There’s no bad time to go to Philadelphia – no matter when you visit, there’s always plenty to see, do and enjoy.
January - Mummers Parade
Held annually on New Year’s Day for over 100 years, the Mummers Parade is one of the oldest folk festivals in the United States. As many as 10,000 people dress up in lavish costumes and twirl, strut and pirouette their way up the city’s main streets. The wild parade and performances that follow are good fun for all ages.
February - African American History Month
Each February, Philadelphia celebrates African American History Month, with various events held around the city. Philadelphia has many African American residents whose relatives migrated there from the southern states, and this is a time to get more acquainted with their history and culture.
March - St Patrick’s Day Parade
Philadelphia St Patrick’s Day Parade is an institution – it has been held annually since 1771. The parade begins at 16th and JFK Boulevard and makes its way through to Ben Franklin Boulevard. Expect to see over 100 groups of marching bands, dance groups, Irish associations, flag wavers, floats and of course, spectators clad in green.
March - PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
Hosted by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the oldest and largest indoor flower show in the world. It attracts more than 250,000 visitors. Along with impressive displays and rare horticultural specimens, the show includes live entertainment, lectures, gardening workshops and more, alongside a different yearly theme.
April - Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival
Celebrate spring and Philadelphia’s rich cultural connection to the art, music, food and beauty of Japan with the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival organized by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia that culminates in Sakura Sunday at the Horticulture Center in Fairmount Park.
April - Penn Relays
At the Penn Relays, watch high school, college and masters-level track stars as well as Olympic athletes compete in the oldest and largest track and field competition in the U.S. — and one of Philadelphia’s signature annual sporting events — at Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania campus.
May - 9th Street Italian Market Festival
9th Street, which is in the heart of south Philadelphia, closes to traffic for a market festival every May. The festival celebrates everything Italian, with mouth-watering Italian food of every description, free concerts, crafts and the Annual Procession of Saints. The festival is hosted by the 9th Street Italian Market, which is the country’s oldest continuously operating open-air market, offering fresh produce and Italian food all year round.
June – Philly Beer Week
Dubbed the largest celebration of beer in the U.S., Philly Beer Week is a commemoration of all things beer in the city where brewers have been crafting for more than 300 years. Visitors can sample locally made brews while taking part in beer tours, pub crawls, happy hours, beer-pairing dinners, and other beer-related events at restaurants and bars across the city.
June – Odunde Festival
The Odunde Festival is the largest African American street festival in the U.S. The event spans 12 blocks in the city and features live entertainment, vendors, arts-and-crafts, and more. Festivalgoers can also savor the flavors of a variety of authentic African, Caribbean and soul food available.
July - Wawa Welcome America
Celebrate America's birthday in the city where it all began. From June 19 through July 4, the Wawa Welcome America festival celebrates Juneteenth and honors the nation’s independence with 16 days of free multicultural and multigenerational family-friendly special activities and events including free concerts, free museum days, community events, free outdoor movie screenings, block parties and plenty of fireworks. The Wawa Welcome America festivities are capped by a free July 4th Concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
August - 2nd Street Festival
Every year, thousands cram into the seven-block stretch between Spring Garden and Germantown Avenue for the 2nd Street Festival, which is one of the city’s biggest and best street parties. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re keen on art workshops, beer gardens, food trucks, live music or crafts.
September - Made in America
This massive music festival takes place on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway over Labor Day weekend. Dozens of top performers from around the world have graced the festival stages, with the likes of Jay Z, Kings of Leon and Pharrell Williams headlining in recent years. Performances run from midday to midnight on both Saturday and Sunday, keeping music-lovers satisfied for the whole weekend.
September - Fringe Festival
Fans of experimental theatre shouldn’t miss out on this celebration of thought-provoking performing arts. It runs for several weeks every September and features hundreds of theatre, music, dance and visual arts performances, not only in traditional venues but also on street corners, in restaurants and even sometimes from performers’ cars.
October - Halloween Nights
What better time to visit Philadelphia’s eerie Eastern State Penitentiary than over the Halloween season? Halloween Nights takes place in the massive, abandoned prison, which was once considered the most technologically sophisticated prison in the country. The event features over 200 performers and spans six distinct settings in the 11-acre building.
November - Thanksgiving Parade
Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Parade is the oldest of its kind in the country. It has been held annually since 1920. The parade features enormous floats, massive balloons, performers, marching bands, dancing troupes and more. Santa even makes an early appearance to usher in the holiday season. For one of the best views of the parade, try heading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art – but get there early!
December – Philadelphia Christmas Village
Every year, Philadelphia’s authentic German Christmas market, Philadelphia Christmas Village, features more than 100 local artisans and makers with their hand-crafted goods to sell. Each vendor is set up in a traditional German wooden shopping stall. Family-friendly activities include a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and a Kids Train. The Village is always bustling with holiday shoppers enjoying the seasonal festivities and picking up one-of-a-kind gifts and souvenirs.