SIGNS OF SPRING
Philadelphia Pillow Phight On April Fool’s Day, Edible Forrest Urban Farm hosts its annual pillow fight in Washington Square Park, giving folks the chance to partake in the age-old sleepover game in the out of doors. The plan is to have pillow fighters show up just before 3 p.m. to blend into the crowd, and then break into the rumble flash mob style. Only a few rules apply: bring soft pillows, swing lightly, aim low and for goodness sake don’t bop people who don’t have a pillow in their hands. Tree Giveaway Want to plant a new tree on your block this spring? You know you can get one for free, right? Starting this weekend, TreePhilly hosts a series of four pop-up locations where you can nab free trees, along with a gratis bag of mulch and tips on how to plant and care for your new treelet. There are 14 varieties to choose from—from shade trees to flowering trees and even fruit trees. Go to treephilly.org to get info about the two giveaway locations this weekend and on April 8 and 9. Dance With the Bride: Fool’s Night Out Fundraising doesn’t get much more fun than Painted Bride’s annual April Fool’s Day soiree Dance With the Bride. It’s like a night at the circus, with stilt walkers, aerial silk trapeze artists, jugglers and music by a French accordion player and guitarist. On the food front, you’ve got a buffet-style meal of French delicacies and an open bar all night. If you’re really raring to go, stick around for the after party that gets going at midnight with dancing and tunes from DJ 4ocus. Mural Arts 2017 Tours Kickoff Mural Arts kicks off its 2017 tour season with two days of mini tours to give guests a taste of what’s in store for the rest of the year. Among the abbreviated offerings to try out this weekend are the Masterpieces East Trolley Tour to scope historic murals east of Broad; the Fishtown Street Art Walk Tour guided by Conrad Benner of Streets Dept.; and two hourlong sessions of the popular Mural Segway Tours. For the complete lineup, including starting locations and prices, visit muralarts.org/tours. Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival Nothing says spring like the blooming cherry blossom trees that line Schuylkill River banks and dot Fairmount Park. To celebrate their arrival, the annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off with opening weekend festivities at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden—perhaps one of the best places to take in the splendid pink blooms. The festival comprises nine days of events celebrating Japanese culture, including the popular Sakura Sunday on April 9. For the full list of to-dos, check out subarucherryblossom.org. MUSIC
Bon Jovi Philadelphia’s beloved Bon Jovi return to the Wells Fargo Center to not only share tunes from their recently released 13th studio album, “This House Is Not For Sale,” but to introduce their adopted hometown to new band members, Phil X and Hugh McDonald. The Menzingers For something a little newer and a lot more punk, check out hometown quartet The Menzingers at the Fillmore Friday night. They’re touring in support of their latest album, “After the Party,” which Apple Music calls a collection of “beautifully crafted alt-punk that grooves and inspires.” Our city is among the last three Stateside stops before they hop the pond for a string of shows in Europe and Asia. The Beach Boys The world’s preeminent 1960s surfer rock group The Beach Boys are still going strong after nearly six decades in the music business—despite, of course, multiple switch-a-roos among band members. The “I Get Around” singers play two shows this Sunday at the Keswick—a matinee and one for the late-night crowd—with a mix of original members and new ones, including OGs Mike Love and Bruce Johnston. SEX TALK
Sex, Religion and the Constitution “Sex and the Constitution” author Geoffrey Stone is a leading authority on the United States Constitution, and this week he swings through Philly for an enlightening lecture on how mores surrounding sex and religion have informed constitutional decisions on everything from abortion and same-sex marriage to pornography. Auditorium seating is already sold out, but standby tickets will be available at the door starting at 11 a.m. on the day of the event. No luck? The discussion will also be streamed live at constitutioncenter.org/live COMEDY
Bob Saget America’s favorite sitcom dad with a sailor’s mouth makes a stop at Philly’s Keswick Theatre this weekend for a night of standup. Saget, who was born and raised in Philadelphia and educated at Temple University, has had quite the full schedule since the release of “Fuller House” on Netflix last year. He’s just finished up a nine-week stint in Broadway’s Tony-nominated “Hand to God,” and released his New York Times best-selling memoir, the aptly named “Dirty Daddy.”
April 1, 3-5 p.m.
Washington Square Park
600 Walnut St.
Free
facebook.com/EdibleForrest
April 1-2
Various locations
Free
treephilly.org
April 1, 7-midnight
Painted Bride Art Center
230 Vine St.
$100
paintedbride.org
April 1-2
Various locations
muralarts.org
April 1-9
Various locations
subarucherryblossom.org
March 31, 7:30 p.m.
Wells Fargo Center
3601 S. Broad St.
$19.75-$545.00
wellsfargocenterphilly.com
March 31, 8 p.m.
The Fillmore Philadelphia
29 E. Allen St.
thefillmorephilly.com
April 1-2, 3 and 8 p.m.
Keswick Theatre
291 N. Keswick Ave.
$49.00-$79
keswicktheatre.com
March 31, noon
National Constitution Center
525 Arch St.
$8
constitutioncenter.org
March 30, 8 p.m.
Keswick Theatre
291 N. Keswick Ave.
$29.50-$52
Keswicktheatre.com