City of Philadelphia Inauguration<\/p>\n
The City of Philadelphia will host the official Inauguration Ceremony for the District Attorney, City Controller, and 34 members of the judiciary, including Judges of the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court. This event will feature entertainment provided by Philadelphia-based soul, jazz, and gospel singer Paula Halloway. Tickets required.<\/p>\n
When: Monday, Jan. 5 at 10 a.m.<\/p>\n
Where: Marian Anderson Hall, inside the Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St.<\/p>\n
\u201dSuffs\u201d<\/p>\n
Direct from Broadway, comes the acclaimed Tony Award\u00ae-winning musical \u201cSuffs\u201d about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote. Created by Shaina Taub, the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, this \u201cthrilling, inspiring and dazzlingly entertaining\u201d (Variety) new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that\u2019s far from over. Winner of the Outer Critics\u2019 Circle Award for Best New Musical.<\/p>\n
Where: Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia\u2019s Commonwealth Youth Choir open auditions<\/p>\n
The Philadelphia Youth Choral Ensembles is thrilled to announce auditions for the Commonwealth Youth Choir. The nationally recognized, all-gender youth choir is made up of children and teens aged 6 through 18 from across the Greater Philadelphia region. After combining the Keystone State Boychoir and the Pennsylvania Girlchoir in 2024, the Commonwealth Youth Choir comprises 160 young singers who, through the program, develop musical skills, confidence, discipline, teamwork, and self-expression. Auditions will take place throughout January with a final deadline of Jan. 31. Parents and guardians can schedule an audition online. All auditions are held in person at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill and last approximately 15\u201320 minutes.<\/p>\n
Where: Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave.<\/p>\n
Three Kings Day (Dia de Reyes)<\/p>\n
Three Kings Day (called \u201cD\u00eda de los Reyes Magos\u201d) is a very important cultural celebration that takes place on January 6th. This tradition is based on a religious belief that honors the visit of the Three Wise Men (Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar) to baby Jesus, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Just as Santa Claus brings gifts in other cultures, the Wise Men or Reyes Magos bring presents to children in Mexico and other Latin American countries. This event attracts over 400 attendees, mainly children, who enjoy a program with a variety of activities. During this event, children can write letters to the Three Kings, enjoy performances on stage, break pi\u00f1atas and much more. All the attendees get to sample the famous Rosca de Reyes bread and warm Mexican chocolate.<\/p>\n
When: Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Where: Commonwealth Plaza, inside the Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St.<\/p>\n
\u201dStories My Father Told Me\u201d at Al-Bustan<\/p>\n
Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture Gallery presents \u201cStories My Father Told Me,\u201d a solo exhibition by renowned artist Helen Zughaib. Through 25 paintings, Zughaib brings a vivid world alive\u2014a world derived from the stories that her father would relay to her and her siblings while growing up in Lebanon. Though rooted in her specific familial experience, the exhibition speaks to something universal: the enduring power of storytelling to bridge generations and preserve identity. Each painting invites viewers to recall their own storytellers, to hear echoes of familiar voices, and to find themselves within a shared fabric of belonging.<\/p>\n
When: ends Thursday, Jan. 8<\/p>\n
Where: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture Gallery, 310 W. Master St.<\/p>\n
Electrical Spectacle Light Show<\/p>\n
Historic Philadelphia, Inc. begins 2026 with winter-themed fun at Winter in Franklin Square presented by Fulton Bank, featuring the Electrical Spectacle Light Show presented by PECO. The centerpiece of the festivities is the free Electrical Spectacle Light Show with hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights choreographed to winter music throughout the Square every night. Guests can cozy up around fire pits with hot beverages, including spiked options for adults, and enjoy Street Curling and Chilly Philly Mini Golf (themed to LOVE for the month of February), adorned with lights and decorations. Visitors can indulge in hand-crafted cocktails and seasonal treats in the pop-up winter bar, Frosty\u2019s Fireside Lodge.<\/p>\n
