Buy spirits at a state store, not at a corner shop

The Bellevue, at Broad and Walnut Streets, opened in 1904 as the Bellevue-Stratford, a French Renaissance landmark. After a major restoration the hotel reopened in late 2024, with the lobby returned to its 1904 layout including the elliptical staircase and a kept Thomas Edison electrical panel. Look for the…

Loews Philadelphia fills the PSFS building, a bank tower finished in 1932 and designed by George Howe and William Lescaze. The bank closed in 1992 and the hotel opened in April 2000, keeping many original design details and turning the old banking hall into an event space. Look up at night for the red PSFS rooftop…

The Philadelphia Fringe Festival fills most of September with theater, dance, circus and performance art in venues across the city, from small studios to a historic library. Hundreds of productions are listed each year, so pick two or three in one area and book ahead through the festival events page. FringeArts, on…

Odunde takes over South Street and Grays Ferry Avenue around 23rd Street on a Sunday in mid June, as the finale of a week of events. Expect a parade to the Schuylkill River, drum and dance circles, live music and more than 100 vendors selling African, Caribbean and American crafts and food. Entry is free, though food…

The Philadelphia Orchestra plays most of its home season at Marian Anderson Hall, the former Verizon Hall, renamed in 2024 for the contralto Marian Anderson. Programs range from standard repertoire and choral works in December to family concerts and film nights with live score. The season includes some Saturday…

Chris' Jazz Cafe on Sansom Street in Center City books live jazz Tuesday through Saturday and is closed Sunday and Monday, so a Sunday plan leaves you at a dark door. It serves lunch and happy hour on weekdays, and it stays open until midnight early in the week and until 2 am Thursday to Saturday. Look at the club…

Fante's Kitchen Shop has sold cookware in the Italian Market since 1906 and is still run by the same family. The shelves hold bakeware, pasta makers, coffee and tea tools, cutlery and Italian specialties such as pizzelle irons. It suits cooks who want a useful souvenir to carry home. Pair it with a walk through the…

Headhouse Farmers Market sets up on Sundays under the historic covered Shambles at 2nd and Lombard in Society Hill. The vendors change from week to week and include farmers, bakers, cheese makers, flowers, coffee and local drinks, so you can put together a picnic or take home local food. Go in the morning, since the…