March 06, 2025
Provided image/Gab Bonghi
Jansen is one of the 13 spots offering deals for Mt. Airy Restaurant Week. Its tuna bon bon is pictured above.
There are two ways to appreciate animals in Philadelphia this weekend, one of which promises a new fuzzy friend.
In honor of March Madness, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society is offering prospective pet parents the chance to name their adoption fees on certain dogs and cats. It's called "Match Madness" and it's running through Sunday. Animal lovers can also learn about endangered species — and snap photos with a giant ferret statue — at the Philadelphia Zoo's latest exhibit.
Proud puppy haters, there's stuff for you, too. Mt. Airy restaurants, cafes, cideries and scoop shops are offering specials for the neighborhood's restaurant week, and the Arden Theatre Co. is staging an August Wilson classic directed by Philadelphia's buzziest playwright. Binge-watching TV is also a valid weekend plan, and luckily, there's a new Philly crime comedy waiting on Hulu.
After passing through Center City, East Passyunk and Northern Liberties, restaurant week has hit Northwest Philly. Mt. Airy is getting in on the action with a new promotion running Sunday through Saturday, March 15. Each of the 13 establishments participating is offering a custom deal. Customers can order prix fixe menus at places like Bar Lizette, Young American Cider and Tosaka Restaurant & Brewery. At Malelani Cafe and Jansen, each purchase comes with a free side or dessert. Flights of sourdough bread and ice cream are available at Downtime Bakery and Zsa's Ice Cream, respectively.
James Ijames, the Philadelphia playwright who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022 for "Fat Ham," is taking on the work of another Pulitzer laureate at the Arden Theatre Company. Ijames is directing a production of "King Hedley II," one of the 10 plays in August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle. That series chronicles the Black experience in America through each decade of the 20th century. "King Hedley II" takes on the 1980s through the eyes of a man returning from prison and attempting to rebuild his life. It is playing at the Old City theater through March 23.
PAWS is getting in the NCAA Tournament spirit with a thematic adoption special. Now through Sunday, the shelter is letting people name their own fees for certain pets for "Match Madness." The animals looking for homes include some of the longest residents at PAWS, like Choco Taco the cat.
A new exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo teaches visitors about endangered species — and lets them scale a few, too. The Fairmount Park attraction recently welcomed the traveling Second Chance at Survival display, a collection of sculptures of threatened animals. The 13 creatures depicted were "pushed to the brink of extinction" but recovered thanks to conservation efforts. Visitors can climb and pose with the super-sized statues; the menagerie includes a bald eagle, crested gecko, red panda, snow leopard and black-footed ferret, among others.
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