This April in Philly: The 35+ Biggest Events, Festivals & Exhibitions

Through Monday, April 15, 2024

Six friendly giants make a special appearance this season at the Philadelphia Zoo. Made out of repurposed wood, each massive troll towers up to 15 feet tall and shares a different story. Created by world-renowned recycle artist Thomas Dambo, the family-friendly display serves as an inspiring reminder to reduce, reuse and recycle. The exhibition is included with general admission to the Philadelphia Zoo.

Through Monday, September 2, 2024

Everything’s clicking into place. Returning to The Franklin Institute for the first time since 2015, The Art of the Brick displays more than 100 works all made completely of LEGO — from recreations of masterworks like Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to original works of LEGO sculpture, including a 20-foot-long T. rex dinosaur skeleton and many pieces that are just plain fun. Every sculpture in the hugely impressive display is the handiwork of contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya, the first artist ever to create an exhibition solely of LEGO art.

Through Sunday, January 5, 2025

In the fascinating new Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent exhibition, visitors discover rare documents, inspired works of art and historical objects that paint a fuller picture of the shelter used as George Washington’s headquarters throughout the War for Independence. The tent — the Museum of the American Revolution’s signature artifact — served as the battlefield home, strategic meeting place and office quarters for General Washington, and the exhibition tells the stories of the many individuals who worked to preserve and pass down this vital symbol of the American republic.

March 24 – April 27, 2024 (select dates)

When the cherry blossoms bloom in Fairmount Park, spring has officially arrived. To mark the glorious moment, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) hosts the annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia featuring over 1,600 cherry trees from their original 1926 plantings. The full festival runs from March 24 to April 27, 2024 with a month of programming, but the centerpiece is the free two-day Sakura Weekend, held April 13 and 14, 2024. Held outside the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and Centennial Arboretum, the event includes music, dancing, family and cultural activities, workshops, local food vendors, a beer garden, and lots and lots of cherry trees.

Spring has sprung at Longwood Gardens, Philly’s largest botanical garden. The familiar colors and fragrances of the season are ready to be experienced during the annual Spring Blooms event, offering opportunities to take in the world-renowned thousand-acre attraction’s early spring bulbs, vibrant blooms of aromatic tulips and beloved wisteria, flowering trees and more. Pierre du Pont’s tranquil horticultural oasis showcases nearly 10,000 varieties among its indoor and outdoor grounds. Timed admission tickets are required.

April 3, 11 & 19, 2024

An indie band of brothers, a country duo and trap artist walk into a basketball arena. A trio of big concerts are set to hit the Wells Fargo Center this April with a range of genres. First, indie pop heartthrobs AJR — brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met — burn the house down on April 3, 2024. Next, country pop icons (and besties) Dan + Shay bring their catchy, cheerful yeehaw sound to town on April 11, 2024. And finally, Puerto Rican hip-hop reggaeton trap singer-rapper Bad Bunny hits the stage April 19, 2024.

Calling all self-proclaimed drama nerds to the stage: Philly Theatre Week is back. New for 2024: all tickets are pay what you can. With two dozen options, the lineup of shows is just as diverse and dynamic as the city’s theater community. Enjoy reimagined classics such as Quintessence’s Macbeth or world premieres like InterAct Theatre Company’s The Last Yiddish Speaker. Be part of the action at WrestleBrainia: A Professional Wrestling Trivia Show or support the next generation of artists at Philadelphia Young Playwrights Spring Showcase. Tickets are limited, so get yours early. Now can that get a round of applause?

