There’s a new kid on Frankford Ave, and it’s not another brewery, cocktail den, or boutique vintage shop. It’s somehow all of those things at once. Secondhand Ranch opened its doors this week, and Fishtown wasted no time wandering in to figure out what this place actually is.

Spoiler: it’s very cool.

While you’re looking for an easy holiday event to add to your December lineup, East Market’s Carols & Cocktails Holiday Series is a solid pick. It’s festive, but in a way that feels joyful, not overwhelming, and it’s the perfect December activity to spend with friends or flying solo.

To us, there’s something about the first week of December that makes “Friendmas” feel officially in season. Calendars are filling up and suddenly everyone is scrambling to schedule that one night where your friend group pretends to exchange gifts.

For a good Friendmas, the location matters. You need somewhere cozy enough to linger, yet festive enough to feel intentional.

If you’re trying to pull off a date night that feels a little extra magical, Philadelphia is begging you to do it right now. The whole city is lit up, from the restaurants feeling like warm hideaway to the theaters completely decked out. It’s the perfect time to plan a night that looks incredibly thoughtful without actually being a ton of work.

There’s something about Philadelphia in December that just feels magical. The city swaps its usual hustle for twinkly lights, glowing skylines, and festive corners that feel like they were designed specifically for your camera roll. Here’s the roundup of spots delivering maximum holiday magic:

The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade runs down Ben Franklin Parkway, loops past the museums and hotels, and gives you plenty of smart places to watch, sip, warm up, or sneak in a parade day brunch. Here’s where to spend your Thanksgiving morning:

If there’s one snack that really captures Philadelphia’s personality, it’s the humble soft pretzel. Warm mustard, a sprinkle of salt, maybe a cheese dip if you’re feeling fancy… it’s a love language.

Pretzels and beer are food-based soulmates with deep roots in German tradition, but Philadelphia has taken that classic combo and made it its own. Here’s where to enjoy some of the city’s best pairing moments.

As the holiday season begins to sparkle across Philadelphia, Walnut Garden has transformed into a glowing winter dreamland. Walnut Wonderland, the pop-up holiday experience at 1708 Walnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, officially opened recently and it’s already becoming the city’s coziest destination for festive fun.

If you’ve ever dreamed of stepping inside your favorite Netflix show to dodge Demogorgons, share cocktails with the Bridgerton crowd, or tempt fate in Squid Game (minus the deadly stakes), your moment has finally arrived.

No plans and the clock’s ticking? You can still piece together a great Halloween night in Philadelphia. Here are a few solid options still available to amp up the spookiest day of the year.

Philadelphia’s favorite wine bar with dive bar swagger has a new zip code. After a 2022 fire shuttered the original spot, Wine Dive is finally reopening in Rittenhouse at 1534 Sansom Street, with a fresh room, a retail bottle shop, and a calendar already stacked with classes and guest pours.

If you want guaranteed vibes on Halloween week, and not lines and guesswork, check out four of our top picks across the city.

Philadelphia doesn’t just do Halloween, it decorates every corner and mixes it with smoke, neon, and a healthy line outside the door. Here’s a smart, walkable way to turn the city’s most photogenic pop-ups and bars into a crawl that feels festive instead of frantic.

Philadelphia does spooky season with extra flair. Walk a few blocks in Center City or Old City and you will pass skeletons hanging from ceilings, neon cobwebs, and cocktail lists that bubble and smoke. This year’s Halloween takeovers run the spectrum from circus-y creepy beer gardens to sky-high lounges, with a handful of immersive shows that turn your drink order into part of the plot.

Walk down Wolf Street and you can’t miss the Bomb Bomb neon buzzing like it never left. Inside, it’s the South Philly time warp you want, with bartenders who actually look you in the eye, couples sharing plates, a little sports-bar hum up front, and in the back, a seafood spread that feels like a family feast.

You don’t need a $22 price tag to get a chilled stem, a proper garnish, and a room with some romance. If you time your stops (hello, happy hour) and know where to land, you can sip classic, dirty, and espresso martinis for $15 or less.

Below, two easy routes with specific windows, plus what to order and how each spot scores on the three things that actually matter: glassware, garnish game, and vibe.

Most happy hours surrender at six. Not these. From whiskey sours under neon to midnight margs and slice-night steals, here’s where Philadelphia keeps the party priced right after prime time.

When you don’t want to leave dinner behind but aren’t quite ready for just a coffee, Philadelphia’s cocktail and dessert culture collide in some amazing and indulgent ways. Open your mind to creamy sips, chocolate drizzles, sweet liqueurs, and presentation moments that feel like dessert on their own. Here are bars and restaurants where after-dinner drinks straddle the line between cocktail and dessert perfectly.

If you want to take your night out to another level – skip the lines, have plush seats, and pop bottles without a worry, you know the drill—Philadelphia has some nightclubs that deliver top-tier VIP and bottle service. Below are venues worth knowing, what makes them special, and tips to get the most out of your VIP experience.

Philadelphia has always been a sports town. Eagles chants echo through subway cars, Flyers jerseys show up in line at Wawa, and you can’t walk two blocks without bumping into someone ready to argue stats. But here’s the thing: until now, women’s sports fans in Philadelphia haven’t had a space that’s truly theirs.

That’s changing, and it’s about time. Across the country, women’s sports bars are popping up as hubs of energy, inclusivity, and community. And Philadelphia, never one to sit on the sidelines, is finally joining the movement in a big way.