Hey there,

This weekend is for book lovers — and anyone who’s ever impulse-bought a stack they swear they’ll read “soon.” The Philly Bookstore Crawl is back with a choose-your-own-litventure across indie shops citywide. Plus: Stephen Starr’s splashiest restaurant yet opens in Rittenhouse, and one of Center City’s smokiest bars might be on its last call.

This week’s lineup:

— Sam Ruland (Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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The Philly Bookstore Crawl is back this Saturday, and we’ve got your guide to making the most of it. With new bookstores, author signings, and a crawl map that stretches from South Philly to Ardmore, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure for book lovers. To help you prep, we rounded up the best books of 2025 so far — from indie shop favorites to book club standouts.

The best things to do this week

🍝 Starr power: Stephen Starr’s most ambitious Philly restaurant in nearly 20 years opens this weekend. Borromini, a $20 million Italian trattoria in the old Rittenhouse Barnes & Noble, debuts this weekend with a 100-layer lasagna, hand-painted fresco, and major hype.

🌿 Need plans? Copy this perfect Philly day: Palestinian baker Saif Manna starts with espresso and dates at Anna & Bel, wanders through Headhouse market, hits the Barnes, then ends the night with tea and friends.

⚔️ Step back to 1590 at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. Jousting, turkey legs, costume contests, and Queen Elizabeth’s court await in Lancaster County every weekend through fall.

🌀 McGlinchey’s isn’t closing this week — but it’s still the end of an era. The smoky Center City dive isn’t shutting its doors just yet, but the longtime owner is actively looking to sell. Whether it reopens in September or not, its days are numbered.

🍺 Get your fill of local brews at the Upper Bucks Brew Fest, featuring unlimited samples, live music, food, games, and giveaways. Your ticket comes with a tasting glass and card.

🌊 Festival of Fountains is back at Longwood Gardens. See the iconic garden’s summer spectacle of soaring fountains by day and dazzling light-and-music shows by night.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Bookstore crawling my way through Philly’s indie shelves, trying (and maybe failing) to snag a future reservation at Borromini, and sipping my way through the Upper Bucks Brew Fest.

The thing of the week

Aubrey Plaza showed up courtside at a WNBA game in a “Philly is a Women’s Sports Town” tee — and hours later, it was nearly sold out. The shirt, made by Watch Party PHL, was passed to Plaza by her sister after founder Jen Leary literally took it off her back. A viral win for women’s sports, local pride, and a very Philly moment.

Summer fun this week and beyond

⚽ World Cup tickets, finally. The first public sale for 2026 FIFA World Cup tickets opens Sept. 10 — but only for Visa cardholders. Philly is hosting six matches, so mark your calendar and get your FIFA ID ready.

🍀 A riverside hangout with a “top-tier Guinness pour.” The team behind Libertee Grounds is opening a new neighborhood bar — Lucky Duck — on the Delaware next year. Expect river views, slice shop pizza, and a cozy corner-bar vibe all year long.

🚍 SEPTA cuts kick in Sunday — here’s how to get around without it. With buses, trolleys, and trains on reduced schedules (and a fare hike looming), this guide breaks down your best bets: from bike shares and shuttles to PATCO, NJ Transit, and park-and-rides.

🥊 Philly’s still got two Rocky statues — and now a third one might be coming. The one atop the Art Museum steps? It was only supposed to be here temporarily. It’s still there. Stephanie Farr dives into the ongoing saga, Stallone’s ties to Trump, and whether Philly really needs another monument to a fictional boxer.

💍🐶 Your dog can be part of your big day — without the stress. South Philly besties Oriana Principe and Angela Agnes created Waggy Weddings, a business that drives, dresses, and cares for your pup of honor at your wedding. Packages include everything from “furry first looks” to cocktail hour appearances — and yes, they’ll bring the paw wipes.

Our critic’s picks

🎸 Thursday—Saturday: Philly jamtronica legends the Disco Biscuits take over Ardmore Music Hall with a six-show anniversary run.

🎤 Thursday: Tye Tribbett headlines gospel night at the Dell, and Catbite plays a free West Philly show.

🎧 Saturday: Country-R&B star Jessie Murph hits the Met. Making Waves, a 24-hour dance party from Making Time, takes over the beach in Atlantic City.

🎶 Sunday: Lady B.’s Basement Party at the Dell with Big Daddy Kane and EPMD. Also: Freedy Johnston at 118 North.

🎤 Beyond: Mavis Staples plays Ocean City Music Pier on Monday. Ben Arnold and Reef the Lost Cauze perform free at World Cafe Live Wednesday. LSD and the Search for God hits the Ukie Club Friday.

Read more music picks.

The take

Philly’s dating scene is a jungle of ghosting, lying, and commitment-phobia — at least according to the locals now applying for Netflix’s Love Is Blind. Our reporter Hira Qureshi talked to Mount Airy, Delco, and Fishtown applicants who are sick of being judged on looks (or left on read) and ready to test if love really can be blind — or at least less bleak. Expect $1 taco dates, chaotic ex drama, and the potential for a cast stacked with Eagles superfans and South Philly boldness.

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See you in the stacks (or the beer garden).

— Sam