Start the holiday weekend with a laugh and a little theatrical flair. A live tribute to “The Carol Burnett Show” lights up The Gibby in Middletown, Delaware. Dining takes center stage with Center City Restaurant Week in Philly and New Hope-Lambertville Restaurant Week along the Delaware River. Dance Theatre of Harlem brings three Philly premieres to the Annenberg Center starting on Friday, followed by the all-female tribute band, Lez Zeppelin, at the Keswick Theater on Saturday.
Catch comedy “Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective” running through Feb. 15 at the Walnut Street Theatre. On Sunday, Broadway at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville delivers a concert-style evening featuring Broadway stars. The holiday weekend culminates on Monday, Jan. 19, with MLK Day of Service activities across the region.
Delaware | New Jersey | Special Events | Arts & Culture | Kids | Outdoors | Food & Drink | Wellness | Music
Delaware
The Carol Burnett Show
First broadcast in 1967, “The Carol Burnett Show” originally aired on CBS for 11 seasons, becoming a cultural touchstone of American television. The show blended comedy sketches, musical numbers and spontaneous audience interactions with hilarious chemistry between Carol Burnett and regular cast members Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner and Tim Conway. It has earned multiple Emmy Awards and a place on Time magazine’s list of the 100 Best TV Shows of All Time. This live stage celebration at The Gibby brings the spirit of that groundbreaking series to life.
New Jersey
32nd Annual Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway
If you think you’re ready to write the next Great American Novel, but you need a little help getting there, the Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway, a long-running writers’ conference presented by Murphy Writing of Stockton University, welcomes anyone who loves to write. Whether you’re a beginner or more seasoned, you’ll find three-day workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir and storytelling, plus add-ons like a poetry round table and the return of the Story Slam. Included in your registration are social events, open mics, happy hours and sunrise yoga.
Special Events
Martin Luther King Holiday Roundup
Where: Multiple venues
When: Monday, Jan. 19
How much: Free
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is more than just a holiday weekend and a birthday celebration of one of this nation’s most beloved figures; it’s become a day of service that dovetails with King’s activism. If you are so moved, here are some ways you can support your community.
Philly Flurry
Where: Multiple locations
When: Thursday, Jan. 15 – Sunday, Feb. 1
How much: Pay as you go
The community‑wide celebration of local shops and restaurants across Fairmount, Brewerytown, Francisville and Spring Garden offers special deals and discounts from more than 20 participating retailers when you mention the event while you shop and dine. Designed by Park to Broad Arts & Business District, the event hopes to boost foot traffic, spotlight neighborhood businesses and encourage locals and tourists to explore the neighborhood dining and shopping during the winter season.
Ben’s Birthday Bash
Philadelphia’s most famous resident, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, would have turned 320 on Saturday. Alas, despite his many accomplishments, Father Time remains undefeated, so the party is posthumous. But he’d likely be happy to have his legacy and birthday celebrated at the institute that bears his name. Franklin’s legacy of curiosity, invention and experimentation is acknowledged at this family‑friendly event featuring hands-on science activities, games inspired by his inventions, music and even a live performance of “Happy Birthday” on Franklin’s own glass armonica. Here’s more about the event, courtesy of WHYY’s Billy Penn.
Arts & Culture
Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective
The Walnut Street Theatre commissioned the world premiere of this new, humorous take on the Sherlock Holmes legend. The story follows Holmes and Dr. Watson as they attempt to foil the nefarious schemes of Professor Moriarty, who is plotting a series of complex crimes across London. Along the way, the duo navigates a colorful cast of characters ranging from eccentric witnesses and bumbling henchmen to unexpected allies.
Steel Magnolias
Inspired by his late sister, playwright Robert Harling observed the bonds between women, crafting a beloved classic celebrating their strength, humor and enduring bonds of friendship. The moving story of six women navigating life, love and loss in a small Louisiana beauty shop inspired film and TV adaptations, but the intimacy of its original format makes it a perennial stage production. This one, directed by theater veteran Abigail Adams, features an ensemble of People’s Light favorites.
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Where: Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St.
When: Friday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 17, 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 18, 2 p.m.
How much: $73 to $119
Praised as “a premier ballet company and global ambassador for excellence,” the company, led by Philadelphia native Robert Garland, performs three world premieres over four performances. Other works highlight the troupe’s established works, including performances set to James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Radiohead. This engagement is part of the America Unfinished season at Penn Live Arts, a curated lineup exploring the ideals of American life and artistic expression through music, dance and theatre in the lead-up to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Make-It-Pop!
