The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, December 18-24, 2025

Hansel & Gretel
December 17-31, 2025
Curio Theatre Company, 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia

Curio invites families to the theater with their production of Hansel & Gretel, where the audience won’t just watch the performance, but will participate in the fairy tale as well. The hands-on approach lends itself to a “laboratory” where guests can record sound effects, build props and costume pieces, create shadow puppets, and draw animated sand art that becomes part of the show itself.

Mapping Spaces of the Unhoused in Philadelphia
Thursday, December 18, 4:30-7:30pm
Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

Counter Cartographies is a community art project in collaboration with unhoused shelter residents served by the Bethesda Project. There, Mapping Spaces is a project that spatially maps residents’ lived relationships with the city of Philadelphia and transforms those maps into collective art.

Long Shot – Fruit Springsteen presents Jake Symbol’s Bing Crosby’s Christmas Revival
Thursday, December 18, 7:30pm
Vox Populi, 319 N 11th Street, Philadelphia

Vox Populi hosts this inventive dark comedy disguised as a glittering, family-friendly Christmas special. The one-night show “unravels nostalgia, celebrity culture, and the annual corporate mandate to ‘save Christmas’ by reviving what never truly died.” With songs, sketches, “questionable cheer,” and a generous helping of seasonal dread, the show asks what we’re really looking for each December, and what we lose when the past becomes a product we can’t stop consuming.

Hello, Dolly!
December 19, 2025-January 4, 2026
Players Club of Swarthmore Theater, 614 Fairview Road, Swarthmore

The Broadway classic comes to the Players Club of Swarthmore, telling the story of Dolly Levi, a woman who arranges things as she transforms lives in turn-of-the-century New York City.

Soulstice Fest
Saturday, December 20, 2-9pm
One Art, 1435 N 52nd Street, Philadelphia

Swing by One Art Community Center this weekend for a day of collective nourishment, featuring workshops, wellness offerings, and teachings to fortify for the new year.

Karen Tenderness in HOMO for the HoliGAYS
Saturday, December 20, 9pm
Sawubona Creativity Project, 1626 E Passyunk Avenue, #1, Philadelphia

In this cabaret show by Karen Tenderness, Karen returns to her hometown of Butte Creek and tries to become the star of the Christmas pageant.

Winter Solstice celebration at Glen Foerd
Sunday, December 21, 3-5:30pm
Glen Foerd, 5001 Grant Avenue, Philadelphia

Celebrate the shortest day of the year with an afternoon of seasonal activities at Glen Foerd. The festivities include a guided nature walk, yin yoga, family-friendly crafts, and a sunset bonfire along the Delaware River.

Kwanzaa at the African American Museum in Philadelphia
December 26, 2025-January 1, 2026
African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia

AAMP will celebrate Kwanzaa with a special week of programs and events. Throughout the week, guests can see live performances, cultural activities, an evening bazaar, interactive workshops, and much more.

Free Kwanzaa Celebration
Sunday, December 28, 11am-4pm
Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia

The third annual Kwanzaa celebration hosted by Penn Museum comes later this month, and it’s free. Hands-on activities for all ages, educational workshops, handmade Zawadi gifts, and dance and musical performances are set for the family-friendly celebration, which also includes free access to the museum.