March 2025 in Philly: The 55+ Biggest Events, Festivals & Exhibitions

Through Sunday, March 2, 2025

There are only a few days left to explore the Shared Vision: Portraits from the CCH Pounder-Koné Collection exhibition at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, curated over two years in collaboration with the award-winning actress known for The X-Files, ER and NCIS: New Orleans. This show — highlighting contemporary art spanning the African diaspora — is composed of 40 works in multiple media, including pieces by both world-renowned (like Bisa Butler and Samella Lewis) and emerging artists (including Luke Agada and Alex Peter Idoko) exploring identity, presence, beauty, autonomy and power through Black figures.

Through Sunday, March 2, 2025

One of Philly’s favorite wintertime attractions is coming to a season’s end, as Penn’s Landing wonderland Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest illuminates the Delaware River waterfront for just a couple days in March. Take last glides around the NHL-sized ice skating rink; enjoy farewell skeeball games and goodbye rides on the 60-foot-tall riverside Ferris wheel; and indulge in seasonal treats and hot drinks around the fire pits, warming cabins or the rinkside lounge. Admission is free, with pay-as-you-go food and drink and tiered tickets for ice skating (which can be reserved in advance).

Through Sunday, March 9, 2025

Sauna is an inherent part of Finnish culture, a tradition stretching back 10,000 years, which visitors can experience firsthand at FDR Park’s American Swedish Historical Museum during Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland. The outdoor pop-up exhibit allows parties of adults to reserve model saunas for 30- to 90-minute ticketed sessions, which also feature adjacent outdoor seating, a lounge, accessories, stories, photos, and videos telling of its steamy history. The exhibition also discusses sweating practices from around the world.

Head to Regional Theatre Tony Award-winning independent Wilma Theater to hear the unusual tale of a fictional basketball player who also happens to be a deity. In The Half-God of Rainfall, Yoruba and Greek mythologies blend into the story of superpowered Demi, a half-Nigerian mortal, half-Greek god who leaves his village to become an NBA superstar in this show based on the epic poem from Nigerian-born British poet and playwright Inua Ellams.

Dining deals return to “one of the ten best foodie streets in the country” (so says Food & Wine) with participating restaurants offering three-course fixed lunch and dinner menus at one of three price points ($20, $40 or $60 per person) during the 13th annual East Passyunk Restaurant Week. Nearly 20 neighborhood streetfront restaurants get in on the action, including Thanh Nguyen’s James Beard Award-honored Gabriella’s Vietnam, hip burger spot P’unk Burger, buzzy Agricola, Italy-inspired Le Virtù, oenophile fave Barcelona Wine Bar, craft beverage flight haven The Bottle Shop and more.

Philadelphia Theatre Company — which hosts imaginative contemporary productions at Suzanne Roberts Theatre on the Avenue of the Arts — presents the world premiere of Night Side Songs, a new musical “of, by and for the people of Philadelphia” from Daniel and Patrick Lazour. The immersive 90-minute show explores the intimacy of illness, mortality and the dignity of caregivers through content extracted from real interviews with local doctors, staff and patients in a celebration of Philly’s “eds and meds” community. Please note seating is on-stage and via general admission.

Stage comedy master Noël Coward’s century-old Hay Fever makes an apt debut at Washington Square West’s legendary Walnut Street Theatre — the English-speaking world’s oldest continuously operating theater, dating back to 1808. The blissful comic masterpiece recounts the story of a once-glittering star of the London stage who invites a young suitor to join her in the country. However, her family has the same idea, throwing all involved into a living melodrama of misjudged meetings, secret seductions and scandalous revelations. Don’t miss new wider and more comfortable seating throughout the venue.

Established in 1996, South Philly-based non-profit Theatre Exile focuses on new and contemporary works featuring local talent performed in an intimate setting. The highlight of the theater’s calendar is the annual Philly GRIT series, which showcases experimental and boundary-pushing performances by Philadelphia artists across diverse storytelling styles. This season’s GRIT-y headliners include Koal, a one-woman clown show/drama fusion about climate catastrophe-fueled wildfires in Australia, and Heart Ripped Out Twice And So Can You!, billed as a (mostly) comedy about pain, along with bonus performance of Camp Cookie featuring Philly drag star Cookie D’iorio.

