🌸 Your guide to Philly in April

🧹 Street Sweeping Returns

Heads up! Mechanical street cleaning begins for the season today. The program doesn’t cover the whole city, but it will continue to serve the 14 neighborhoods it served in the past few years, and seven of those cleaning zones have been expanded. [Inquirer 🔒]

• You can check the cleaning schedule and locations and learn more about parking restrictions here. Fines for parking in restricted areas start April 29. [City of Philadelphia]

🏥 Health Care Limbo for Medicaid Patients at CHOP

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has yet to hash out new contracts with Keystone First and AmeriHealth Caritas PA, two of the region’s biggest Medicaid insurers. The hospital has been warning patients and families that their insurance may no longer be accepted at the system after June 30. [WHYY]

📝 Philly Accounts for Almost 10% of U.S. Exonerations

A new report found that 15 of the 153 exonerations across the nation in 2023 happened in Philadelphia. Why? Criminal justice advocates partially credit District Attorney Larry Krasner’s focus on overturning wrongful convictions. [City & State PA]

• Hear from the attorney of a Philadelphian whose murder conviction was overturned about the cost of wrongful convictions, and Krasner’s push for more exonerations. [City Cast Philly 🎧]

From cherry blossoms to the solar eclipse to Wrestlemania, April is jam-packed with things to celebrate and do in Philadelphia. To help you fill your social calendar, the team at City Cast Philly has curated a list of ways you can have fun in and around Philly this month.

Be Entertained

• 🎭 Catch a show (or two or three) put on by a local theater company during Philly Theatre Week. Offerings range from a one-act “anti-bully” musical to an improvised live reading of “National Treasure.” (April 4–14, Multiple Locations, Pay What You Wish)
• 🪩 Hit up Franky Bradley’s for “Snatcherella 3000 Battle of the Seasons: Dueling Diva,” a competitive drag and burlesque show you are not likely to forget. (April 10, 8–11 p.m., Gayborhood, $12)

Taste Something New

• 😋 Try to grab a spot at Kampar, a long-anticipated Malaysian restaurant run by chef Ange Branca that just opened last month in Bella Vista.
• 🍽️ Make a reservation at one of two dozen restaurants across the region that are participating in Dine Latino Week. You get a free appetizer or dessert when you purchase two dinner entrees. (April 7–13, Multiple Locations)

Enjoy the Outdoors

• 🌒 Grab some protective eyewear and view the partial solar eclipse. Stay tuned for a list of safety tips and watch parties in tomorrow’s edition of Hey Philly! (April 8, 2:08–4:35 p.m.)
• 🍕 Eat your heart out and shop ‘til you drop at a neighborhood food festival. This month, you can check out the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival (April 21, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.) or East Passyunk’s Flavors on the Ave (April 28, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.).
• 💃 Take an open-air salsa lesson, and dance and socialize afterward. The best part? It’s totally free! Though donations are appreciated. (April 26, 7:30–11:30 p.m., FDR Park Boathouse)

Embrace Wrestlemania

Philly is about to host professional wrestling’s biggest event of the year. Wrestlemania 40 is projected to draw 200,000 people to the city for a multi-day, multi-event extravaganza. Continue reading on our website for ways to get into the fun, beyond just the official events.

Your Guide to April in Philly

These are the best things to do in Philly this month, no foolin’. Tune in to learn about upcoming street festivals, new restaurants to try, and free events from salsa classes to board game rentals. City Cast Philly podcast host Trenae Nuri, executive producer Laura Benshoff, producer Abby Fritz, and Hey Philly newsletter editor Asha Prihar each share their recommendations for things to do, and then vote for the best picks among them.