'Stranger Things' dance party, East Passyunk Restaurant Week, Reading Terminal Market's 125th birthday party, and other great happenings, Feb. 23-March 2

Get the kids into the kitchen this month in celebration of Black History Month at the South Philadelphia Library. Chef Chris Paul will lead a hands-on cooking program featuring a variety of classic soul food recipes. The early evening event is geared toward school-age children and their families. — Grace Dickinson

4:30 p.m. Tuesday; South Philadelphia Library, 1700 South Broad St.; Free; 215-685-1866; libwww.freelibrary.org

Chow down at one of 26 restaurants during East Passyunk Restaurant Week, when participating neighborhood eateries offer up three-course meals for $15, $25, or $35. From fine-dining Italian at Le Virtu to small Chinese-inspired plates at Bing Bing Dim Sum to tacos of all kinds at Pistola's Del Sur to authentic Filipino food at Perla, the options bring a wide variety of both dining styles and international cuisines from which to choose. Advanced reservations are highly recommended. — G.D.

Feb. 26 to March 9; Select locations throughout East Passyunk; $15-$35; eastpassyunkrestaurantweek.com

In advance of the Academy Award ceremony on March 4, Secret Cinema is hosting a night of short film screenings at Fleisher Art Memorial. The screenings will include both widely praised and lesser-known feature shorts in genres that range from live-action to comedy to documentary to cartoons and more. Free parking will be available in Fleisher's parking lot. — G.D.

8 p.m. Saturday; Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine St.; $9; 215-922-3456; thesecretcinema.com

If you missed the Mummers on New Year's Day, now's your chance to catch them in action. All 16 of the string bands are parading down  Main Street in Manayunk in honor of Mardi Gras. This family-friendly event also has photo opportunities, giveaways, and more. Visit the Mummers' clubhouses after the celebration to enjoy even more performances, as well as food and drinks.

1-3 p.m. Sunday, Main Street, mummersmardigras.com

This family-friendly workshop will have you and your children creating a garden to bring home and work on together. Get gardening instruction from Pennsylvania Horticultural Society instructors, and take home cultivation inspiration to last all year. — Thea Applebaum Licht

10 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday, Rothman Cabin at Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th St. Register online at https://phsonline.org/events/garden-snow-globe/. 215-988-1698, phsonline.org.

Rarely do the lower brass players in the orchestra come center stage. But recent Grammy-winning Philly composer Jennifer Higdon has written a Concerto for Low Brass to spotlight trombonists Nitzan Haroz and Matthew Vaughn, bass trombonist Blair Bollinger, and tubaist Carol Jantsch. Cristian Maceleru also leads Kodaly's Marosszek Dances, Brahms' Hungarian Dances and Beethoven's throbbing Eighth Symphony in this fascinating program. — Tom Di Nardo

2 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall, Broad and Spruce Streets, $51-$153, 215-893-1999, philorch.org. 

A Greek tragedy and a comedy are scheduled for a rich Viennese's after-dinner entertainment. But when dinner runs late, and fireworks are imminent, the troupes are forced to perform simultaneously in this madcap Richard Strauss opera. Only voices as brilliant as those from the Academy of Vocal Arts could negotiate the fiendish vocal challenges in this production, conducted by David Aronson and directed by the always-imaginative Dorothy Danner. — T.D.N.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday and March 3 at the Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce Street, $65-$100, 215-735-1685, avaopera.org. 

Jeffrey Brillhart conducts — and solos in — some magnificent highlights of the Baroque repertoire. The ensemble plays Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and the famous Air from the Third Suite, plus an overture by Rameau. In both roles, he'll play the D Minor Harpsichord Concerto by C.P.E. Bach, improvisations on themes in the program, and the thorny keyboard part in the Brandenburg No. 5. – -T.D.N.

2:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall, Broad and Spruce Streets, $50-$90, 215-893-1999, chamberorchestra.org. 

Conductor Louis Scaglione has chosen some mighty challenging fare for these gifted young musicians. They'll be digging into major repertory classics: Brahms' Third Symphony, Stravinsky's "Petrushka," and Ravel's kaleidoscopic "La Valse." — T.D.N.

3 p.m. Sunday at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall, Broad and Spruce Streets, $20-$30, 215-893-1999, pyos.org.

Enjoy unlimited sudsy samples from 60 different breweries at the annual Kennett Winterfest. The festival shines light on brews of all kinds, including grapefruit IPAs, bourbon cider, Russian imperial stouts, chocolate porters, and more. Five food trucks will be parked at the event to keep you fueled throughout the afternoon, which also includes live music and other entertainment. — G.D.

12:30-4 p.m. Sat.; 600 S. Broad St., Kennett Square; $60 for general admission, $15 for designated drivers; 610-444-8188; kennettwinterfest.com

An array of wineries will offer wine samples in shops and restaurants across downtown Haddonfield on Saturday. More than 10 spots along North Haddon Avenue, Tanner Street, and Kings Highway are participating. Unfolding for its fifth time, the event presents a rare opportunity to sample and purchase New Jersey wines in what's normally a "dry" town while perusing the many shops in the area. Live and DJ-spun music will accompany the event. — G.D.

