, show tours and a self-guided treasure hunt. A Preview Party kicks off the event on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
Philly’s queer-focused The Main Event was established a decade ago to create LGBTQ+, POC-centered all-inclusive safe spaces in the region, highlighted by an annual long weekend of nightlife events. This year’s No Sleep: Philly Black Pride 2025 includes a “welcome back” hookah happy hour mixer and an after-dark roller skating party on Friday, a ’90s-’00s throwback dance party at Rosy’s Taco Bar East in Queen Village on Saturday and a Sunday finale bash at Roar Nightclub in Northern Liberties (featuring a mystery celebrity host). Keep an eye on the organization’s website for details.
Where: Participating locations including Rosy's Taco Bar East, 624 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Written by Italian libretto Lorenzo Da Ponte to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Don Giovanni, coming to the Academy of Music, is a beloved opera about a very unlovable man. Opera Philadelphia, the city’s only producer of grand-scale opera, presents this 240-year-old (yet timely) drama about a despicable nobleman who uses others without care for their regard or the consequences it brings, and what happens when he murders the father of a woman he’s assaulted, an act which might finally lead to his downfall.
Beautiful Linvilla Orchards in Media, Delaware County, kicks off its season with the spring version of its popular Food Truck Frenzy, featuring nearly two-dozen local food trucks serving a wide variety of options, along with live music and the spring Beer Garden supplied by New Jersey (and Delco) favorite Ship Bottom Brewery. The fun-filled day also includes year-round family orchard activities like hayrides, train rides, pony rides, pick-your-own produce and face painting. The event is free to attend, with food and tickets for kids’ rides offered pay as you go.
Where: Linvilla Orchards, 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, PA
The Philadelphia Zoo, the nation’s first zoo, celebrates the dawning of spring with the joyful Festival of Colors. Presented in partnership with the Council of Indian Organizations, this South Asian celebration offers a day of Indian music, dancing, kids activities, food and art (featuring artists from around Philadelphia’s Indian-American community) to observe the holiday of Holi, which commemorates the arrival of spring, the end of winter and the blossoming of love. Don’t miss the festival’s highlight, the famous ceremony which features the throwing of vibrant-colored gulal powders.
Where: Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Talk about larger than life. Watch the world’s best driver-athletes and their 12,000-pound beasts on four wheels put their skills and speed to the test during Monster Jam — a family-friendly tradition for over 30 years — in the dirt at Lincoln Financial Field. See legendary monster trucks like Grave Digger, Max-D and Megalodon in the action, which include a skills event, head-to-head racing and freestyle, where drivers show off their jumps, wheelies, donuts and see-to-believe acrobatics. Come early for previews, driver interviews, opening ceremonies and more before the official competitions begin.
One of the nation’s biggest outdoor Asian food festivals comes to Dilworth Park when Panda Fest spends the weekend in the shadow of City Hall. Enjoy experiential activities, tastings and market fairs that showcase the vibrant cuisine, art and traditions of Asia, which includes over 35 food vendors offering more than 80 entree options. No pandas were harmed in the making of this festival (lol), but attendees can check out the a giant panda inflatable, panda-related merch and receive three free gifts: a custom Philly panda pin, a panda bag and an inflatable panda headband.
Where: Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA
April 26 – September 7, 2025 (Select Dates)
Believe it or not, we’ve known how to get, how to get to Sesame Place — the only Sesame Street-themed amusement park outside California — for four-and-a-half decades now. Throughout 2025, the Langhorne playland hosts its 45th Birthday Celebration, featuring bright balloons and colorful garland, fabulous birthday presents, and birthday-themed twists to favorite rides and attractions, including the return of the fan-favorite Sesame Street Birthday Parade. Get ready for the sapphire anniversary with ready-to-print birthday coloring sheets to bring along with you.
Where: Sesame Place Philadelphia, 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, PA
South Philly comes alive each spring during the annual Flavors On The Avenue, bringing East Passyunk’s top restaurants together for a five-block outdoor extravaganza along East Passyunk Avenue (from Broad Street to Dickinson Street) for 19 years. The free-to-attend, pay-as-you-go event offers an array of shopping and sidewalk sales from more than 100 local makers and shops, a craft market, live music, kid-friendly activities, craft beer, seasonal cocktails and plenty of food — from barbecue to burgers to dim sum — served as specials from a bevy of the neighborhood’s critically acclaimed restaurants.
Where: East Passyunk Avenue from Broad Street to Dickinson Street, Philadelphia, PA
Dozens of food trucks and neighborhood restaurants line Manayunk’s Main Street during one of the city’s biggest foodie events: the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival. More than 50 food trucks and gourmet food vendors dish out everything from BBQ and sweet treats to wine and craft beer. No food festival is complete with live music, and StrEAT includes six different acts playing two stages at either end of closed-to-traffic Main Street Manayunk. The festival is free to attend with pay-as-you-go food and drink.
Where: Main Street, Philadelphia, PA
April is cherry blossom season, and Philly is one of the nation’s best places to experience the blooms each year. There are scores of locations from which to view blossoming cherry trees, but the biggest displays can be found in Fairmount Park, which features one of the largest concentrations of cherry trees in America. That includes 1,600 gifted by the people of Japan in 1926 surrounding the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center, the Please Touch Museum, Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and Centennial Arboretum, where you’ll also find the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
Where: Various locations including Centennial Arboretum, Montgomery Drive, Philadelphia, PA
Outdoor dining spaces are extremely popular among Philly diners and in April, the weather is finally ripe again for eating outside — not too hot, not too cold and all you need is a light jacket. Restaurants, bistros, cafes and diners set up patio tables, canopies, enclosures, rooftop decks and parklets — including spots like Suraya, LMNO, Sunset Social, Independence Beer Garden, Sor Ynez, Talula’s Garden, Love City Brewing and many, many more — open the exterior doors for the season.
