Next up.. CRAWL FOR THE CUP

Cinco Express is not a very laissez-faire situation.

Well… it is.

But if you don’t have at least a loose game plan, you’re going to blink and realize you’ve been at the same bar for three hours while the rest of Philadelphia is already on round six somewhere else.

The goal is to ride the wave without getting stuck too early, and here’s how to actually do that.

We’re just a few weeks out from Cinco de Mayo, a entire day situation that turns into a night, and if you play it right, you barely have to plan anything. The city is stacked this year with bar crawls, DJ sets, taco spots, and outdoor hangs that all connect if you move through them the right way.

A reservation spreadsheet is simply not necessary four Saturdays out of the month.Some days are better when you start with one decent idea and just let Philadelphia do the rest, and this weekend is especially good for that. There’s a farmers market block party in Northern Liberties, Panda Fest at Dilworth Park, and Parks on Tap is back at Azalea Garden in Fairmount Park, which means the city is handing you a loose itinerary already.

There’s a moment that happens in these rooms where – once the music changes – nobody talks for a second, and you realize… everyone is actually listening.

It’s a different kind of night out. And right now in Philadelphia, it’s quietly becoming one of the best ones you can have.

There’s always been a weird gap in Philly nightlife.

Thursday through Saturday? Packed. Sunday? Depends. Monday to Wednesday? You’re probably heading home.

But the city is trying to change that. Enter Weeknights Live, a city backed push that’s turning the nights on the earlier side of the week into a day that can hold actual plans instead of placeholders.

This week handed Philadelphia its annual “get outside” starter pack. Bok Bar reopened today, Thursday, April 9, with its South Philly rooftop, skyline views, drinks, food, and its usual warm weather pull. Liberty Garden is back for the season at Independence Mall, stocked to the gills hammocks and Pennsylvania beer and wine near the Liberty Bell. And Parks on Tap kicked off its 2026 run at Azalea Garden starting Wednesday, April 8, with the roaming beer garden once again turning city park space into actual plans.

We have finally entered that stretch of the year where nobody wants to be inside.

The second the weather hits somewhere above you-don’t-need-a-coat weather, the world (a.k.a our country, Philadelphia) starts moving again. And with that being said, happy hour again feels like something to look forward to, and suddenly every bar with outdoor seating becomes the place to be.

These are some of the best outdoor spots that combine happy hour with the outdoor time we so desperately crave.

Get ready to unleash your inner party spirit because Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, and Philadelphia is gearing up for an epic celebration like no other. After the resounding success of the Erin Express, we're thrilled to announce the inaugural Cinco Express on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026!

Every so often, a new bar opens in Philadelphia and you can immediately tell it is about to become part of the regular rotation. Not in a forced, overhyped way, but more in that way where it suddenly starts showing up everywhere. Someone drops it in the group chat. You see it on Instagram stories two weekends in a row, and just like that, it is on your list.