When: Thursday, Jan. 8-Feb. 28<\/p>\n
Where: Franklin Square, 200 N. 6th St.<\/p>\n
\u201dTo Provide a Naval Armament: U.S. Navy & Marine Corps History, 1775 \u2013 1958\u201d<\/p>\n
Philadelphia gave birth to the U.S. Navy twice \u2014 first in 1775 and again in 1794. The later Navy reflected the young nation: ships designed by Quakers, built in shipyards along the East Coast with wood harvested by enslaved people, led by white officers, and crewed by a diverse mix of nationalities, ethnicities, and religions. The Marines of both eras laid the foundation for one of the world\u2019s elite fighting forces. While prominent Philadelphians appear in naval history, the story also lives in the letters and journals of sailors, surgeons, and shipyard workers. In partnership with Homecoming 250, \u201cTo Provide a Naval Armament:\u201d U.S. Navy & Marine Corps History, 1775\u20131958 explores the Navy and Marine Corps through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania\u2019s collections, tracing their evolution from the American Revolution to the early Cold War, all while remaining anchored in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
When: ends Friday, Jan. 9<\/p>\n
Where: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St.<\/p>\n
Gilbert & Sullivan\u2019s \u201cThe Pirates of Penzance\u201d \u2014 extended!<\/p>\n
Launch your holidays by celebrating a beloved model of a modern major comedic opera with Quintessence Theatre\u2019s presentation of \u201cThe Pirates of Penzance\u201d by Gilbert & Sullivan! On his 21st birthday, a dashing young pirate apprentice prepares to finally be freed from servitude. Arriving back on land for the first time, he plans to live a dutiful and honorable adulthood. But there\u2019s a snag \u2014 check his birth certificate! A bevy of local beauties, conscientious pirates and their King, a wily and witty old waiting-woman, an incompetent madcap Major General, a troop of troglodyte policemen, and a parade of ingenious paradoxes all portend to make Quintessence a delightful winter destination!<\/p>\n
When: ends Sunday, Jan. 11<\/p>\n
Where: Quintessence at Sedgwick Theatre, 7137 Germantown Ave.<\/p>\n
\u201dFaces of Resilience\u201d at City Hall<\/p>\n
Recognizing November as Restorative Justice Month, Creative Philadelphia\u2019s Art In City Hall program, in partnership with Councilmember Jim Harrity, presents Faces of Resilience, an exhibition organized by the Barnes Foundation and Mural Arts Philadelphia that was first presented at the Barnes Foundation in 2022. This new iteration features artwork by currently and formerly incarcerated artists from SCI Phoenix, southeast Pennsylvania\u2019s maximum-security for men. This display is complemented by contemporary masks and works of mixed-media printmaking created by emerging artists from Mural Art Philadelphia\u2019s Guild and Rec Crew, paid apprenticeship programs for justice-impacted or formerly incarcerated young adults, which explore themes of identity and place. Overall, this presentation features the work of 46 artists ranging in age from 18 to 80 years old.<\/p>\n
When: through Friday, Jan. 23<\/p>\n
Where: Room 116, Creative Philadelphia Art Gallery at City Hall, 1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd.<\/p>\n
Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink<\/p>\n
Visit the city\u2019s premier wintertime destination, open seven days a week. Reservations are encouraged for timed, 90-minute skating sessions. Visit centercityphila.org<\/a> to view the full schedule and purchase tickets.<\/p>\n When: through Sunday, Feb. 22<\/p>\n Where: Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th St.<\/p>\n \u201dHenri Rousseau: A Painter\u2019s Secrets\u201d at the Barnes<\/p>\n This fall, the Barnes Foundation will present Henri Rousseau: A Painter\u2019s Secrets, a landmark exhibition of paintings by the self-taught artist Henri Rousseau (1844\u20131910), featuring works from the Barnes collection and museums around the world. With 18 paintings by Rousseau, the Barnes is home to the world\u2019s largest collection of works by the artist, and the Mus\u00e9e de l\u2019Orangerie, Paris, with 11, is home to the second largest collection. This exhibition brings together these important collections, providing an unprecedented opportunity to see works that the French art dealer Paul Guillaume either owned \u2014 now in the Orangerie\u2019s collection \u2014 or sold to Dr. Barnes. Some of these paintings will be reunited for the first time in more than 100 years, while others have never been exhibited together.