April 13, 2023
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Philly's annual cherry blossom festival returns to Fairmount Park this Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16.
The clock is ticking to see Philly's cherry blossoms in all their pink majesty. The delicate blooms only last a week or two — and they'll be plenty on display at Fairmount Park for the annual cherry blossom festival this weekend.
Just across the river, Parks on Taps kicks off another season of beers in green spaces at Azalea Garden in East Fairmount Park. And all over town, volunteers will gather to beautify their blocks for the Street Department's annual spring cleanup.
Don't worry, indoor kids: There's stuff for you, too. The Philadelphia Film Society hosts its spring movie festival in Center City all weekend long, while genre geeks can head outside city limits to Glenside for a special trivia competition with star power.
As anyone with seasonal allergies could tell you: Philadelphia's cherry trees are in bloom. Stroll among some of the pretty, pink blossoms during the city's Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival at the Fairmount Park Horticultural Center, 100 N. Horticultural Drive, on Saturday and Sunday between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. The celebration of Japanese culture also include a kimono fashion show, vendor fair, origami workshops, martial arts demos and lots of live dance and musical performances.
The Cherry Blossom Festival is free to attend, but there is a $14 admission charge for those who want to enter the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center. Timed tickets can be purchased online.
Parks on Taps, the traveling beer garden, returns this week with its first popup at the Azalea Garden in East Fairmount Park, behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Visitors can choose from seven drafts or three cans — or, if you're not into beer, two vodka cocktails, a spiked seltzer, a spiked iced tea or rosé. The bars are open from 4 p.m. through 10 p.m. on Friday, and noon through 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. After that, the beer garden hits the road, making stops in Columbus Square and Chestnut Hill next.
Philly's annual spring cleanup is back, and it needs your help. Between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Philadelphians will gather at public spaces across the city to pick up trash, sweep sidewalks and give benches fresh coats of paint. You can find projects near you through the official website — you just need to create a free account to sign up.
The Philadelphia Film Society kicks off its SpringFest this Friday with screenings of a new documentary about the Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry and Ray Romano's directorial debut "Somewhere in Queens." Those showings, and all others, will be held at the Philadelphia Film Center, at 1412 Chestnut St. Other highlights include docs on Judy Blume, Mary Tyler Moore and Michael J. Fox — as well as a fictionalized take on the rise and fall of BlackBerry, featuring "It's Always Sunny" star Glenn Howerton sporting some truly unfortunate hair.
Think you know fantasy, horror and sci-fi inside and out? Then head over to Glenside on Friday to battle other fans in a competition hosted by "Evil Dead" and "Bubba Ho-Tep" star Bruce Campbell. The evening at Keswick Theatre also includes a showing of one of Campbell's films, with a Q&A from the man himself.
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