Summer in the city

Philadelphia is destined to get loud, proud, and full of color this weekend, because Philly Pride lands once again in our fair city.

Okay, is the sun on vacation? Because this rain has been nonstop. Soggy socks, cancelled plans, and the kind of weather that makes you question whether whatever you’re about to do is really worth it. But just because the skies are stuck on “moody” doesn’t mean your social life has to be.

If you’re climbing the walls and desperate for something fun to do that isn’t staring out the window like you’re in a sad music video, we’ve got a few ideas in mind.

Here’s how to enjoy Philadelphia, rain or not.

Making new friends, or flirty “what are we?” connections, in your mid-20s is weirdly harder than it should be. You’re too old for frat basements, too young for wine tastings with strangers, and no one wants to feel like they’re in an awkward networking event with cocktails. So…where do you go to experience meeting people that actually feels natural? These Philadelphia bars make it super easy to mingle.

Start your engines, Philadelphia, for real racing vibes, no driving skills required. The highly anticipated F1 Arcade is opening next week at 13th and Chestnut, and it’s bringing an entirely new kind of nightlife experience to the city. F1 Arcade takes the heart-pounding excitement of Formula 1 racing and drops it into a futuristic, neon doused lounge where the bar is just as important as the finish line.

Prepare your stomachs for one of Philadelphia’s most loved springtime traditions:the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival, happening this weekend, May 17 and 18, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stretching across seven blocks of South Philly, this free, open air event celebrates over a century of culture, cuisine, and community in the nation’s oldest continuously operating outdoor market.  

Philadelphia’s cocktail scene is having a moment, and we’re here for it. With so many inventive takes on classics to bold, unexpected flavor combinations, these are the drinks you need to sip on ASAP.

Philadelphia is a city that lives and breathes basketball, especially when the NBA Playoffs roll around. Regardless if you’re a die-hard Sixers fan (even if that’s been tough this season) or just in it for the buzzer-beaters and beer specials, Philadelphia’s sports bars deliver quite the game night experience. 

Philadelphia’s nightlife can act as a time machine to your favorite music eras. With nights dedicated to genres that span 90s hip-hop throwbacks to disco fever dream dance floors, this city knows how to throw a themed party. Here’s where to relive the best beats of every decade and vibe.

You conquered the Cinco Express bar crawl. You danced, you drank tequila that may or may not have been necessary, and your phone’s camera roll is already a little concerning. But now it’s getting late, and the energy’s still high. Good news: Philadelphia’s Mexican bars aren’t done partying either.

We love a margarita — truly, we do. But some of us hit our salt and sugar rim limits and never looked back. If you’re planning to hit the town this Cinco de Mayo and you’re not exactly a “blended mango marg with a sugar rim” kind of person… we got you.

Philadelphia’s going all out this Cinco, and so are we. Cinco Express, our signature bar crawl, is rolling through the city on Saturday, May 3rd. But before you get wristbanded and wild, you’ll want to know what to order once you pull up to the bar.