The City of Brotherly Love is bursting with fantastic things to do in February.
And the month brings a huge bonus this year: Leap Day means visitors and residents get an extra Saturday to enjoy all Philly has to offer!
The Pennsylvania Convention Center attracts large crowds this month at two big events: The Philadelphia Auto Show and the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show. The former features hundreds of pre-production, classic, luxury and exotic cars, while the latter stuns year after year with top-of-the-line horticulture and landscape design.
February is also Black History Month, and museums and attractions across the city celebrate Black heritage, history and culture over the next five weeks with special exhibitions, discussions and more events.
It’s a big month for performing arts, too, with the 10-day Philly Theatre Week returning to bring tons of live theatre to stages across the region and the Broadway hit Hello, Dolly! coming to the Academy of Music.
And February is a prime time to warm up with a cold one. A handful of beer festivals this month — in Bucks County (Bucks Brewfest 101), South Philadelphia (Winterfest Live!) and Chester County (Kennett Brewfest) — promise satisfying seasonal sips.
Check out the best things to do in Philadelphia this February 2020, below.
On view
Philly street artist Amberella’s work can stop you in your tracks. This February — just in time for Valentine’s Day— residents and visitors can find her inspiring heart-shaped street art at new spots in both Philadelphia and New York City. Check out our guide to five places to take in her encouraging, motivational and socially conscious messages.
Where: Various locations including Cherry Street Pier, 121 N. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
Dilworth Park continues to hum with activity in February as visitors come to ice skate around the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink, wander through seasonal plants and greenery in the Wintergarden, and warm up with tasty food and seasonal drinks in the cozy Rothman Orthopaedics Cabin before the winter-fun hub closes up for the season on Sunday, February 23. Bonus: Ice skating is free all month long! Visitors can stop by the Capital One Cafe at 135 S. 17th Street to pick up their free ice skating passes.
Where: Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th Street
It’s unexpectedly easy to enjoy a getaway to Philly this winter thanks to the Visit Philly Overnight Hotel Package. Offering the perfect base itinerary for any visit, the package includes overnight accommodations, FREE hotel parking and awesome seasonal perks, including two free Philadelphia Sightseeing Passes, which let you pick which Philly attractions and tours to explore. Start planning your trip today!
Where: Available at 44 Philadelphia hotels
Take in extraordinary views of the Ben Franklin Bridge while gliding around a regulation skating rink or sipping hot cocoa — or something stronger — by a cozy fire pit at Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest, Philly’s own pop-up winter wonderland on the Delaware River waterfront. The attraction — which is open all month long — boasts redecorated warming cabins and a revamped main Lodge (with food and beverages from Garces Group, Chickie’s and Pete’s and Franklin Fountain).
Where: Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
One of the oldest and largest single-day events for African American children’s books in the country, the 28th annual African American Children’s Book Fair at the Community College of Philadelphia features nationally known and bestselling authors and illustrators, representatives from the multicultural literary community, enriching children’s books, and activities that promote the power and joy of reading.
Where: Community College of Philadelphia, 1700 Spring Garden Street
Warm up at this indoor oasis back for a second year at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center. Getaway at the Greenhouse is a pop-up tropical destination with all-ages fun centered around five activations: The Jungle, The Beach, The Midway, The Lawn and The Campground. Visitors can meet zoo animals, bring a picnic, visit food trucks and enjoy dance parties and storytimes.
Where: Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, 100 N. Horticultural Drive
Major attractions across the city — including The African American Museum in Philadelphia, the National Constitution Center, the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Brandywine River Museum or Art — celebrate Black heritage, history and culture throughout February with special exhibitions, discussions, performances, tours and more events and programming. Check out our guide to Black History Month events across the region.
Where: Various locations including Brandywine River Museum of Art, 1 Hoffmans Mill Road, Chadds Ford
January 31 & February 2, 2020
To mark conductor Corrado Rovaris’s 20th anniversary with Opera Philadelphia, more than 80 instrumentalists and 100 choristers join soloists Leah Crocetto (Don Carlo), Daniela Mack (Carmen), Evan LeRoy Johnson (Carmen), and In-Sung Sim for two powerful performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem. The moving opera takes audiences on a journey through all the emotions humans experience during a Roman Catholic mass for the dead.
Where: Academy of Music, 240 South Broad Street
Indulge in resplendent food and delightful drinks whipped up by some of the city’s most creative chefs at Philly Cooks, a culinary showcase presented by Philadelphia magazine. The event features fare from restaurants included in the magazine’s annual list of the best dining spots in the city. This year, places like Cicala, Forsythia, Kalaya and Puyero show off their best bites.
Where: 2300 Arena, 2300 S. Swanson Street
A 10-day regional theatrical festival, Philly Theatre Week promises hundreds of performances and events, including panels, concerts, meet-ups and loads of live theater.
Where: Various locations including Theatre Exile, 1340 S. 13th Street
Run entirely by volunteers, Bucks Brewfest 101 promises as many as 70 different beers — sours, ciders, IPAs, you name it — on tap from primarily Pennsylvania breweries along with food and entertainment. Regional brewers slated to participate include Hidden River Brewing Company, New Trail Brewing Company and Second Sin Brewing Company. All proceeds go toward educational scholarships for the Bucks County Community College.