Through Sunday, March 23, 2025

The horticultural minds at Longwood Gardens prove the season is more than stark, bare trees at their annual Winter Wonder exhibit. Welcome the start of spring and bask in the warmth of the beautiful new West Conservatory (part of Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience) as it begins its peak flowering season where Streptocarpus, Saintpaulia, Clerodendrum schmidtii and more fill up the space in purple and white while hundreds of orchids bloom magnificently. Outdoors, the gardens’ 400 acres pop with yellow and orange witch hazel, while winter grasses provide texture to the landscape.

Prominent regional Arden Theatre Company has garnered much acclaim since its founding in 1988. Coming to its stage for a month-long run is King Hedley II from “Poet of Black America” August Wilson. This gritty tale follows a recently released felon struggling to take control of his life in the face of a family and community struggling with his return to the real world in 1980s Pittsburgh. The production, continuing the theater’s commitment to Wilson’s American Century Cycle, is directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Temple University alum and Villanova University Associate Professor James Ijames.

Through Sunday, April 6, 2025

Taking over both floors of 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 which reflects environmental change, the relevance of art institutions to the public and the role of technology in society.

Through Sunday, April 13, 2025 (select dates)

It’s crunch time as the Philadelphia 76ers — celebrating the franchise’s 76th season — start their NBA playoff push as Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George hit the Wells Fargo Center floor for eight home matchups. The month tips Saturday, March 1, 2025, as two-time MVP Steph Curry leads his Golden State Warriors into town, with March’s marquee matchup coming Thursday, March 6, 2025, against Jayson Tatum’s defending champ Boston Celtics. The Sixers also host three-time All-Stars Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, March 10, 2025 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

Through Tuesday, April 15, 2025 (select dates)

The last full month of the NHL season comes to the Wells Fargo Center as the Philadelphia Flyers lace up for a big slate of 10 home contests. The month begins with visits from three Western Conference foes — the Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets and Seattle Kraken — on Tuesday, March 4, Thursday, March 6 and Saturday, March 8, 2025, respectively. Then it’s a tilt with Jack Huges and the division rival New Jersey Devils on Sunday, March 9, 2025, before a run of six more home contests wrapping in a battle with Roman Josi’s Nashville Predators on Monday, March 31, 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. The newest one gracing 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.

Through Monday, July 28, 2025 

The National Liberty Museum is spending 2025 marking the Year of Free Speech with three exhibits focusing on topics from book bans to campus protests to online speech, beginning with Free Speech: Our Right, Our Responsibility. The immersive exhibition explores freedom of speech as a fundamental human right, its historical and philosophical roots, and how it shapes our shared future. In a contentious and polarizing era of loud voices and cancel culture, this exhibit showcases historical content, contemporary art, multimedia elements and interactive displays to promote discovery and dialogue.

The latest iteration of the famous three-decade-old traveling exhibition, Body Worlds: Vital comes to The Franklin Institute starting this February. 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, which allows visitors to view complex anatomy structures and functions in an unprecedented way — through the innovative preservation process of plastination. The display explores health concerns of contemporary times and celebrates the living human body in its optimal state: healthy, vibrant, vigorous and in motion.

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.

Philly Beer Fest returns to the 23rd Street Armory for this indoor event celebrating Pennsylvania’s rich brewing culture. The 21+ fest features more than 30 of the state’s top breweries, including over a dozen of Philly’s best like Triple Bottom, Urban Village, Human Robot, Wissahickon Brewing and more, along with food trucks and other food options for purchase. Tickets, which include unlimited tastings, are for one of two sessions, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., with early access VIP available.

DOOP! On the heels of a hard-fought 2024 season, Andre Blake, Daniel Gazdag, Kai Wagner and the rest of the Philadelphia Union crew kick off their 16th season in the major leagues with a home opener this Saturday. The highly anticipated game at Subaru Park — their Delaware County stadium — pits the lads against FC Cincinnati.

