May is blooming with exciting events in Philadelphia parks

Beautiful spring weather means Parks & Rec's sites are bursting with great activities. Celebrate your neighborhood park by participating in Love Your Park Week. It runs from May 11 to May 19. More than 100 Philly parks need your help. Come plant flowers, tend trees, and collect leaves for compost.

Besides some great outdoor events, Mother's Day is coming up. Celebrate by attending FOW's Backyard Bash, a performance or participating in an art workshop.

See the list below for a sampling of the events hosted by our staff and partners this month.

Please note: events may be canceled or postponed due to bad weather. Be sure to check the links below to confirm date, time, and location.

No-sew Pillow and Screen-Printing Workshop

May 2, 2024
7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Glen Foerd-5001 Grant Avenue, 19114.

Come create no-sew pillows and try your hands at screen printing. All materials will be provided. Come get creative. Register on Glen Foerd's website.

Friends of Rittenhouse Square presents The Philadelphia Ballet

May 2, 2024
5:45 p.m.
7:15 p.m.
Rittenhouse Square-1800 Walnut Street, 19103.

Friends of Rittenhouse will host two free public performances with the Philadelphia Ballet. Two performances will be held 5:45 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Rate date is May 3, 2024. Learn more on Facebook.

Spring Blooms

May 4, 2024
12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Harrowgate Park-3455 Kensington Avenue, 10134.

Celebrate spring. Enjoy food and drinks, music, and get a free garden seed starter kit. Organized by Friends of Harrowgate Park. See details on Facebook.

Drawing from the Water: Inspiration from the Delaware River

May 5, 2024
12 to 2 p.m.
Lardner's Point Park- 5202 Levick Street, 19135.

Organized by The Tacony LAB Community Center.Get outside and make some art. Barb Baur will lead a landscape drawing class. Register for this free class on Eventbrite.

Free Fishing

May 8, 2024
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Bartram's Garden-5400 Lindbergh Boulevard, 19143.

Reel in the fun! Come fish for free. No experience is necessary. Free rods, tackle, bait, and basic instruction. Catch and release only. No fishing license or registration required. Learn more on their website.

Backyard Bash 100thAnniversary Celebration

May 10, 2024
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Valley Green Inn-Valley Green Road at Wissahickon, 19134.

Organized by Friends of Wissahickon.Enjoy catfish and waffles, live music, family-friendly activities, and more. Buy tickets and register now.

Comic Book Day

May 11, 2024
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
East Passyunk Community Center-1025 Mifflin Street, 19148.

Get ready for a super-powered day. Enjoy a fun-filled day of comics and superheroes. Meet Captain America. The first one hundred children will receive a free comic book. Don't forget to come dressed up as your favorite character. See more details on Facebook.

Science for Seniors: Love Your Park

May 15, 2024
1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Pennypack Environmental Center -8600A Verree Road, 19115.

Come celebrate LYP Week by planting flowers at the center and some to take home. Register for this free event.

Canoe and Conservation

May 18, 2024
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Discovery Center-3401 Reservoir Drive, 19121.

Come search for flora and fauna while you paddle in the Strawberry Mansion Reservoir. Visit their website for more information.

Open Boating Day

May 19, 2024
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Glen Foerd-5001 Grant Avenue, 19114.

Take out a canoe, rowboat, or kayak. Come explore parts of the Poquessing Creek and Delaware River. Meet behind the carriage house. Learn more on Glen Foerd's website.

Sketching and painting in the Wissahickon

May 22, 2024
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Meet at Harper's Meadow-located between Northwestern Avenue, Germantown Avenue, and Forbidden Drive.

Organized by the Friends of the Wissahickon. Bring a chair or a blanket, as well as a sketchbook, portable easel, and/or materials for painting. There will be no formal art instruction. No previous painting or sketching experience is necessary. Register for this free event on FOW's website.

Star Players presents "Anything Goes"

May 31 to June 2, 2024
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Venice Island Performing Arts and Recreation Center-1 Rector Street, 19127.

The S. S. American is sailing between New York and England with a comically colorful assemblage of passengers. Reno Sweeney is a popular nightclub singer and former evangelist. Billy Crocker is a lovelorn Wall Street broker. He wants to win the favor of Hope Harcourt. There is only one problem. She is engaged to another passenger, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh. See more details.

Reoccurring events in May

Yoga in the Park

May 5, 12, and 19, 2024
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Lemon Hill Mansion-1 Lemon Hill Drive, 19130.

Find your peaceful place in Fairmount Park. Come meet new people on the lawn in front of Lemon Hill Mansion. Buy tickets.

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