The biggest event in sports entertainment hits Philly for the first time in 25 years when WrestleMania 40 brings two nights of high-flying action to Lincoln Financial Field on April 6-7, 2024, featuring wrestling’s biggest superstars, scores of celebrities, instant-classic matches and plenty of did-that-really-happen moments. Find more powerbombing and piledriving across the street at Wells Fargo Center with Friday Night Smackdown & 2024 WWE Hall of Fame (April 5, 2024), NXT Stand & Deliver (April 6, 2024) and WWE Monday Night RAW (April 8, 2024). And don’t miss the WWE World at WrestleMania festival all week long at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Organized by the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the twice-a-year Dine Latino Restaurant Week aims to boost business at the region’s Latino-owned restaurants, both within the city and throughout the five-county area. Nearly 30 of Filadelfia’s best Latino eateries — including Añejo Philadelphia, Izlas Latin Cuisine, Frida Cantina and other Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Colombian and Peruvian spots (and more!) — join in with specials including a free appetizer or dessert with purchase of two entrees. (Check individual restaurants for details.) New for spring is a special Chef’s Tasting event on April 11, 2024.

Have a pair of protective eclipse glasses ready as Philly experiences the most significant solar eclipse in the region in four decades. On April 8, 2024, Philadelphia will plunge into a partial solar eclipse reaching over 90% of totality. Viewers can witness the sky get noticeably darker, brighter stars become visible and the sun’s profile gets reduced to a slender crescent. Witness the solar eclipse from nearly any open space facing southwest across the five counties.

Take a trip to hell and back as the Broadway musical Hadestown comes to the historic Academy of Music for a five-day run. The show retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice — a tragic fable of losing a loved one and undertaking a desperate journey to bring them back — set in Great Depression-era America. The Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical from Anaïs Mitchell soars through a soundtrack of folk, jazz and blues while exploring themes of love, sacrifice, doubt, grief and societal struggles.

Part heavy metal music festival and part hardcore beer festival, the annual Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest delivers plenty of both. Over the course of two days at The Fillmore Philadelphia, attendees take in sets from Biohazard (playing their 1992 album Urban Discipline in its entirety), Deicide (performing their 1995 classic Deicide, Legion and Once Upon the Cross in full), Crowbar and more while knocking back brews and other adult beverages from nearly 20 breweries — including local faves Yards, Attic Brewing, and Imprint Beer Company — curated by Indiana’s legendary 3 Floyds Brewing.

Sponsored by Visit Philadelphia in partnership with Resy, the inaugural The Chef Conference brings some of the country’s best chefs, culinary minds, emerging talents and food experts to Philly. The four-day event features hospitality panels, culinary collabs at top restaurants, and big-name speakers, including TV host and travel writer Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods), long-time Top Chef judges and producers Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio, Somebody Feed Phil host and Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal, trailblazing Philly chef-restauranteur Michael Solomonov (Zahav, Laser Wolf), Eater Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Wu and over 50 more.

Popular Lahaska storybook shopping haven Peddler’s Village welcomes a brand-new event coming this April: the inaugural Best of the Nest: Birdhouse Competition & Display showcasing dozens of birdhouses designed and built by members of the public. Guests to Peddler’s Village are invited to peruse the display, study the designs and vote for their favorite birdie home in each of several categories including traditional, whimsical, natural habitat and Bucks County landmark. Also featured: birdhouse-making workshops, bird scavenger hunts and a bird-themed brunch. Admission is free.

A signature annual event at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the Passover-inspired Freedom Seder Revisited dinner. The museum invites guests of all backgrounds to join in this night of good food and conversation that, instead of the traditional Seder Exodus story, substitutes a curated lineup of storytellers, speakers and singers reflecting Passover themes such as freedom and welcoming strangers. Influenced by the historic 1969 Freedom Seder, this event features stories, performances, community exploration and plenty of provided Kosher food.

Back again at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Jurassic Quest features over 100 lifelike animatronic dinosaurs — like a 60 foot-long Spinosaurus, an 80 foot-long Apatosaurus and a gigantic life-sized T.rex — in realistic, kid-friendly displays dedicated to the Cretaceous, Triassic and of course Jurassic periods. Among other attractions at the world’s largest dino event: walking and stationary rides including some of the largest rideable dinosaurs in North America, interactive raptor training, baby dino meet and greets, a “Tricera-tots” soft play area, fossil digs, Jurassic Jeeps and The Quest interactive challenge.