Where: Various locations including Suraya, 1528 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Philly brews, beats and bites lovers have waited all winter to get outdoors and enjoy the streets and neighborhoods that come alive in April, the traditional starting month for outdoor music festivals, beer fests and food festivals. Some of the top festivals in Philly take place in April, including the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival, Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival and East Passyunk Flavors On The Avenue, plus tons of neighborhood fairs and community fests across Philadelphia and its countryside, as well as citywide dining events like Dine Latino Restaurant Week and Dining Out for Life.
April is Earth Month, and as temps rise, Philadelphians emerge from winter hibernation ready for spring across the region’s scores of parks, green spaces, gardens and arboretums. Philadelphia offers over 150 hiking and biking trails that cover 800 miles — including the Schuylkill and Delaware River trails, Pennypack Trail and Forbidden Drive — along with over 11,000 acres of parkland from Fairmount Park to Wissahickon Valley Park to Ridley Creek State Park. For a more contained experience, get out in the newly-warm weather to experience gardens like Chanticleer, Tyler Arboretum and Bartram’s Garden.
Where: Various locations including Bartram's Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
The crack of the bat and roar of the crowd officially welcome hittin’ season come April, the first full month of Phillies baseball at Citizens Bank Park. The Phils’ new campaign hits full swing during that magical month where every team is in contention, veterans are getting cranked up, rookies look to break out, the Phillie Phanatic is spinning new bits, and beers, dogs, cheesesteaks and crab fries flow freely under the spring sun. By month’s end, over 30 games will be in the books and your Fightins will be off and running.
Figure-eight shaped, fused together in fives and slightly damp (so the salt melts), Philly soft pretzels are a doughy delight to be enjoyed anytime, but the twists get the spotlight each April 26 on National Pretzel Day. Celebrate the holiday at spots like Center City Soft Pretzel Co., Tasty Twisters Bakery, A&A Soft Pretzels, Bernie’s Pretzel Bakery or any of the region’s Philly Pretzel Factory and Wawa locations, or from your favorite street vendor, corner convenience store or bakery, many of which will offer free samples for pretzel day. Don’t forget the spicy brown mustard.
Where: Various locations including Center City Pretzel Co., 816 Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
April brings warmer daytime high temperatures, which start the month around 58 degrees Fahrenheit but climb to almost 70 by month’s end — even reaching a month-record high of 95 degrees in 2002. Spring enters the chat this month, with just over seven hours of sunshine per day and an average of a dozen days experiencing some rainfall. Snow in April is rare, with an average of just over a half-inch in total for the month, and a most recent April measurable snowfall of one-third of an inch on April 9, 2016.
The April sports scene in Philly is headlined by the Phillies, who move into the first full month of the new baseball season at Citizens Bank Park. The Union are just into the second month of the MLS campaign at Subaru Park, while the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Flyers finish up their regular seasons at the Wells Fargo Center. But the winner anywhere is you with friends and family enjoying stadium food and drink, cheers and boos and, of course, the Phillie Phanatic.
The live theater scene warms up in April, with the season continuing throughout the region. Catch fresh-from-Broadway shows along with Opera Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Ballet at Academy of Music (plus more Broadway at Forrest Theatre), the Philadelphia Orchestra at The Kimmel Center and music and dance at the Miller Theater and Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Suzanne Roberts Theatre. Or see the thespians hit the stage at historic Walnut Street Theatre and Tony Award-winning Wilma Theater in the city and Bristol Riverside Theater, Bucks County Playhouse and Media Theatre in the countryside.
It’s spring, and what better time to head outdoors for some foods-on-a-stick and samples of amazing international treats as the region’s spring and summer food festivals start to kick off? Annual favorites return each April, including the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival, Food Truck Frenzy at Linvilla Orchards and East Passyunk’s Flavors On The Avenue. Also on tap, sunny tables at streateries and patios during citywide restaurant collabs Dining Out for Life and Dine Latino Restaurant Week.
April is the unofficial start of botanic garden and arboretum season in Philly as flowers, plants, trees and grassy lawns spring to life after a chilly winter. The biggest April annual garden event is the Spring Blooms celebration at Longwood Gardens, but the flowering of the new season can be seen across the region at spots like Morris Arboretum, Bartram’s Garden, Barnes Arboretum, Awbury Arboretum, Scott Arboretum, Chanticleer, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, Tyler Arboretum, Peace Valley Lavender Farm and more. Bonus: Don’t miss the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Fairmount Park.
Where: Various locations including Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA
Winter is gone and the heat of summer is still a ways away, so if you’re in Philly looking to avoid crowds but still have plenty to do, April is a great time to visit. The weather is finally warm, which means plenty of walking opportunities between historic sites, landmarks, museums, galleries and eateries, plus a new season of baseball at Citizens Bank Park. And if you’re looking for big events, two of Philly’s favorites — the historic Penn Relays and stunning Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia — headline the month.
The only way to fully experience Philly? Stay over.
Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package and get free hotel parking and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
Or maybe you’d prefer to buy two Philly hotel nights and get a third night for free? Then book the new Visit Philly 3-Day Stay package.
Which will you choose?