PHILANDANCO’s Danco 3 (D/3) youth ensemble program gives rising dancers a chance to develop. The company’s more accomplished dancers hit the stage on December 3rd with performances in Now & Then celebrating its iconic past and present. See “Preserving African Dance Then & Now,” below.
FunTimes Magazine: ‘Culture & Entertainment’ events’ column, week of December 1, 2025.
“You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
— Maya Angelou, American poet & civil rights champion, (1928-2014)
A wise person once said that pre-winter is not a season but a celebration. And may we add that like a snowflake in the December air, no celebration is alike. Ready or not, go out and celebrate the gift of December. And make sure that you wear your scarf. Here’s a warm offering of Instagrammable activities to kick off the joy of the coming holidays…
All That Jazz
Thursday, December 4, 2025. Jazz up the holiday season and take in Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival Popups featuring the Drexel University Jazz Orchestra this month. The pop-up concert series highlights rising musicians. Refreshments will be served after the performance hosted by HopePHL. Free but pre-register; 7:30 p.m. EST to 9:30 p.m. EST. Drexel University / Mandell Theater, 3220 Chestnut St. Email: hello@hopephl.org, 267-720-HOPE or https://www.hopephl.org/jazz-pop-ups.html
Restoring Overlooked Artists’ Visibility
Friday, December 5, 2025. Take a deep dive into the life and art of the late Mavis Pusey at the symposium, Re*Membering Mavis Pusey. Explore Pusey’s legacy, Black abstraction, and the art of remembrance. Artists, scholars, and curators will reflect on the work of Pusey (1928–2019), “a pioneering abstract artist whose dynamic prints and paintings capture the rhythm of urban change and the resilience of Black modernity.” The event will feature O’Neil Lawrence of the National Gallery of Jamaica, conservation specialists from the Getty and Williamstown + Atlanta Art Conservation Center, and members of the Studio Museum in Harlem’s leadership and curatorial teams. They will delve into how to preserve the material and historical traces of forgotten Black artists. Panelists will reflect on how arts institutions, foundations, and artist estates can reshape their roles related to care, advocacy, and artistic legacies. It will be hosted by the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania, with funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art. Free, 10 a.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST. Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 S. 36th St. https://icaphila.org/events/remembering-mavis-pusey/
PHILANDANCO! Is high on dance.
Preserving African Dance ‘Then & Now’
Friday, December 5 to Sunday, December 7, 2025. Few fuse modern with Western African dance traditions better than PHILADANCO!. For more than half a century, PHILADANCO! has delivered a distinct brand and blend of riveting inventive modern, and traditional dance preserving age-old African American dance, with a twist. Its latest winter residency will highlight Then & Now paying tribute to the world-famous dance company’s signature past works combined with future innovations. Enjoy the classic ballets: Donald Byrd’s Everybody, “a propulsive, biting meditation on rhythm” from 1996 by a Tony-nominated and Bessie Award-winning choreographer known for bold work. Tommie-Waheed Evans’ WITH(IN)VERSE, from 2018, offering a spiritual transformation by a Guggenheim Fellow whose work of raw physicality. Check out two new premieres: One by Ronald K. Brown, a technician in West African movements and modern dance, and another by emerging choreographer Juel D. Lane, whose “kinetic style brings a youthful, urgent edge to the stage.” A weekend of four performances. Individual tickets: $40 to $63, times vary: 2 p.m. EST & 7:30 p.m. EST. Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 S. Broad St. 215-893-1999 or https://www.ensembleartsphilly.org
Tindley Temple Fundraiser Celebrates The Season
Sunday, December 7, 2025. Tindley Temple will host a joyful celebration with a performance of Handel’s Messiah, which will be preceded by a spiritually powerful organ recital. German-born composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) created the time-honored Messiah is an English-language oratorio in 1741. Enjoy an evening of uplifting music while supporting the vibrant arts and ministry of the historic South Philly church. $25 donation suggested or a $50 donation for the performance, a post-concert reception, and a meet-and-greet with the performers. Pre-register, 3 p.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. 750 S. Broad St. 215-735-0442 or https://www.tindleyphl.us/messiah
Have ‘A Soulful Christmas’
Tuesday, December 9, 2025. Rejoice in the spirit of the season at the 12th annual A Soulful Christmas led by esteemed choir director Dr. J. Donald Dumpson. Immerse yourself in a wonderful concert featuring some of the Philadelphia area’s finest choral singers performing holiday and gospel spirituals. The event will close with a dazzling visual display called “Finale of Lights!” American Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Bishop Hezekiah Walker, Jr., who is pastor of the Love Fellowship Tabernacle in New York, will be honored. The concert hosts will be Patty Jackson, of WDAS 105.3 FM, and Craig Hayes, of WIMG 1300 AM. Individual tickets: $53 to $90. Only select tickets are available. 7:30 p.m. EST. Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts / Marian Anderson Hall. 300 S. Broad St. 215-893-1999 or www.ensembleartsphilly.org
Holiday Pop-Up Co-founder, Tanya T. Morris.
Photo by Ronald Grey.
Shop Black With Your Green
Through Tuesday, December 30, 2025. Shop until you pop, or in this case, pop-up. Check out the new Mom Your Business Holiday Pop-Up Cart of 80 rotating female-owned Black and Brown vendors at the Reading Terminal. Browse and buy from local makers and creatives offering handcrafted goods, wellness essentials, gourmet treats, lifestyle products, and innovative services on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Said Tanya T. Morris, Founder and CEO of the Philadelphia nonprofit Mom Your Business: “This is what access to opportunity looks like.” Participating entrepreneurs include A’s Aprons’ crafts stylish aprons; Aqua Headwraps; Black Paper Party gift products; Polish Me Unbothered nail lacquers, and Speak to the King Black apparel and products for Black youth. Admission is free to the Reading Terminal; 8 a.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST. Reading Terminal Market / Center Court area, 12th and Arch streets. momyourbusiness.com
Donate To Community Gift Drive
Through Wednesday, December 3, 2025. ACHIEVEability’s Annual Gift Drive will bring the joy of the winter holidays to 1,500 kids in West Philadelphia, where the nonprofit works to address poverty through education, housing, and other services. Donors are matched with a family to gauge their individual needs, or supporters can give gift cards; just fill out a Holiday Gift Drive form by December 3rd. Volunteers this week will wrap and organize gifts to be distributed Monday, December 8, and Tuesday, December 9, from 9 a.m. EST to 2 p.m. EST at ACHIEVEability offices, 5901 Market St. For details: Email info@achieveability.org, 215-748-8800, or Holiday Gift Drive
She Shines on the Holidays
Through Wednesday, December 31, 2025. Give the gift of empowerment this holiday season; get a special-priced holiday ticket to the Celebrating Sisterhood Presents 2026 She Shines Conference next November. Register for a discounted early-bird ticket offer of $50, and get an additional ticket to bring someone a “She Shines Sister” for free. The top change-makers from education, faith, business, government, and health convene annually in this inspiring day of women’s empowerment and enlightenment. They engage in professional community workshops specializing in health and wellness including free mammograms; safety, civic engagement, networking, spirituality, sisterhood, and more. Philadelphia breast cancer survivor Robin Shine Maddox founded the faith-based conference six years ago. Email: celebratingsisterhood1@gmail.com, www.celebratingsisterhood.org or www.sheshinesconference.com
