Photo courtesy of the Center City District.
Let’s Dance in July
Philadelphia’s diverse cultural organizations perform free shows like orchestral music, ballet ensembles and jazz instrumentals in the ‘Arts on Center Stage’ summertime series at City Hall’s Dilworth Park in Center City. Opera Philadelphia will return to the stage with American music and opera classics. (See details about the next Arts on Center Stage event below: “Opera in The Park Hits High Note.”)
July is jumping with jazz, art exhibits and more. One attention-getter is “Coltrane 100 Philly,” a citywide centennial initiative honoring the 100th birthday year of jazz trailblazer John Coltrane. It will celebrate the North Philly native’s legacy through performances, community programming, artist grants, and educational initiatives across Philadelphia. Likewise, “52 Weeks of Firsts” honors 250 years of Philadelphia’s historic pioneering achievements, including those by African-Americans, in the “City of Firsts.” From hip to historical, enjoy these low-cost or free events. And remember: With wild weather recently, check with the event contacts for potential updates before attending any outdoor activities.
Opera In The Park Hits High Note
Thursday, July 23, 2026. The Center City District’s Arts on Center Stage series at City Hall is one of the hottest free outdoor concerts in town. Enjoy a concert featuring Opera Philadelphia’s soprano Sophia Santiago, tenor Gabriel Anthony-Muhammad, and baritone Michael Miller, accompanied by pianist Michael Lewis. They will perform American and opera classics.
Free; reservations are not required; 6 p.m. EST to 7 p.m. EST. Bring a blanket or chair. Seating in the Greenfield Lawn will be limited. City Hall / Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th St. Email: hello@operaphila.org, 215-732-8400 or https://centercityphila.org/event/arts-on-center-stage-8/ or https://www.operaphila.org/whats-on/events/other/2026/the-arts-on-center-stage
Celebrating A Century of Coltrane
Thursday, July 23, 2026. Bee-bop over to the launch of Coltrane 100 Philly, a citywide centennial celebration honoring Philly jazz great John Coltrane. The event marks Coltrane’s 100th birthday this year. His legacy of transforming 20th-century jazz will be recognized through performances, public programs, artist grants, and community events. The initiative will be led by Pennsylvania State Sen. Vincent Hughes, along with Jazz Philadelphia, Ars Nova Workshop, Creative Philadelphia, WRTI, and various community partners.
Coltrane 100 Philly will highlight the North Philly native’s enduring place in jazz history as a trailblazing saxophonist, band leader and composer. Coltrane 100 Philly will include performances, community programming, and a $27,000 Community Project Grant to support the development of local artists. Some of the participants will be: State Rep. Hughes; City Councilmember Jeffrey Young; Michelle Coltrane, vocalist and Chief Creative Officer of the John & Alice Coltrane Home; Valerie Gay, Chief Cultural Officer of Creative Philadelphia, and Gerald Veasley, President of Jazz Philadelphia. Hines Creative Arts Legacy Ensemble will perform, followed by a reception. As part of the endeavor, a series of events in September and a tribute concert at Temple University in November are planned.
Free, 10:30 a.m. EST to 11:30 a.m. EST. Coltrane House and Yard, (John Coltrane St.), 1515-1517 N. 33rd St. Email: info@jazzphiladelphia.org, 215-790-7703 or https://jazzphiladelphia.org/coltrane/
Come Jazz Up The Block
Saturday, July 25, 2026. Jazzin’ On Ridge will be all about the community. Enjoy a true Philly block party. Vibe to the live jazz music, free food and beverages. Hosted by local merchants on Ridge Avenue, the neighborhood festivities will also feature giveaways and kids’ activities. Over the last six years, Jazzin’ on Ridge and the Lower North Philadelphia CDC have organized this popular street fair. The event will showcase the community and thriving Ridge Avenue Business District.
Free, noon to 6 p.m. EST. 2200 block of Ridge Ave. https://jazzinonridge.com/
Photo courtesy of Philadelphia African Restaurant Week Festival.
Restaurants like Eastwell Philly – African Restaurant and Lounge at 106 Chestnut St., are serving homespun Nigerian cuisine at a discount during the ongoing Philadelphia African Restaurant Week.
Feel the LOVE of African Culture & Cuisine
Through Sunday, July 26, 2026. Enjoy the best of African cuisine and culture at the African Restaurant Week Food & Music Festival Philadelphia, to close out Philadelphia African Restaurant Week. Indulge in community and cultural activities while supporting small businesses. Eat, shop, win prizes, and dance to traditional music. Feast on food from the diaspora; browse through a 40-vendor marketplace of fashion, wellness, and handmade crafts.
Vibe to live performances and DJ music featuring Afrobeats, soca, Kompa, Amapiano, R&B and more. Philadelphia African Restaurant Week, which is underway citywide at restaurants through this Sunday, offers special menu food at discounts.
