Disclaimer: if you or someone you know is struggling with an alcohol addiction, please do not refer to this page as a way to cure or treat the addiction. This title is merely for comedic purposes to reflect that there is more to life than drinking.

With that out of the way, Philly has a wide variety of bars for anyone with a specific taste or no aesthetic. But what is there to do beyond spending your money on useless covers and pricey poorly poured cocktails. Well, in Philly, plenty! However, there is just so much to do that it can become overwhelming on what to decide. And as someone who is going sober for the time being, I wanted to help myself out and putting all my ideas in one place. Some of the activities below can range from no cost to low cost so that’s a plus as well!

Philly Film Society (PFS)

Drop the overpriced movie tickets and overpriced concession stands! I know I know “AMC has really comfortable seats”…and that’s all they really have. Philadelphia Film Society has charm, nostalgia, lower prices, and better variety of movies! So if you’re sick of seeing those movie reprises with the same ten actors check out the PFS for some hidden gems. I just made the move a couple months ago, deleted my AMC app and never looked back. I could not be more happy about my choice. Another plus about the local movie theater, the staff there are super nice and huge into movies so they’ll let you know if there is an end credit scene that you should stick around for. Oh! I almost forgot! Theater etiquette is enforced here so no yappy, short attention spanned adults to ruin your experience.

Philadelphia Film Society still holds new releases, I saw The Substance, Mickey 17, and Sinners here recently actually. But they also hold festivals which currently looks like they had the Springfest in April at the PFS East theater. Then they had the 33rd Philadelphia Film Festival in October which spans over 11 days all over center city and includes happy hours, dance parties, merchandise, and with of course artisan films.

Picnic in the Park

No, nobody thinks you’re weird for doing it, I go alone to picnic in Rittenhouse all the time! Philly has a wide variety of parks to bask in the well maintained greenery and never ending sunlight. Some that I recommend are Washington Square, Rittenhouse, Franklin Square, and Belmont Plateau (which is out of center city, but holds the most iconic skyline view of Philly.) So grab an old blanket or towel, or even splurge and get a picnic specific blanket with extra padding! Then you can either grab some snacks, make some simple cold cut sandwiches paired with chips of your choosing, or even pick up some food from your favorite restaurant!

If you so wish you can also make a quick stop at a local convenience store or you closest 5 and below for a frisbee, volleyball or any other fun outdoor activities they may have! You can also create your own activities like a scavenger hunt, fishbowl, or bring a pack of cards. Really try to think what the child version of you would really want to indulge in.

Here is a list of some things I recommend to bring when doing a picnic:

• Your area (blanket, towel, picnic specific blanket)
• Napkins
• Untensils
• Water (bring whatever other drink you wish, but remember you’ll be outside for most of the day!)
• Activity (book, sports equipment, pen, and paper)
• Jacket/sweatshirt in case you’re outside in the evening
• Bring plenty to eat throughout the day
• Ice packs to keep whatever you need cool
• Hand Sanitizer

Museums

Okay, so if you want to, Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) does have a pay what you wish on every first Sunday of the month and Friday evening’s lounge admission is only $15. But if you have seen the PMA in every season and style, then maybe we can switch it up a bit! There are free museums all over Philly which include the Fabric museum which I’ve written about before. There is a completely different type of museum, the Science History Institute which is also free and located on 3rd and Chestnut, which is around the corner from Red Owl Tavern and PJ Clarkes.

But if you are looking for something really in center city with the same vibes as the PMA (which nobody can really match), I recommend the Barnes Foundation which starts at $30 but they also have a pay what you wish on every first Sunday of the month. Or the Rodin Museum which you can get free access too when you purchase and general admission to the PMA or just pay $15 to just go to Rodin. Also! If you are a student in Philly, you may be able to get really good discounts for the places that make you pay.

Try a new Restaurant

Please keep comments to thy self for now, these places can be expensive, I know. But if you so decide to make the very unstable decision to visit Philly in the summer, I’ve got news! You’ll be able to try one or multiple restaurants during Philly’s annual Sip’s tradition! All summer long Philly has a city wide happy hour on Wednesday’s starting at 4pm. Select restaurants also partake with not just reimagined cocktails, but also with a preselected menu of some of their most popular items.

If you can’t wait till summer, you can also visit during Philadelphia’s Restaurant week which happens twice a year. The dates look like they change every year or so, but we just had one from January to February in 2025 and I would assume sometime again near the end of the summer. This event also has select participating restaurants with a special menu to showcase their most popular or culturally inspired dishes. They have a ton of options for courses:

• $40 dinner menu which includes a starter, a main, and a dessert.
• $60 dinner menu which includes a starter, a main, and a dessert. (This would usually be seen at higher end restaurants)
• $20 lunch menu can include a starter and a main OR a starter and a dessert.
• Takeout of any of the above opitions

Some restaurants will have all options available and some will have one or the other so check out the website for further information on each restaurant! It’s a great way to try new restaurants but to also challenge your pallet by picking from the limited menus. And if you bring a couple friends, you could basically get one of everything on the menu to try a little bit of each dish.

Festivals/Farmers Markets

Honestly, what I think Philly is really well known for is it’s iconic Rittenhouse Farmers Market, which I love to go to every so often to indulge in fresh produce and poultry. They also include some pop up tents for restaurants which helps keep your energy up. And in the Spring and Fall they hold a bi-annual artist event to buy locally made jewelry, photography, art, and wooden kitchen essentials. If you’re looking for something a little smaller Jefferson, Penn, and Drexel have their own farmers markets from time to time.

There is also one of Philly’s main stadiums, The Mann, which has a massive concession area and three different stages. It is outside of Center City but is one of my favorite stadiums with the main stage being rain or shine because it has a roof, but also comes with a really nice breeze. They hold lots of different events here, main one being festivals which mostly occur in the Spring-Summer. They actually used to host Sad Summer (which is tragically not playing in 2025 since they main headliner is going on tour) but its super fun! They have a wide variety of concessions stands and joined the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in selling whole bottles of wine. So there is something for everyone. And then in the upper field area of the Mann there was the merchandise table and other fun activities.

Last place I recommend, right in the heart of Philly, Dilworth Park. Which is basically City Hall, but Dilworth always has a number of events taking place rain, shine, snow, or falling leaves there is something for everyone! Some of their biggest events is the Philadelphia Winter Festival which is just always so magical and inviting. They have heavily inspired German foods such as fresh bratwurst, potato pancakes, schnitzel, and so much more. But most importantly, they have the absolutely talented artists local to Philly sell their wares. So if you’re lacking ideas on Christmas gifts, you can get tons of inspiration from here. Then of course they also have a Spring Philadelphia Marketplace with the same idea of local artist, but I haven’t been to it yet so that is something I’ll have to try soon! So if you live in an apartment building or locally to Philly you can usually pick this pamphlet up. Or you can always go to their website.

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful day!