The three-story former home of opera singer, humanitarian and Civil Rights icon Marian Anderson — now the Graduate Hospital neighborhood’s National Marian Anderson Museum — has been closed to the public since it received major damage from 2021’s disastrous flooding. After extensive renovations, the historic site is set to open its doors again with an official Ribbon Cutting and Reopening Event onsite on Saturday, March 1, 2025, followed by a ticketed Museum Reopening Gala Celebration on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Crystal Tea Ballroom in the Wanamaker Building.

A city staple since 1829, the annual Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Philadelphia Flower Show — the oldest and largest indoor horticultural event in the world — draws tens of thousands each year. The floral spectacle, with the 2025 theme of Gardens of Tomorrow, brings together hundreds of florists, landscapers and designers for one of the city’s most anticipated yearly events. Beyond the displays, the show hosts a major juried competition in horticulture and floral arranging, plus tons of gardening talks and demonstrations, special events, a sprawling market, live performances, and plentiful food and drink options.

The Founding Fathers weren’t the only ones who knew how to cause a ruckus. Philadelphia celebrates the revolutionary women of America — past and present — with special events, programming and more during Women’s History Month.

• Women’s History Month at the Betsy Ross House: Meet (portrayals of) opinionated women throughout history on History Maker Saturdays, hear lesser-known accounts of women’s contributions to America on Storytelling Sundays and watch colonial-era mid-wife Sarah Cotman make her debut (as part of Historic Philadelphia’s costumed interpreter program) on Thursday, March 20, 2025 (RSVP required) during Women’s History Month at the historic Betsy Ross House. And, of course, hang out with Ms. Ross herself — a business owner, patriot, single mother and entrepreneur — as she shares the story of the first flag and more fascinating tales (March 1-30, 2025).
• Women’s History Month at the Museum of the American Revolution: The Museum of the American Revolution honors the revolutionary women of the nation’s independence movements with a slate of special programming including, theatrical performances, daily 10-minute talks about the museum’s staff’s favorite women’s history artifacts and more (March 1-31, 2025).
• Women’s Way Wednesdays at Stratus Rooftop Lounge: Raise your glass to the ladies at this weekly pop-up featuring music by women DJs and food and drink from woman-owned or -operated purveyors. A different chef — (including chef Karla Torres of Ingrata, restauranteur Vee To and master chef Minoru Ogawa of Ogawa Sushi & Kappo, and chef Amaryllis Rivera Nassar of Amy’s Pastelillos — is highlighted each week leading up to the finale: a swanky collaborative cocktail soirée (Wednesdays, March 5-26, 2025).
• Sister Sunday at The Logan Hotel Courtyard: Support small women-owned businesses at this shopping extravaganza at The Logan Philadelphia Hotel. The free event traditionally features dozens of vendors offering clothes, jewelry, candles, prints and other handmade goods for sale, so keep an eye on The Logan’s Instagram for 2025 updates (Sunday, March 23, 2025).
• Fierce: Women of West Chester Walking Tour: Uncover the stories of the West Chester women who made important contributions to the law, abolition, suffrage, education, politics and science with the help of a costumed guide during this walking tour through downtown West Chester (March 26-29, 2025).

Sunday, March 2, 2025 | Noon and 5 p.m.

For nearly a hundred years, the Harlem Globetrotters have entertained generations of fans and families across the world with mind-blowing trick shots, expert ball-handling skills and a lot of laughs. The ambassadors of goodwill and comic kings and queens of hoops tip off against the forever overmatched Washington Generals during their tour stop at Wells Fargo Center, hosting two sessions of unbelievable dunks, alley-oops, looooong shots and a little magic, plus pre- and post-game fan engagement and — if you’re lucky — during-game engagement (just watch out for those buckets of water).

The Cock ‘n Bull Restaurant at charming Bucks County play-shop-dine destination Peddler’s Village brings one of the most famous dinner theater shows ever produced to life during the always fun Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding. The renowned immersive comedy is staged as an evening of nuptials for two Italian-American families, inviting the audience to actively participate as wedding guests with real food, real dancing and real mingling with the show’s cast. Expect the entire matrimonial experience, with a cash bar, buffet dinner and even a full-blown wedding cake. Come say evviva gli sposi!