The new George R. Anthonisen: Meditations on the Human Condition exhibit at the James A. Michener Art Museum celebrates the figurative sculptor’s 65-year artistic career creating visual dialogues — primarily in bronze — investigating the human condition, people’s capacity to destroy, and the elegance and strength of the female form. The exhibition features over 40 bronze sculptures, maquettes and frescoes both inside and outside the museum. Anthonisen, who has lived and worked in Bucks County since 1971, has had a long and significant presence in the regional arts community, and previously served as sculptor-in-residence at Woodmere Art Museum and at Michener.

Dozens of food trucks and neighborhood restaurants line Manayunk’s Main Street during one of the city’s biggest foodie events: the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival. More than 50 food trucks and gourmet food vendors dish out everything from BBQ and sweet treats to wine and craft beer. No food festival is complete with live music, and StrEAT includes six different acts playing two stages at either end of closed-to-traffic Main Street Manayunk. The festival is free to attend with pay-as-you-go food and drink.

Eat good, do good! Each year, Dining Out for Life returns to cities across the globe — including Philadelphia — to help raise funds for community-based organizations serving people living with or impacted by HIV. Restaurants donate a percentage of their sales from the event to a local HIV service organization, which in turn fills participating restaurants with diners. This year’s Philly version, the 34th annual, benefits Action Wellness, and features over 70 eateries in Philadelphia, Delaware and Montgomery counties, including Barclay Prime, Parc, The Love., Good Dog Bar, Talula’s Garden, Butcher & Singer and more.

The renowned Penn Relays, which debuted in 1895, is the oldest, largest and most-widely recognized track and field meet in the country. Occurring annually at the University of Pennsylvania’s historic Franklin Field (which was built to hold the event), the massive three-day festival features over 15,000 athletes from a dozen nations participating in more than 300 track and field events in front of 110,000 spectators. The event includes heated competitions in high school, college, Olympic and masters level divisions, along with a Carnival Village full of music, parties, merch and apparel stalls, and food and drink vendors.

Visitors come from afar for this four-day event that emphasizes the strength and resilience of Philly’s community of LGBTQ+ people of color:

• The weekend gets started on Thursday, April 25, 2024, with the One Night Stand Open Mic and Poetry Slam hosted by previous champ Queen Phierce.
• The fun continues with the official opening reception, Welcome to Philly Black Pride 25, toasting to 25 years of Philly Black Pride on Friday, April 26, 2024.
• Saturday, April 27, 2024 features a mini-marathon of events beginning with the Black Joy Summit, a holistic health-focused brunch with the Colours Organization. The day keeps rolling with the Pride Cinema: POSSE Ball ballroom event cohosted with the POSSE PROJECT; The Night Is Still Young, a celebration honoring Philly’s Black LGBTQ+ leaders; and Jock, an athletic-themed afterparty cohosted by Deviant.
• The weekend comes to a close on Sunday, April 28, 2024, with The Legends Showcase, where several generations of Philly Black Pride queens take the stage for the most legendary drag brunch you’ve ever seen.

One of the nation’s leading art and design fairs, The Philadelphia Show returns to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the third consecutive year as its new permanent home. Staged on the museum’s East Terrace (above the Rocky steps), the 62nd annual show features over 40 exhibitors from across the nation specializing in fine art, Americana, period furniture, folk art, ceramics, porcelain, silver, jewelry, textiles and decorative arts.

Hollywood comes to Chester County when the lights go up on the 18th annual West Chester International Short Film Festival. The event features over 50 short films (all 30 minutes or less) from around the world, presented at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center and at pop-up locations around the borough. The festival launches on April 26, 2024, with the Opening Night Party and concludes at the Closing Night Party on April 28, 2024, featuring the coveted Chester Awards for best films in each genre. Keep an eye out for free filmmaker workshops and a Filmmaker Meet & Greet event.