1-4 p.m. Sat.; Select locations across downtown Haddonfield; Free; downtownhaddonfield.com

In celebration of the Jewish holiday Purim, Gershman Y is hosting a "Snow Ball" dance party inspired by hit TV show Stranger Things. The '80s-themed soiree will transport its guests to the "upside down" as they dance to DJ-spun beats and snack on traditional hamantaschen. Participants will also be invited to play games and compete for prizes throughout the night. — G.D.

7-10 p.m. Saturday; Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St.; $18 per person or $30 for two people; 215-545-4400; gershmany.com

On Feb. 22, the Reading Terminal Market officially reached a major milestone — it's 125th birthday. It planned an in-store celebration with a Victorian-inspired day full of period costumes, penny-farthings, and scattered price rollbacks matching those of the market's 1893 prices. Reading Terminal Market continues the grand soiree on Saturday, with an after-hours party, featuring eats from 30-plus merchants, six live bands, and four open bars. Purchase a ticket in advance, and get ready for a grand celebration of America's oldest continuously operating farmers market. –G.D.

7:30-11:30 p.m. Saturday; Reading Terminal Market, 51 N. 12th St.; $90-$175; readingterminalmarket.org

Dilworth Park's Wintergarden closes for the season on Sunday, meaning only a few days remain to skate around the Rothman Institute Ice Rink and chill out in the adjacent Rothman Institute Cabin. If your Axl Rose is better than your double axel, join the Cabin on Friday for its final karaoke night, where you can sing your heart out and relax with a post-skate drink from 6 to 9 p.m. — G.D.

6-9 p.m. Saturday; Rothman Institute Ice Rink and Cabin, 1 S. 15th St.; Skating admission: $5 for adults, $3 for children 10 and under, $10 for skate rentals; Karaoke admission: free, pay-as-you-go for food and drink; centercityphila.org

Catch one of the season's biggest blockbuster exhibitions before it closes to the public on March 4. Philly is one of just two cities to host Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor, featuring more than 170 artifacts from the burial site of the First Qin Emperor of China, including 10 clay soldiers that stood guard over of the emperor's tomb more than 2,000 years ago. Before you go, be sure to download the exhibition's free augmented reality app. The smartphone application creates 3-D simulations and interactive experiences involving the warriors and the bronze weapons they once held.

Through March 4; Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.; $35 for adults, $30 for children ages 3-11; fi.edu

Andrew Bird recorded his most recent album standing ankle-deep in the Los Angeles River, under a bridge. Echolocations: River is an instrumental work, focusing on Bird's violin lines crafted into environmentally themed soundscapes. But Bird's talents run much deeper: He's a witty and philosophical songwriter, a thoughtful singer, and a pitch-perfect whistler. He's done soundtrack work — his "I Was an Orphan (Till You Came Along)" is the theme song for Showtime's SMILF) — and he hosts an online video series from his living room ("Live from the Great Room"). His wide-ranging skills will be on display when Bird, accompanied by his trio, comes to Wilmington and Princeton. — Steve Klinge

8 p.m. Friday at the Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington. $43-$51. 302-652-5577, thegrandwilmington.org.
7:30 Monday at the McCarter Theater, 91 University Center, Princeton. $43-$46. 609-258-2787, mccarter.org.

Cajun music is deeply encoded in Kevin Naquin's DNA: one of Naquin's great-grandfathers played accordion with the pioneering Balfa Brothers; the other was a ballad singer and fiddle-player. Naquin, who sings and plays accordion, is a traditionalist but not a purist: his award-winning group, the Ossun Playboys, includes electric guitars and keyboards and mixes in lively zydeco with French Cajun two-steps. They're a dance band, through and through. Although the Ossun Playboys gig almost every weekend in their native Louisiana, they don't make it north very often. Friday's show in Mount Airy will be full of irresistible dance music, but you can arrive an hour early for lessons from area specialists Allons Danser if you want to two-step with added confidence. — S.K.

8:30 p.m. Friday at the Commodore Barry Club, 6815 Emlin St. $25; students $15. 215-402-7017, allonsdanser.org.

Cherish the Ladies — an all-female Irish American ensemble that takes its name from a traditional Celtic jig – is something of a word-of-mouth marvel, picking up fans gig by gig for more than 30 years. They've recorded 15-plus albums, but it's onstage where the Ladies (joined by a couple of male step dancers) truly electrify their audience. Led by the irrepressible Joanie Madden on flute and tin whistle, the group uses virtuoso musicianship to brush off any preconceived notions about "traditional" Irish music, while fully embracing their sonic roots. The result is a bracing blend of foot-tapping melodies, soaring vocals, and plenty of witty banter. — Nicole Pensiero

Cherish The Ladies perform at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Sellersville Theatre, 24 W. Temple Avenue. Tickets are $25 and $39.50; 215-257-5808, www.st94.com

Solange and SZA might get all the mainstream cred for its soft squiggly visions of future soul. But it's been deep voiced Kelela who has pushed the nu-spacy R&B sound further and weirder into the hot hemisphere. Signed to Warp Records (home of all good electronic oddities) Lady K worked with the likes of Gorillaz and Beyoncé Knowles' sister before dropping her debut (and one of 2017's most daring) albums, Take Me Apart. The last two times she came through Philly she sold out small rooms fast. With her new single "Blue Light" running up the charts don't expect this to be the easiest ticket. — A.D. Amorosi

8:30 p.m. Tuesday, at Theater of the Living Arts, 334 South Street. $22.50 www.livenation.com