Where: InLiquid Gallery, 1400 N. American St.
When: Friday, Jan. 16 – Saturday, Feb. 21, Wednesdays – Saturdays, noon – 6 p.m.
How much: Free
Popular art gets its due at a new exhibit opening this week. A vibrant celebration of Pop Art’s bold colors, nostalgia and cultural commentary, the exhibit showcases how contemporary artists interpret the movement’s combination of imagery, graphic styles and iconic subjects through their own creative lenses. More than a dozen local and regional artists showcase works ranging from mixed-media collages and whimsical prints to sculptural reworkings of everyday objects. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday, but a reception to celebrate the artists happens on Thursday, Feb. 12.
Arleen Olshan: The Tangle I’ve Gotten Into
Where: Imperfect Gallery, 5539 Germantown Ave.
When: Friday, Jan. 16 – Saturday, Feb. 21; Gallery hours are Fridays and Saturdays noon – 5 p.m.
How much: Free
The exhibit showcasing the work of longtime Philadelphia artist and activist Arleen Olshan opens Friday. Olshan’s rich body of work spans over six decades, reflecting her community commitment as a co-coordinator of the original Gay & Lesbian Community Center, co-owner of Giovanni’s Room and co-founder of the Mt. Airy Art Garage. This latest showcase combines two previous exhibitions, “Dead Dykes and Some Gay Men” and “Women Loving Women,” which incorporate themes of illness, grief, desire and identity. There’s an opening reception on Friday, and you can meet the artist on Jan. 30.
Booksigning with Nicole Glover
The author behind the acclaimed Murder & Magic series just released the latest in the series. “The Starseekers,” described as Indiana Jones meets “Hidden Figures,” by its publisher, Harper Collins. It ventures into the 1960s, blending magic and math to sleuth through cosmic mysteries. Glover’s other books include “The Conductors,” “The Undertakers,” and “The Improvisers,” which follow the Rhodes family and their descendants through several eras starting in post-Civil War Philadelphia. She’ll be signing books from the series on Saturday at the popular comic book store.
Cornbread: Legendary
Widely regarded as the world’s first modern graffiti artist, Darryl “Cornbread” McCray began tagging in the streets of Philadelphia in the 1960s, helping to spark the global graffiti and street-art movement. The solo exhibition brings together more than 100 works, many created on decommissioned street signs, subway maps and custom canvases, drawing from Cornbread’s recent shows around the world and honoring his global influence on urban art and hip-hop culture.
Broadway at the Colonial Theatre
Hailing from acclaimed Broadway productions like “Wicked,” “Six” and “Floyd Collins,” vocalists Amanda Jane Cooper, Keri René Fuller and Jason Gotay bring Broadway to the suburbs. As the inaugural event kicks off the 2026 Colonial Theatre season, the intimate performance will set the tone for upcoming events, including multiple tribute band concerts, comedy, a screenwriting workshop, a speakeasy and a special performance by Mavis Staples.
Kids
Havana Hop
Written, choreographed and performed by Paige Hernandez featuring original music, this interactive one-woman show follows young Yeila as she overcomes stage fright, connects with her Cuban roots, and discovers confidence through rhythm, storytelling, and dance. Audiences of all ages are encouraged to dance along as one actress brings three generations to life in an energetic fusion of music, movement and joy. Sunday’s performance is relaxed with interactive pre-show activities.
Outdoors
2026 Tree Cycle Festival
Where: The Conservatory at Laurel Hill Cemetery West, 215 Belmont Ave., Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
When: Saturday, Jan. 17, noon – 3 p.m. (also on Saturday, Jan. 24, noon – 3 p.m. at The Farm at Awbury Arboretum)
How much: $20 suggested donation
We’ll hold your hand while we tell you this gently. It’s time to take down the Christmas tree. Fortunately, the Philly Goat Project makes that easier for those still clinging to Christmas cheer. During its annual festival, it turns real Christmas trees into food for goats and wood chips for trails while raising support for its year-round programs. After parting from the last vestige of the holiday season, attendees can explore the farm, warm up with free s’mores and hot cocoa, meet and pet goats and browse Philly Goat Project swag.
