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Celebrating Philly through art, dance, theater, and comedy
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, July 9-15, 2026
Kyle V. Hiller
This week sees the return of summery festivals and celebrations around the city. DANCE IQUAIL! takes over Mantua in West Philly with the return of Celebrate Mantua; the Barnes hosts a block party on the Parkway, and comedy comes in volumes with this year’s Variety Pack. An exhibition honoring and remembering the history of crafts in Philadelphia opens at the PMA, and NextFab takes a look at contemporary crafting and creating. A pair of theater performances open up just outside the city proper, and music takes the stage at Dilworth Park for the rest of the summer.
Ain’t Misbehavin’
July 8-August 16, 2026
People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Road
People's Light production of the award-winning musical invites audiences to step into the world of the Harlem Renaissance with Ain't Misbehavin'. The toe-tapping celebration of the music, spirit, and style of the Harlem Renaissance features classics from Fats Waller.
Arts on Center Stage
Every Thursday through August 2026
Dilworth Park, 6-7pm
Center City District’s Arts on Center Stage brings free, family-friendly outdoor performances to Dilworth Park every Thursday evening through the end of August. This Thursday’s performance comes from the Philly Pops, with Jazz Bridge, Opera Philadelphia, and PCC Jazz Philharmonic to round out July.
Variety Pack Volume 3
July 9-13
Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake, 302 South Hicks Street
Chaz T. Martin & R. Eric Thomas’s Variety Pack Volume 3: The Weirdest, Wildest, Most Unclassifiable Comedy Yet arrives this week, with fifteen genre-defying acts ranging from clown shows to a polyamorous dating game show, networking events disguised as comedy shows, and multimedia stoner reinterpretations of Dickens classics. The festival celebrates artists working in the messy, hilarious space between stand-up, sketch, improv, theater, and performance art. See the full lineup here.
Philadelphia@250: Living Room
July 9-August 13
NextFab, 1800 North American Street
NextFab presents an exhibition featuring work by Philadelphia artists who have been creating their work inside NextFab’s fabrication studios. Coinciding with the America 250 celebrations, the show invites visitors into a communal “living room” of local creativity highlighting the makers, materials, and neighborhood narratives that shape the city’s creative community.
Dragons Love Tacos
July 11-19
Players Club of Swarthmore, 614 Fairview Road, Springfield
Dragons Love Tacos follows a curious boy and his faithful dog as they discover the most important rule about dragons: they absolutely love tacos! But you must never serve them with spicy salsa to the dragons. When a simple taco party takes an unexpected turn, a hilarious adventure filled with colorful dragons, catchy music, and larger-than-life fun unfolds. It’s perfect for children and young theatergoers, and it celebrates friendship, imagination, and the joy of sharing a meal together.
Celebrate Mantua
Saturday, July 11, 11am-10pm
Miles Mack Playground, 732 North 36th Street
DANCE IQUAIL!’s free festival returns for a fifth year. This year’s theme is titled 250 Black Moves, and performers will celebrate the history of Black movement through dance, rhythm, activism, and advocacy, positioning Black dance legacy as an essential part of the American story. West Powelton Steppers, Baltimore Dance Tech, PHILADANCO!, Michael Love, Project Positive, and more will be there to support DANCE IQUAIL! and the Mantua community.
Barnes on the Block
Sunday, July 12, 10am-5pm
The Barnes Foundation, 2025 Ben Franklin Parkway
Barnes on the Block sets up on the Parkway for its ninth year, and new this year is El Mercado Cultural, a craft market featuring local artists and goods organized by Fleisher Art Memorial to encourage the Latinx/e community’s participation in commerce and the arts.
Workshop of the World: Arts and Crafts in Philadelphia
July 12-October 11, 2026
Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Ben Franklin Parkway
This exhibition explores the region’s contributions to the arts and crafts movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and its enduring influence upon contemporary makers. Ceramics, furniture, metalwork, textiles, stained glass, paintings, drawings, and printed works culminate over 250 objects that help reveal how industrial Philadelphia shaped the achievements of artists, designers, and manufacturers following the Centennial Exhibition of 1876.
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