Over the last weekend in April, The Main Event Philly curates a set of nightlife events specifically for Philly’s LGBTQ+ community:

• Skating After Dark: Philly Black Pride Edition: Lace up your skates and catch us on the floor as DJs Dommis & Delish set the vibe for this grown and sexy roller-skating party (April 26, 2024).
• PITCH BLACK: All Black Everything at the Fringe Bar: The assignment is “all black everything.” Should you accept the challenge, you’re guaranteed a dang good time courtesy of DJs Papo & Honey and host D-NYCE (April 27, 2024).
• The No Homo Show at Concourse: The funniest and most authentic podcast in your feed is going on tour. Hosts Boss Britt and DJ eXeL dig into every facet of queer life and culture (April 28, 2024).
• The BlackOut / Philly Black Pride Finale at Concourse: Three DJs. One dance floor. Five hours. Don’t miss this last-of-the-weekend event (April 28, 2024).

Opera Philadelphia presents a brand-new production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly over four performances at the Academy of Music. The classic show tells the story of the tragic romance between young geisha Cio-Cio-San and American naval officer Lt. Pinkerton through themes of love, betrayal, culture clash and heart-wrenching consequences. Karen Chia-ling Ho and Anthony Ciaramitaro make their company debuts in this production performed in Italian with English supertitles.

South Philly comes alive each spring during the annual Flavors On The Avenue, bringing East Passyunk’s top restaurants together for an outdoor extravaganza along East Passyunk Avenue (closed to vehicle traffic from Broad to Dickinson). The free-to-attend, pay-as-you-go event offers an array of shopping and sidewalk sales from more than 100 local makers and shops, a craft market, live music, kid-friendly activities, craft beer, seasonal cocktails and plenty of food — from barbecue to burgers to dim sum — served as specials from a bevy of the neighborhood’s critically acclaimed restaurants.

Beautiful Linvilla Orchards in Media, Delaware County, kicks off the season with the spring version of their popular Food Truck Frenzy. Nearly two-dozen local food trucks join in the celebration along with the spring Beer Garden supplied by Jersey Shore (and Media) favorite Ship Bottom Brewery. The fun-filled day also includes year-round Linvilla Orchards family activities like hayrides, train rides, pony rides, pick-your-own produce and face painting. The event is free to attend and food is pay-as-you-go, but tickets are required for kids’ rides.

April is cherry blossom season, and one of the best (and most expansive) places to experience the blooms is Greater Philadelphia. There are a number of locations to view blossoming cherry trees — from West Philly and the Schuylkill waterfront to Morris Arboretum and Longwood Gardens — but the biggest and most famous displays can be found in West Fairmount Park. The area south of Belmont Plateau features one of the largest concentrations of cherry trees in America, including 1,600 gifted by the people of Japan in 1926 surrounding Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center, the Please Touch Museum, Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and Centennial Arboretum.

Outdoor dining spaces are extremely popular among Philly diners and in April, the weather is perfect for eating outside — not too hot, not too cold and all you need is a light jacket. Restaurants, bistros, cafés and diners set up patio tables, enclosures, rooftop decks and parklets for the season, including spots like Suraya, LMNO, Sunset Social, Independence Beer Garden, Alma del Mar, Liberty Point, Love City Brewing and many more.

Philly brew, beats and bites lovers have waited all year to get outdoors and enjoy the streets and neighborhoods that come alive in April, the traditional starting month for outdoor music festivals, beer fests and food festivals. Some of the top festivals in Philly kick off in April, including the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival, Manayunk STREAT Food Festival and East Passyunk Flavors on The Avenue, plus tons of neighborhood fairs and community fests across Philadelphia and its countryside.

