Top 10 Events for Philadelphia Families This Weekend (January 28-30, 2022)

Have a wintry weekend to remember with these can't-miss events in and around Philadelphia.

January 25, 2022

Ready to enjoy some one-of-a-kind events in Philadelphia this weekend? Grab your hats & gloves and get ready for a weekend full of family activities! And don’t let the fun stop there — plan ahead for February by checking out the Philadelphia Family calendar of events.

Looking for weekend activities in Bucks County or around The Main Line instead? Take a look at our calendars for Bucks County Parent and Main Line Parent for activities in areas outside the city.

REMINDER: Nominations for The Philadelphia Family LOVE Awards are now open until February 16! Make your voice heard by nominating a local business or nonprofit organization that you love. Please take 5-10 minutes to reflect on the organization you want to nominate and how they made a quality difference in your life during the past year. We encourage you to make nominations based on the area you live in and where you like to go with your family. Visit this page to learn more about how to nominate the business of your choice or click here to fill out the nomination form now.

Top Ten Things To Do With Your Kids This Weekend

Keep reading to check out our top 10 favorite events taking place in the Philly area from Friday, January 28 until Sunday, January 30.

All Weekend/Multiple Days

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

January 28-30

Academy of Music – 240 S Broad Street, Philadelphia

philly family events — Kahlia Campbell, Photo by Andrew Eccles

Celebrating over 60 years of unparalleled artistry, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater never fails to remind us of the power of dance to bring people together. These dancers dazzle with their trademark technical brilliance and passionate energy and bring audiences to their feet at every performance. The ground-breaking, forward-thinking company returns with new and classic works, including founder Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece Revelations, the “Ailey gift that somehow keeps on giving” (The New York Times).

Chestnut Hill On Ice

January 28 & 29, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Chestnut Hill Business District – 8426 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia

Chestnut Hill on Ice returns! ❄️

Grab your mittens and scarf and head to Chestnut Hill on Ice on January 28 and 29 for unique ice-themed attractions, including a pop-up iceless ice skating rink, ice bar, and live ice carvings.

Enjoy dozens of ice carvings along Germantown Avenue, live demonstrations, and work from world-renowned ice sculptor Peter Slavin and his team from Ice Sculpture Philly, with additional cold-weather activities.

There will be plenty of restaurants and retail specials for those looking for cozy comforts, including chili, hot drinks, and adult beverages. There will also be live music and other pop-up activities.

Art Star CRAP Bazaar

January 29 & 30, 11:00am – 5:00 pm

The Bourse Food Hall – 111 S Independence Mall E, Philadelphia

This fundraising event is a quirky take on the Art Star CRAFT Bazaar, with over 20 of the regular crafters selling off their “seconds” at huge discounts. Artists will be selling items that didn’t quite make the cut, samples, one offs, and items that are slightly “off” but still awesome, for a great price.

The CRAP Bazaar aims to support artists and help the Philadelphia community. Art Star is donating 25% of all profits that are made directly to two local PA non-profit, ACLU of Pennsylvania and Modest Transitions: A Home for Inclusion & Healing, a local and sustainable black-owned small business by textile designer Melanie Hasan who is on a mission to open a brick and mortar in Fishtown, Philadelphia.

The Art Star CRAP Bazaar is free to attend. Masks are required inside the food hall, unless seated and actively eating or drinking.

Friday, January 28

Sixers Family Fun Night

January 28, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Deptford Mall – 1750 Deptford Center Road, Deptford, NJ

Come out for Sixers Family Fun Night! Public Signing with 76ers Tyrese Maxey from 6 – 7:30PM. Tickets Required. Guest Emcee 76ers Public Announcer Matt Cord.

Meet 76ers Mascot Franklin the Dog and Enjoy Family Fun Activities from 5:30 – 7:30PM:

Face Painting, Balloon Sculpting, Magic, Games & Prizes

Saturday, January 29

Groundhog Day Celebration

January 29, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum – 8601 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia

philly family weeken — Photo by John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge Facebook

Will Tinicum Tim come out of his burrow and see his shadow? Join a family-friendly celebration of winter wildlife that includes a live animal presentation, a story walk, ranger-led walks, live music, refreshments, and crafts!

January Kids Club Snow Owl Watercolor/Oil Pastel

January 29, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm

The Tacony LAB Community Arts Center – 6918 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia

One day workshop! Parents may accompany their child provided we have space, but should not register themselves for the class.

The Tacony LAB’s classes are unique in Philadelphia: they do not charge tuition or any sort of fees for any of their classes.

Their classes are popular and often have wait-lists. If you enroll in a class, please commit to attending it!

Free Intro Class: Building Blocks FUNdamental Music Theory for Kids (ages 5-8)

January 29, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Temple University Center City – 1515 Market Street, Philadelphia

This is a great opportunity to learn more about the class and meet the teacher.This fun and stimulating class is a must for the young singer or instrumentalist. Students will build a strong foundation of listening and performing skills through singing, rhythmic movement, tonal and rhythmic patterns through the Gordon Music Learning Theory, learning to read basic musical notation, and strengthen their aural skills to match pitch using the Kodály system of hand signals and solfege syllables.

Lunar New Year

January 29, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Dilworth Park – 1 S 15th Street, Philadelphia

Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink visitors are invited to celebrate Lunar New Year! Sponsored by Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communications, guests are invited to celebrate Lunar New Year with a prancing lion, traditional Chinese dancers and a delicious menu in the Rothman Orthopaedics Cabin. Ice skating sessions will be available throughout the evening.

Sunday, January 30

Mommy & Me Artsy Tea

January 30, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Primp & Play Family Spa – 1520 Locust Street, Floor 2, Philadelphia

Get artsy with a Mommy & Me Tea event! Ticket is for an adult and child to paint tea shaped flower pots together, sip tea and enjoy a sweet treat. Children will also receive a manicure while adult receives a keratin hand treatment. (additional child ticket $20)

Cirque Mechanics: Birdhouse Factory

January 30, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Penn Live Arts – 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

Hailed as “the greatest contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil” (Spectacle Magazine), Cirque Mechanics returns with the Philadelphia premiere of Birdhouse Factory, where a group of 1930’s workers are brought together by the most unlikely of events. Enjoy breathtaking acrobatics, zany antics and an enchanting story of laughter, joy and, of course, birdhouses. Inspired by American ingenuity and all things mechanical, Birdhouse Factory is “exceptional, evocative, eye-catching, ear-catching and, to keep the list short, engrossingly entertaining.” (The New York Times)

We hope you have a great family weekend in Philadelphia!