Where: Bucks County Community College, 275 Swamp Road, Newtown
The automotive industry’s latest creations are on a 750,000-square-foot display at the Pennsylvania Convention Center during the annual Philadelphia Auto Show. Get an up-close look at 700 pre-production, classic, luxury and exotic cars — and even climb behind the wheel of some — and check out the Black Tie Tailgate pre-show fundraiser.
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street
The premier classical Chinese dance company Shen Yun brings its boundary-pushing performing arts show — complete with impressive costumery, high-tech backdrops and talented orchestra — back to the Merriam Theater this winter to tell the story of the lost culture and rich spiritual heritage of ancient China.
Where: Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad Street
Hometown heroes Boyz II Men swing by The Met Philadelphia for what’s sure to be an intimate, ballad-filled Valentine’s Day show. Throughout the 1990s, Boyz II Men spent dozens of weeks atop the Billboard charts with hits Motownphilly, End Of The Road and the Mariah Carey collaboration One Sweet Day.
Where: The Met Philadelphia, 858 North Broad Street
Chaos ensues in Isla Nublar when an Indominus rex escapes in this exhilarating live arena show inspired by the sci-fi blockbuster Jurassic World. Blue the Raptor, Tyrannosaurus rex and more fan-favorite dinosaurs from the film make appearances.
Where: Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
Guests can test the latest smart-home advancements, stroll through 7,500 square feet of beautiful flower and plant arrangements, and shop for special decor items at this home and garden show featuring more than 250 exhibitors and bursting with both indoor and outdoor inspiration.
Where: The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks
To honor the Queen of Soul, The Philly POPS features Broadway powerhouse Capathia Jenkins and R&B singer Ryan Shaw in a program that includes renditions of Bridge Over Troubled Water, Respect and Chain of Fools.
Where: The Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad Street
Taste more than 100 different beers while enjoying live music, giveaways and games all day at this popular winter beer festival in South Philly. Featured beers include winter favorites in a number of varieties, including porters, stouts, lagers and more.
Where: Xfinity Live!, 1100 Pattison Avenue
Matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi and the rest of the characters from the musical-comedy classic make their way to the Academy of Music as part of the Broadway Philadelphia series.
Where: Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad Street
Genre-blending rapper, singer and songwriter Post Malone comes to the Wells Fargo Center on the second leg of his Runway Tour in support of his most recent album, Hollywood’s Bleeding. The chart-topping album features hits like Wow, Circles and Goodbyes.
Where: Wells Fargo Center, 3601 South Broad Street
Powerhouse comedians Loni Love, Adele Givens, Sherri Shepherd, Kym Whitley and B Simone keep crowds laughing at this comedy showcase, hosted by The Real Housewives of Atlanta personality NeNe Leakes at The Met Philadelphia.
Where: The Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad Street
Three-course prix fixe lunches and dinners are available (tax, alcohol and gratuity not included) at many popular eateries in Philly’s East Passyunk neighborhood during the once-a-year restaurant week. More than 25 of the avenue’s restaurants offer three-course meals at either $15, $25 or $35, including Perla, Noord and Bing Bing Dim Sum.
Where: Various locations including Barcelona Wine Bar, 1709 E. Passyunk Avenue
Post-residency in Las Vegas, legendary vocalist Celine Dion captivates audiences at the Wells Fargo Center this month with a stadium show in support of her newest album Courage. The icon hasn’t gone on tour in North America since 2009.
Imaginative adults are in for a treat when the Brick Bar comes to Philly for the last weekend in February, featuring a bar made of more than 1 million interlocking plastic bricks, building competitions, local DJ music and more creative fun.
Where: Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
Get this: There’s an entire extra Saturday on the calendar this February. (Thanks, Leap Year!) Use the unexpected Saturday to do something unexpected (and awesome) in Philadelphia. Some options include visiting Al Capone’s cell at Eastern State Penitentiary, walking through the Giant Heart at The Franklin Institute or observing pieces of Albert Einstein’s brain at the Mütter Museum.
Where: Various locations including The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th Street
Lagers, stouts, hazy IPAs, hard ciders and more are available for endless sipping at the annual Kennett Winterfest, an afternoon-long celebration of beer in Chester County. Tickets include all-you-can-drink brews from breweries like 2SP Brewing Company, Cape May Brewing, Levante Brewing Company and more.
Where: Historic Kennett Square, 600 S. Broad Street, Kennett Square
The annual gardening celebration at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is the oldest and largest indoor show of its kind, with top-of-the-line horticulture and landscape design, entertainment and more than 100 vendors. This year’s theme: “Riviera Holiday.”
Dates vary by event
Philly’s museums and attractions always deliver on stunning exhibitions and installations, and the winter season is no different. In February, visitors can see expressive works by four self-taught artists at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (through Sunday, February 23); photography by 55 women and non-binary photographers that explores Black masculinity, gender identity and sexuality at The African American Museum in Philadelphia (through Sunday, March 1); and more than 100 works of wearable art made by more than 60 artists that tell of the American art to wear movement at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Perelman Building (through Sunday, May 17, 2020).
Where: Various locations including the Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
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