<\/p>\n When: through Sunday, Feb. 22<\/p>\n Where: The Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.<\/p>\n Rothman Orthopaedics Cabin<\/p>\n The Rothman Orthopaedics Cabin has been reimagined to add a full bar, banquet seating, and new d\u00e9cor. In partnership with Centre Square Hospitality, powered by Aramark Sports + Entertainment, an elevated new menu includes winter dishes like tomato soup and grilled cheese, jumbo pretzel charcuterie and chicken & waffle nachos, while the bar will feature craft cocktails made with Basil Hayden\u00ae bourbon, as well as beer, wine and ready-to-drink -196 Vodka Seltzer canned cocktails.<\/p>\n When: through Monday, Feb. 23<\/p>\n Where: Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th St.<\/p>\n \u201cJerrell Gibbs: No Solace in the Shade\u201d at Brandywine<\/p>\n \u201cJerrell Gibbs: No Solace in the Shade\u201d will survey the first decade of the career of Baltimore artist Jerrell Gibbs (b. 1988). His dynamic, large-scale figurative paintings of family, friends and community focus on everyday scenes of Black life, transforming them into monumental moments that highlight the universal themes of identity, reflection and belonging. Organized by the Brandywine, this project will mark the artist\u2019s first solo museum exhibition and first monographic publication \u2014 and is also the Museum\u2019s first solo presentation of an emerging contemporary artist. The exhibition will feature 30 paintings drawn from both museum and private collections throughout the United States and Europe.<\/p>\n When: through Sunday, March 1<\/p>\n Where: Brandywine Museum of Art, 1 Hoffmans Mill Rd., Chadds Ford, PA 19317<\/p>\n Wintergarden on the Albert M. Greenfield Lawn<\/p>\n An open-air oasis featuring hundreds of twinkling and colored lights, illuminated overhead sculptures and seasonal foliage, with warm mulled wine available from the Chaddsford Winery kiosk for adults 21 and older.<\/p>\n When: through Sunday, March 15<\/p>\n Where: Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th St.<\/p>\n Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest<\/p>\n Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest invites guests to cozy up on the Delaware River Waterfront with amazing views of the Ben Franklin Bridge. The beloved seasonal tradition features an NHL-sized ice rink, outdoor firepits, warming cabins, and festive food and drink for all ages to enjoy. Open seven days a week, including holidays (unless otherwise noted), admission is free with pay-as-you-go amenities that let visitors create their own winter adventure. Classic amusements like the Ferris wheel, indoor arcade, and the giant holiday tree return in December. For the best experience, guests are encouraged to reserve skating tickets, cabins, firepits, or Rinkside Lounge packages in advance at RiverRink.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Where: Independence Blue Cross RiverRink, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.<\/p>\n \u201cRuth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design\u201d at AAMP<\/p>\n The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) presents a cultural milestone exhibition \u201cRuth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design.\u201d The acclaimed exhibition, celebrating the power of art, identity, and imagination, marks its Philadelphia debut with nearly 80 original costumes from films that have shaped global culture \u2014 including \u201cBlack Panther,\u201d \u201cSelma,\u201d \u201cDo the Right Thing,\u201d \u201cAmistad,\u201d \u201cDolomite is My Name,\u201d \u201cComing 2 America,\u201d \u201cBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever\u201d and, for the first time ever, \u201cSinners.\u201d As the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards, Ruth E. Carter has transformed costume design into a form of cultural storytelling, honoring the past while envisioning what\u2019s possible for the future. Her journey from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Hollywood\u2019s most celebrated stages resonates deeply with Philadelphians.<\/p>\n When: through Sunday, Sept. 6<\/p>\n Where: African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St.<\/p>\n