April is Earth Month and as temperatures warm up, Philadelphians are emerging from their winter hibernation ready for spring across the region’s scores of parks, green spaces, gardens and arboretums. Philadelphia offers over 150 hiking and biking trails that cover 800 miles — including the Schuylkill and Delaware River trails, Pennypack Trail and Forbidden Drive — to go along with more than 11,000 acres of parkland, from Fairmount Park to Wissahickon Valley Park to Ridley Creek State Park, from which to enjoy Mother Nature. For a more contained experience, don’t miss stunning botanic gardens like Chanticleer, Tyler Arboretum and Bartram’s Garden.

The crack of the bat and roar of the crowd officially welcome hittin’ season come April, the first full month of Phillies baseball at Citizens Bank Park. The Phils’  campaign hits full swing during that magical month where every team is in contention, veterans are getting cranked up, rookies look to break out, the Phillie Phanatic is spinning new bits, and beers, dogs, cheesesteaks and crab fries flow freely under the spring sun. By month’s end, over 30 games will be in the books and your Phightins will be off and running.

In 2003, then-governor and former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell declared April 26 as National Pretzel Day. The unofficial state holiday (which has spread nationwide) was created to acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to Pennsylvania’s history and economy. Honor the day nearly anywhere across the city at spots like Center City Pretzel Co., Miller’s Twist, Tasty Twisters Bakery, Pretzel Workz, Philly Pretzel Factory or any Wawa, many offering discounts, BOGOs and giveaways to celebrate.

The month of April (hopefully) marks the beginning of playoff season for Philly’s arena teams. Come April, both of Wells Fargo Center’s anchor tenants will be fighting for a playoff berth and seeding position, as the 76ers push forward toward the NBA Playoffs and the Flyers hope for a spot in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs first round. Keep an eye on the basketball and hockey standings to see where and when the Sixers and Flyers may be playing as April approaches.

The weather in April in Philadelphia is relatively mild, with occasional rain showers (particularly in the afternoon). At the start of the month, daytime high temperatures tend to run around 60 degrees Fahrenheit with overnight lows at 41 degrees Fahrenheit. But by the end of April, those average highs jump to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, bottoming out at night near 49 degrees Fahrenheit. The average April rainfall is 1.6 inches, and the record high temp for the month is 95 degrees Fahrenheit (2002). Snow is extremely rare.

The sports scene in Philly in the month of April is one of the best. The Phillies move into the first full month of the new baseball season at Citizens Bank Park, while the Union are just into the second month of the Major League Ssoccer campaign at Subaru Park. Both the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Flyers finish up their regular seasons at the Wells Fargo Center and begin the final push for berths and positions for their playoffs which start in April as well.

The month of April is one of the best of the spring for the dining, bar and nightlife scene in Philadelphia. Warmer seasonal temperatures mean more outdoor, street and rooftop dining spots come back to life across the region, and bar and brewery beer gardens open their gates for the season. If you’ve been waiting to dine al fresco or drink out of doors, the outside season starts now.

April is the unofficial start of botanic garden and arboretum season in Philly as flowers, plants, trees and grassy lawns spring to life after a chilly winter. The biggest April annual garden event is the Spring Blooms celebration at Longwood Gardens, but the flowering of the new season can be seen across the region at spots like Morris Arboretum, Bartram’s Garden, Barnes Arboretum, Awbury Arboretum, Scott Arboretum, Chanticleer, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, Tyler Arboretum, Peace Valley Lavender Farm and more.

Philly is a great travel and tourism destination any month of the year, but if you’re looking to avoid crowds and still have plenty to do, April is a great time to visit before the busy high season from June to mid-September begins. The weather is finally warm, which means plenty of walking opportunities between historic sites, landmarks, museums, galleries and eateries. And if you’re looking for big events, two of Philly’s most favorite — the historic Penn Relays and stunning Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia — headline April in Philadelphia.