5 Things to Add to Your October To-Do List

Here’s our essential roundup of fall fun in the City of Brotherly Love.

STAGE Broadway is back in Philadelphia, and it’s only fitting that Hamilton would usher in the long-awaited 2021-2022 season (kimmelculturalcampus.org). Lin Manuel-Miranda’s electric, hip-hop-infused interpretation of Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography of the Founding Father and first treasury secretary takes place at the Academy of Music, Oct. 20 to Nov. 28. This will be the first show staged at the Grand Old Lady of Locust Street since the pandemic. While performances of Hamilton are taking place across the world, Philly is the only city where you can see the show and then see where Hamilton actually lived at 226 Walnut St. Think of it as the room where some of it happened.

SPRINT Nothing says fall in Philadelphia like the Blue Cross Broad Street Run (broadstreetrun.com), which returns Oct. 10. Consistently ranked as one of the top races in the nation, the 10-mile course stretches from North Philly to the Navy Yard, straight down the city’s most iconic street. Started in 1980, the race has swelled from around 1,500 participants in the first year to over 40,000 runners from around the world.

SKIN Not all skincare is created equal—especially when it comes to the booming men’s skincare category. Enter Young Buck Skin (youngbuckskin.com), a Main Line-based startup focused on clean, small-batch products that target the unique concerns of the male mug. The growing range of skin-and bodycare products includes essential salves like Rugged No. 9 tobacco leather body wash, Sexy No. 6 Forest Spice beard softening oil and Unnecessary Roughness skin soothing balm.

SEE With over 4,000 public murals, it’s impossible to walk very far in Philly and not cross paths with one of these towering masterpieces. October’s Mural Arts Month (muralarts.org) celebrates the world-famous program around this year’s theme of resilience. In addition to panel discussions, artist spotlights and walking mural tours, there will be celebrations for two new works, “Point of Triangulation” and “Declaration Redaction.” Both projects were created by renowned interdisciplinary artists impacted by the justice system, part of Mural Arts Philadelphia’s ongoing Reimagining Reentry initiative.

Now-In-Philadelphia

SIP Sonny’s Cocktail Joint (sonnyscocktailjoint.com) is the latest stop along the bustling bar-hopping strip that is 15th and South streets. It’s the newest spot in a string of hospitality hits—Hawthorne’s, Wine Dive and Quick Sip—from husband-and-wife duo Chris Fetfatzes and Heather Annechiarico. Their throwback-style concept is centered on New American favorites and signature libations for a come-as-you-are neighborhood crowd: Slip into an old-school red booth, sample a signature tiki-style Boat Drink (we like the rum-and-orange-based Hawaiian Shirt) and order up the steak tartare, wagyu hot dog and hoagie salad. Don’t forget to check out the airy, plant-filled covered back patio, preferably for one more cocktail.