Leading up to America’s Semiquincentennial in 2026, Visit Philadelphia and its partners — in collaboration with TED Democracy — celebrate the city’s legacy as the birthplace of modern democracy through high-profile events centered around concepts essential to preserving those freedoms. The TED Democracy program series is back in 2025 with a brand-new speaker series. Examining the state of American democracy today and the moments in time that could reveal where it might go next, the event kicks off at the Tony Award-winning Wilma Theater with TED talks by content creator and digital disruptor Sofia Ong’ele, social psychologist Dannagal Young, and urban revitalizer Majora Carter. The free event also features a performance by Philadelphia poet laureate Kai Davis, plus light bites and refreshments (for free!). The event is currently at capacity, but you can join the waitlist here.

Forbidden romance, otherworldly magic,and an iconic score (second only to that other Tchaikovsky masterpiece) come together for an 11-day run at the Academy of Music as The Philadelphia Ballet presents the classic Swan Lake. The company transforms the stage as the dancers bring to life the tale of Odette — a woman cursed to live as a swan by day and woman by night — and her love Prince Siegfried as they face the sinister sorcerer Rothbart, choreographed by artistic director Angel Corella as inspired by the original work of Marius Petipa.

Grab your championship belt and don your favorite singlet when the Wells Fargo Center hosts a night of wrasslin’ as the superstars of WWE SmackDown come to town. Don’t miss a single headlock, dropkick or death-defying leap as undisputed champion Cody Rhodes, United States champion LA Knight, women’s tag team champs Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, Solo Sikoa (card subject to change) and all your faves hit the mat to bask in the cheers (and boos) of thousands of fellow fans in an immersive experience wrestling aficionados will not want to miss.

March 8-29, 2025 (Saturdays only) 

What’s that? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No — it’s a (very fabulous) trolley packed with passion, laughter and sisterhood. This year, Harriett’s Bookshop’s annual trolley tour is inspired by the acclaimed poet (and Philly legend) Sonia Sanchez and celebrates Philly’s history, culture and community of Black women entrepreneurs. Over two hours, your host Starfire whisks you around the City of Sisterly Affection to five businesses and organizations led by Black women to hear their stories and shop their wares. Tickets are required and include a copy of the book Homegirls & Handgrenades by Sonia Sanchez, a free journal and a tote bag.

Home to one of the world’s most important galleries of impressionist, post-impressionist and early modernist paintings, the Barnes Foundation was named one of the 10 best small art museums in America in 2024 by The Washington Post. The calendar for 2025 brings a trio of new traveling exhibitions to the Barnes, with the first being Cecily Brown: Themes and Variations, which highlights the career of the pioneering contemporary British painter. The exhibit features over 30 paintings and drawings showcasing her subversion of gendered tropes in art history and popular culture from a feminist perspective.

Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, is a Hindu celebration of the arrival of spring. As part of the attraction’s signature CultureFest! series, the Penn Museum offers a family-friendly day of fun and cultural exploration during CultureFest! Holi, an immersive experience of the joyful Indian and Nepalese festival. The museum honors this tradition through storytelling, art-making, festive live music and dance, and the famous throwing of vibrant colored gulal powders. Presented in collaboration with the South Asia Center at the University of Pennsylvania, this program is included in regular museum admission.

Lions and tigers and … bassoons? Oh, my! From big cat roars to sheep bleats, a trip to the zoo is a magical, musical, full-sensory experience all its own. Under the baton of conductor Naomi Woo, The Philadelphia Orchestra brings to life the symphonic sounds of the zoo during this kid-friendly performance of French composer Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, an enchanting musical safari through the animal kingdom with each movement depicting a different animal. This show is a part of Ensemble Arts Philly’s buy-two-or-more Family Discovery Series savings package.

Philadelphia is the country’s second-largest Irish heritage city — a larger percentage than New York and a greater population than Boston — making Philly a natural center for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The festivities’ highlight is the annual Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, starting at 16th Street & John F. Kennedy Boulevard before heading toward Eakins Oval. With one out of every seven Philadelphians claiming Irish ancestry, expect a huge turnout, with a 2025 theme of Bless Those Dedicated To Serving Others.

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 will 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.