Free admission, noon to 8 p.m. EST. (For $44, the festival also offers a taste-testing menu to help select the best Jollof Rice by chefs from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast and more.) LOVE Park, 16th Street and John F. Kennedy Blvd. For details about African Restaurant Week and African Restaurant Week Food & Music Festival: https://africanrestaurantweek.com/philadelphia/ or https://www.eventbrite.com
Photos courtesy of The Print Center.
Printmaking Show Looks At American Democracy
Through Saturday, July 25, 2026. The exhibit America Today: Voices in Contemporary Print takes a plunge into American democracy, civil rights, and social justice just in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary. The Print Center teamed up with six print workshops nationwide to reflect on contemporary American democracy through printmaking. It demonstrates how issues artists tackled in the past remain relevant now. The show looks at current politics, the challenges to democracy, freedom of expression, cultural pride, and the nation’s changes over the past 250 years. The exhibit showcases more than 35 artists.
Free, 11 a.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST., Tuesdays to Saturdays. The Print Center, 1614 Latimer St., in Rittenhouse Sq. Email: info@printcenter.org, 215-735-6090 or https://printcenter.org/100/america-today
Jazz Legend Hancock Is Still On Key
Wednesday, July 29, 2026. After 70 years, Herbie Hancock is still jazzing. He learned from the best. He cut his teeth with the pioneering Miles Davis Quintet. Hancock took this innovative approach, influenced by Davis, and developed his own signature sound that effectively led to record-breaking albums such as Headhunters in the 1970s. He blended electric jazz with funk and rock in an unmistakable and enduring sound. Rockit and Future Shock signaled Hancock’s launch into his distinctive brand of electronic dance music. A Hancock record means that it is time to dance. Check out prime Hancock, now a bit wiser than his Miles Davis days, in concert. Starting at $91; 7:30 p.m., Kimmel Center/ Marian Anderson Hall, 300 S. Broad St. 215-893-1999 or https://www.ensembleartsphilly.org/
Photo courtesy of United Negro College Fund
Get Together For Tea Time
Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Take a break for one of the oldest traditions: A tea party. Treat yourself to the Women of Faith for Education Afternoon Tea for a fundraising celebration of faith, community, and education. Hosted by the United Negro College Fund – Philadelphia (UNCF), enjoy a bevy of select teas and treats while networking and meeting students from the UNCF community. Join host Patty Jackson, of iHeart Media, for an empowering afternoon with local authors Dr. Cheryl A.S. Hurley and Sister Jamila Thomkins-Bigelow, and the Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women. The event will feature a formal tea session, vendors, entertainment, student testimonials, and Parade of “Crowns and Hijabs,” a ritual signifying strength, faith, culture, and achievement. The event supports UNCF’s mission to provide scholarships for high school and college students.
$70 per ticket, noon to 2 p.m. EST (Doors open at 11 a.m. EST). The New Covenant Church of Philadelphia, 7500 Germantown Ave., in Mt. Airy. Email: carolyn.starling-love@uncf.org, 215-422-3373 or https://onecau.se/womenoffaith or https://my.onecause.com
Image courtesy of Visit Philadelphia.
Celebrate Philly’s Firsts
Through Saturday, December 26, 2026. For the very beginning, Philly has always been a city of firsts: The first abolitionist society in America in 1775; the first organized African-American congregation in the U.S., the African Methodist Episcopal Congregation, founded by Richard Allen in 1994; the first pro basketball league in 1898. The list is large and impressive. 52 Weeks of Firsts was created to recognize the distinction and honor 250 years of Philadelphia’s historic achievement. The so-called Firstivals are every Saturday at the original locations where each ‘first’ took place. They include programs with expert speakers, sculptures and more.
Free, various locations, dates, and times, citywide. The next featured event will be Saturday, July 25, 2026, at America’s first art school-museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St., 11 a.m. EST to 1 p.m. EST. It was established in 1805. https://www.visitphilly.com/52-weeks-of-firsts/#volunteer-fire-company or https://www.visitphilly.com/52-weeks-of-firsts/#art-school-and-museum-in-america.
What Just Happened?…. Recent Events Around Town
Photo by Donna Ryan.
In An All-Star League Of Their Own
While Major League Baseball was gearing up for its All-Star game at Citizens Bank in South Philly, Capital One All-Star Village engaged fans at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City on Saturday, July 11. The interactive fan festival featured games, ballpark food sampling, hitting activities, meet-and-greets with former ballplayers, baseball youth clinics and exhibits like this Negro Leagues display (pictured) showcasing the segregated professional league and its stars during their heyday. The Negro Leagues was the stepping stone for future major-league standouts Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Larry Doby, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and others. Blacks’ integration into the Major Leagues, starting with the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Robinson in 1947, eventually doomed the fated Negro Leagues.
