At the Cherry Blossom Festival, see the blooms before they’re gone | Things to Do

We’ve had a wild week — from last Friday’s earthquake (scary but minor) to Monday’s solar eclipse (fun but cloudy) and the ongoing funny business of Mercury in retrograde, the internet’s favorite astrological strawman for anything that goes wrong. Here’s to hoping we can have some planetary peace in the coming weeks.

This weekend enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival, tune into the Michael Douglas’ Ben Franklin show, see exhibits on queer history, or catch up on new restaurant openings.

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Michael Douglas plays the Philadelphia inventor and statesman in the new miniseries Franklin, airing on AppleTV+ starting Friday. Douglas skipped the costuming but kept the roguish Philly charm, especially with the ladies. The show unfortunately doesn’t feature Philadelphia — do we forgive them? — but focuses instead on Franklin’s diplomatic mission to France that was essential in securing American independence from the British. Find out more about the new spy thriller.

🍻 The sunny spot: Parks on Tap, Philly’s traveling beer garden, is back in action this month, kicking off a 24-stop tour on April 17. Scope out when they’ll be in your neighborhood.

🎥 Screen time: The Philadelphia Film Society is hosting its weekend-long Springfest screening buzzy titles like Anne Hathaway’s latest rom com The Idea of You and Colman Domingo’s powerful story about incarcerated men making theater Sing Sing. There’s also a funny flick about a 93-year-old grandma hunting down a scammer. (Get ‘em, Thelma!) See what’s playing.

⚾ New fits: Vintage-inspired hoodies, jerseys, and baseball caps dedicated to The Philadelphia Stars — the city’s Negro League team — just dropped, thanks to this Philly fashion brand.

🍽️ New flavors: Exciting restaurant openings are popping up all over Philly and the suburbs this season, from Mamajuana Cafe to Get a Gato to Kilimandjaro. Here’s what we’re watching.

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ lessons: Two traveling exhibits curated by the Stonewall National Museum, Archives, and Library land at at the Drexel URBN Center this month. “Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes” and “Never Silent” examine legendary activists and queer history in Philly and beyond.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Philly Otaku Fest, Time To Pretend X, Philly Theater Week

It’s Sakura Weekend! You’ve seen Philly’s beautiful cherry blossoms, but now a floral fest is here to officially ring in Spring. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival continues with a free fest at Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center showcasing local vendors, live dance, arts and crafts, and more. There’s karaoke, karate demonstrations, Japanese games, origami, and tea ceremonies. Explore the full festival lineup.

☀️ Watering holes: If you’re looking for a good spot outside for brunch or happy hour, we’ve got you covered with our neighborhood guide to rooftop and outdoor dining.

🎥 Hoagie mouth: Do you have a Philly accent? Many movies have tried, failed, succeeded, and totally ignored the accent for Philly characters. We took a look at the best (Toni Collette) and worst (Ben Affleck).

🎨 Family fun: Philadelphia boasts an incredible slate of museums, but some are more kid-friendly than others. Here’s your insider guide to 16 essential children’s museums.

🍪 Alternative options: Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan put together the ultimate guide to Philadelphia’s gluten-free scene, including the best restaurants and bakeries.

🪕 Back on: After a cancellation last year, the beloved Philadelphia Folk Festival returns with John Oates and Gangstagrass headlining. Here’s everything you need to know.

Dan DeLuca breaks down some of the best shows coming to town this weekend:

🎤 Friday: Camden County native Ben Vaughn is doing two Ben Vaughn Quintet shows at World Cafe Live. The first is a Free at Noon, and then he’s back at night with another South Jersey rocker/radio host in Little Steven’s Underground Garage’s Palmyra Delran & the Doppelgang.

🎤 Also Friday: Meanwhile, at Union Transfer, Caroline Rose plays in support of The Art of Forgetting, their 2023 album that’s a return to self-reflective, emotionally forthright songwriting. But wait, there’s more. Cuban mambo big band Orquestra Akokán is at the Zellerbach Theatre. Dan Reed and Jesse Lundy’s new outfit, the 700 Level, rocks Dawson Street Pub in Manayunk. And for classical music fans, cellist Yo Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Stott are playing a recital at Verizon Hall.

🎤 Friday & Saturday: If something louder is to your liking, Philly music magazine Decibel is throwing a two-day Metal and Beer Fest at the Fillmore. Biohazard tops the bill on Friday, which includes Philly metal core outfit Jesus Piece. Deicide closes out Saturday. Breweries featured include New Jersey’s Tonewood, Philly’s Attic, and Delaware’s Brimming Horde Meadery.

🎤 Saturday: Swans, the long-standing experimental rock band, are at Union Transfer on Saturday. The great Chicano rock and roll band Los Lobos plays the Scottish Rite. Curly Taylor & Zydeco Trouble get dancers moving at the TK Club in Conshohocken. And Rosali, the formerly Philadelphian singer-guitarist whose superb Bite Down is likely to show up on many best-of lists come December, returns to Johnny Brenda’s.

What’s in your headphones when you’re working out? For me, it’s usually Megan Thee Stallion or El Alfa. For Beatrice Forman, a general assignment reporter, it’s “a mix of gay pop (not JoJo Siwa’s version), so Charli XCX, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, and RuPaul singles.” But our classical music critic Peter Dobrin argues that aside from upbeat pop and beast-mode playlists, runners especially should consider classical tunes instead. He wrote about the bliss of running along the Schuylkill River Trail while listening to Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Rachmaninoff, and others — all of which create a completely different and serene experience. Let me know what you like to hear!

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

This week I’ve been listening to Young Miko. What’s on your playlist? Let me know!