The James Beard Foundation — known for its annual culinary awards honoring the best restaurants and chefs in the nation — brings its national tasting series event James Beard Foundation Taste America to the ballroom at The Bellevue Hotel to honor the city’s local restaurant community. Chefs, special guests and diners join together to celebrate independent eateries through tastings from a dozen walk-around food stations curated by some of the region’s top culinary talents, including representatives from 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist restaurants El Chingón, Provenance, Mawn, Little Fish BYOB and Friday Saturday Sunday.

We know the story: Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. Girl AND boy die. The end. Or is it? Straight from Broadway, & Juliet takes pop anthems from the 2000s, like Since U Been Gone and Roar, and reimagines them as the soundtrack to one of literature’s most enduring tales: Romeo & Juliet. But in this retelling, our heroine jettisons the tragic ending — by choosing to live. Written by Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read and set to the music of Max Martin, this hilarious jukebox musical opens at the Academy of Music this March.

Since its founding in 1808, Philly’s Walnut Street Theatre has seen a lot of showstoppers, but these talents are a dream. Starting a six-week-long run this March is Dreamgirls, the six-time Tony Award-winning musical that was 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 to pop superstardom, with an unforgettable original score filled with pop, R&B, gospel, disco and more.

Oh yeah, the boys of summer are back in town. The National League East champion Philadelphia Phillies finally return to Citizens Bank Park to tip off the 2025 home season with an afternoon matinee home opener versus Kris Bryant, Ezequiel Tovar and the Colorado Rockies. Come see Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and the rest of the Fightins receive their 2024 division championship rings while the team raises the new pennant out in Ashburn Alley. Bonus: All fans in attendance receive a replica of the pennant as well.

• A Live Conversation with John Cusack (comedy/talk) at Keswick Theatre (Saturday, March 1, 2025)
• Howard Jones & ABC (new wave) at Keswick Theatre (Sunday, March 2, 2025)
• Rufus Wainwright (singer/songwriter) at Sellersville Theater (Tuesday, March 4, 2025)
• Cordae at Theater of Living Arts (Tuesday, March 4, 2025)
• Kraftwerk (electronic) at Franklin Music Hall (Thursday, March 6, 2025)
• Mandy Patinkin (musical theater) at Keswick Theatre (Friday, March 7, 2025)
• A R I Z O N A (pop rock) at The Fillmore Philadelphia (Wednesday, March 12, 2025)
• The Millennium Tour with Trey Songz, Omarion, Bow Wow, and more (hip-hop/R&B) at Liacouras Center (Friday, March 14, 2025)
• Colin Jost (comedy) at Parx Xcite Center (March 14-15, 2025)
• Kathy Griffin (comedy) at The Met Philadelphia (Saturday, March 15, 2025)
• Spyro Gyra & Lee Ritenour (jazz) at Keswick Theatre (Saturday, March 15, 2025)
• Morgan Wade (country) at Union Transfer (Sunday, March 16, 2025)
• Aziz Ansari (comedy) at The Met Philadelphia (Saturday, March 22, 2025)
• Basia Bulat (folk) at World Cafe Live (Saturday, March 22, 2025)
• Wheatus (indie rock) at Ardmore Music Hall (Saturday, March 22, 2025)
• Stereophonics (Britpop) at Union Transfer (Sunday, March 23, 2025)
• Edwin McCain (singer/songwriter) at Sellersville Theater (Sunday, March 23, 2025)
• Bishop Briggs (alternative) at Union Transfer (Thursday, March 27, 2025)
• of Montreal (indie pop) at Underground Arts (Thursday, March 27, 2025)
• JoJo (pop) at The Fillmore Philadelphia (Friday, March 28, 2025)
• Rebecca Black (pop) at Theatre Of Living Arts (Saturday, March 29, 2025)

March is Women’s History Month, and true to its inclusive and historical spirit, the celebration is honored across Philadelphia with festivals, events and special exhibits at local museums. Among the institutions that regularly offer special Women’s History Month events are the Museum of the American Revolution, the National Constitution Center and the Betsy Ross House, home to Philly’s most famous historical woman. Or check out one of many women-penned and -centric theatrical productions at area venues, women’s history tours, historical storytelling sessions and pop-up events at hotels, restaurants and more.