Food & Drink
Northern Liberties & Fishtown Dry January Crawl
Where: Multiple venues
When: Saturday, Jan. 17, Sunday, Jan. 18, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., depending on location
How much: Free, pay as you go
Philadelphia’s restaurant-heavy neighborhoods are teaming up for a first-ever celebration of mindful drinking. Northern Liberties and Fishtown are joining forces to showcase more than 27 restaurants, bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries, each serving mocktails and zero-proof cocktails priced at $6, $8 and $10. The idea is to highlight the difference between the two and prove that Dry January can be just as fun as any alcohol-fueled night out. Should you miss the event, but want to find a place to drink sans alcohol, Bar Palmina is the city’s first, and so far, only zero-proof craft cocktail bar.
Restaurant Weeks in Philly and its suburbs
Where: Multiple venues
When: Through Saturday, Jan. 31
How much: Various prices
Eating at a discount always makes the food taste better, at least that’s our experience. Just in time for the new year, three restaurant weeks are on the horizon in Philly and the ‘burbs. Center City Restaurant Week features $20 two-course lunches and $45 and $60 three course prix fixe dinners at more than 100 participating restaurants. More than two dozen restaurants in the neighboring towns of New Hope, Pa., and Lambertville, N.J., collaborate on their second annual Restaurant Week with lunch and dinner menus starting at $25. Starting Monday, Live! Casino hosts its Restaurant Week, with three-course, prix fixe dinners at three of its restaurants for $35 – $69.
Wellness
Moon Alignment Series: New Moon
Calder Gardens was intentionally built to encourage attendees to slow down, contemplate and reflect on the art from noted Philadelphia sculptor Andrew Calder or anything else the space brings forth. Part of the museum’s Moon Alignment Series, the New Moon event blends a brief discussion with walking and silent meditations, followed by closing reflections designed to mirror the alignment of the sun and moon. The Gardens opened last fall after years of ideation by philanthropists, the Calder Foundation and design collaborators. This session highlights the institution’s intention to merge art, nature and mindfulness.
Music
Peabo Bryson Celebrating 25 Years of “Beauty and the Beast”
Peabo Bryson performs during the Centennial Olympic Park’s 4th of July Celebration at Centennial Olympic Park on Saturday, July 4, 2015, in Atlanta. (Photo by Robb D. Cohen/Invision/AP)
Crooner Peabo Bryson is taking a victory lap in a career that has spanned decades, with more than 20 albums and two Grammy and Oscar awards for his iconic duets “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion, and “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle from “Aladdin,” both of which became international hits and staples of Disney’s musical lexicon. Bryson has collaborated with legends including Natalie Cole and Roberta Flack, sold out prestigious venues like Radio City Music Hall, and continues to perform, including in intimate spaces like City Winery, where he does two shows on Friday night.
Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony
Felix Mendelssohn was so inspired during his travels through Italy in the early 1830s that he composed a symphony about it at the age of 22. The Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90, nicknamed the “Italian” for its aural references to sun‑drenched landscapes, dance rhythms and luminous melodies, was once described by the composer himself as “blue sky in A major.” Acclaimed Ukrainian conductor Dalia Stasevska leads a program of Mendelssohn and more, including Principal Tuba Carol Jantsch, the first woman to hold the chair in a major American orchestra.
Fullana Plays Mozart
Where: Rhoden Arts Center at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St.
When: Saturday, Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m.
How much: $50
Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana was hailed as a “rising star” for his “electric and virtuosic” playing, winning the prestigious 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2023 Khaledi Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Classical Music. His album “Bach’s Long Shadow” was named BBC Music Magazine’s Instrumental Choice of the Month. The Juilliard grad has appeared as soloist with the St. Paul and Philadelphia Chamber Orchestras, collaborated with conductors Gustavo Dudamel and Sir Colin Davis, and served as artist-in-residence on tour with the Grammy-winning ensemble Apollo’s Fire. In this concert, Fullana leads the orchestra in a program of Mozart’s violin masterpieces.
Lez Zeppelin
Founded in 2004 by New York guitarist Steph Paynes, this all-female tribute band has spent more than two decades honoring Led Zeppelin’s catalog, earning critical acclaim, international tours and even praise from Zeppelin frontman Jimmy Page. The English rock legends sold over 200 million records worldwide, scored multiple chart-topping albums, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Lez Zeppelin heads to the Keswick to perform “The Song Remains the Same” in its entirety to celebrate the classic album’s 50th anniversary.