As the nation’s second-most Irish city, there are few better places to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than Philadelphia. The city’s signature event is the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Elsewhere, you can go bragh aboard Philly’s legendary Erin Express, a six-decade-old city tradition, or just make a stop on your own at McGillin’s Olde Ale House, Philadelphia’s oldest continuously operating tavern (circa 1860) and one of Travel Channel’s best Irish bars in the U.S.

Restaurants across Philadelphia offer seasonal menus filled with warm, hearty selections of soups, stews and roasted entrees. But what really warms the heart (and hands) during winter is a quaint dining space with a roaring fireplace to boot. Check out some of Philly’s homiest eateries with fireplaces like the wood-burning blaze at The Plough & the Stars, the British-inspired hearths on both floors at The Dandelion, the indoor/outdoor connecting fireplace at Suraya, the exposed brick ingle at 59 Almshouse in Richboro or the poured-concrete spot under the skylight at Wm. Mulherin’s Sons.

Spring is on its way, but March is still too cold for outdoor music, so warm up where the action is hot inside cozy Wells Fargo Center. Open since 1996, the arena is lit as all three of Philadelphia’s indoor pro teams — the NBA’s 76ers, NHL’s Flyers and NLL’s Wings — head into the meat of their second-half schedules on the court, ice and turf, respectively. The 21,000-capacity venue also holds a ton of entertainment events, from big-name live concerts and shows to touring favorites like the circus, ice capades, WWE wrestling, monster trucks and the Harlem Globetrotters.

Bright lights, dramatic turns, big sing-alongs … warm up for a show all March long inside Philly’s plethora of iconic theaters and playhouses. As spring approaches, a bevy of stage shows and musicals hit the planks with Broadway magic, heartfelt scores, classic texts and world premieres. New runs often take hold at grand lyceums and community auditoriums alike at sites like the Academy of Music, the Miller Theater, The Wilma Theater and the Walnut Street Theatre in the city and Bristol Riverside Theater, The Media Theatre and Bucks County Playhouse in the countryside.

Spring in Philly indeed comes in like a lion and departs like a proverbial lamb. Daytime high temperatures at the start of the month hover around 48 degrees Fahrenheit but climb another 10 degrees by month’s end — even reaching a month-record high of 87 degrees in 1945. Snow can still occur during the month, averaging just over three inches in total, with a modern-day March record of almost a foot on March 13, 1993. Spring enters the chat, expanding to about six-and-a-half hours of sunshine per day, with nine-and-a-half March days experiencing at least some rainfall.

As temps rise in March, so do the opportunities to get outside and enjoy first peeks of nice weather. Bask in the new extra hour of daylight saving sunlight across Philly’s blooming parks and green spaces for hiking and biking minus the winter coat, or visit one of the many outdoor historic sites that come to life like Valley Forge National Historical Park, Washington Crossing Historic Park and Brandywine Battlefield Park. Or relax and chill at a local brewery’s just-opened outdoor beer garden or a chic restaurant debuting an outside streetery for the season.

The performing arts scene is hot in March, with plays, musicals, dance, kids’ events, comedy and more 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 Act II Playhouse, Bucks County Playhouse and Media Theatre in the countryside.

Philly’s March sports scene definitely heats up as spring hits. At the Wells Fargo Center, the 76ers and Flyers are pushing for key second-half victories in front of enthusiastic fans, as are indoor lacrosse’s Wings. March means a brand-new Phillies campaign, so head down to Citizens Bank Park to catch new players debut and old faves heat up for a long season. And in Chester, soccer’s Union roll into their schedule’s first full month. But the winner anywhere is you with friends and family enjoying stadium food and drink, cheers and boos and, of course, Gritty.

Spring break in Philly? Sure, why not! It may not be Cancún or Daytona, but as temperatures slowly rise, there’s plenty to come see and do in March. The month is still off-peak in Philly and school breaks vary in timeframe, so crowds and lines at historic sites, shopping districts, restaurants and more are reasonable. But that doesn’t mean any less excitement, with high-energy March events around the region like Philly Beer Fest, Longwood Gardens’ Winter Wonder, the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the quarter-million folks that attend the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show.