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City Cast Philly

Keep It Local by City Cast Philly features spotlights on local businesses we love and personal, curated, and neighborly recommendations that will help you live your best Philly life right now. So, if you’re ready to ditch the national chains, e-commerce giants, and big box stores,

 sign up now for the new weekly newsletter from City Cast Philly.

Sign up for Keep It Local from City Cast Philly

Marie Albiges

Your farmers market is covered. Now, where do you go to get your pumpkin fix before Halloween?

 has turned Liberty Point on the Penn’s Landing waterfront into a pumpkin-filled fall attraction, with locally sourced pumpkins, spooky photo ops, carnival games, and even a pumpkin-smashing zone. Open through Nov. 2.

 in Chestnut Hill is featuring its annual 

 through Oct. 31. General admission to the gardens also gets you access to the scarecrow walk, a Hagrid-style cottage covered in pumpkins, and of course, all the fall foliage you could ever want.

 in Bucks County. Its Pumpkin Festival runs on weekends through Oct. 25, with tractor hayrides to the pumpkin patch, pumpkins available to buy, and rotating live music. Admission and parking are free.

Where to Pick Up a Pumpkin in the Philadelphia Area

Where to Pick Up a Pumpkin in Philly (and Beyond)

Keep It Local

There’s a farmers market in Philadelphia for nearly every day of the week, from a midweek stop in Old City to a Sunday stroll through Society Hill.

This Tuesday market around the square is considered a producer-only market, with vendors selling edible or drinkable goods they grow or make locally or regionally. If you miss a Tuesday, you have another chance to go on Saturdays.

Located one block away from the site of Philadelphia’s original 18th-century farmers market on High Street (now Market Street), this Wednesday market in Old City is in its 14th season and is run by 

, a performance venue. Local vendors include Milk Moon Farm, Cherry Grove Farm, Mt. Crystal, and Honey Brook Harvest Collective.

The year-round farmers market, located across from Eastern State Penitentiary, has been running since 2004 and is heavy on the 

. You can also stock up on seasonal produce, local honey, fresh-cut flowers, and specialty goods from rotating vendors.

Located at W.B. Saul Agricultural High School on Henry Avenue in Roxborough, this farm market, run by 

and Saturdays. The produce is harvested at Weavers Way Farms, and the 

farms and market collaborate with the high school

 to provide educational opportunities for the students. Co-op members get a discount at the market.

Located in the Piazza Alta courtyard, this year-round market has rotating seasonal vendors and weekly events like Pilates and block parties. This Saturday is the 

from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring fitness classes, children’s activities, food trucks, vendors, and music. (And it’s dog-friendly!) 

This mostly-covered farmers market in Society Hill has been at the top of many 

 around Philly. A friend of mine does her weekly shopping here at 2nd and Lombard Streets every Sunday. With a rotation of more than 25 vendors, you can find baked goods, 

Your Guide to Shopping Philly’s Farmers Markets

Your Guide to Shopping Philly’s Farmers Markets (Almost) All Week Long 

We've tracked down Philly’s witchiest, creepiest, and most delightfully eerie shops and bars to get you ready for the spookiest night of the year.

At this South Street shop, you’ll find everyday crystals, tarot decks, smudge sticks, and gemstone bracelets. The website offers guides on everything from using 

Owner Charlie Hess makes these witchy candles out of her South Philly home. Each candle features crystals that have been charged under a full moon on a 

 (known for its ethereal glow and ability to cleanse and purify energy). The candles are made with 100% soy wax and environmentally-friendly wicks. Grab a 

, including Hound-O-Ween at Liberty Lands Park and at East Passyunk Fall Fest.

The centerpiece of this metal bar is a giant spine chandelier made of 

, and that tells you everything you need to know about why this place made the list. After you’ve ordered an 

Unholy Word cocktail with whiskey and Sangre de Cristo

 (which literally means blood of Christ), and an order of bone marrow served with garlic bread, parsley, and pickled shallots, explore Doom’s small collection of metal vinyl and its 

 upstairs. If you’re looking to get down with the likes of zombies this weekend, join Doom’s 

The medical history museum, known for its vast collection of medical and anatomical oddities, is one of the creepiest and most fascinating museums I’ve ever been to, and its little gift shop has some of the coolest posters, jewelry, and apparel (think 3D 

). A special exhibition on the medical and scientific items that 

inspired Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”

 will be on display Saturdays through Nov. 12.

Oddities abound at this shop, where you can find anything from a 

. It has a large collection of taxidermy and medical collectors' items. Owner Adam Hutter is also the owner and operator of the 

Looking for witchy, creepy, and delightfully eerie goods around Philadelphia? We've tracked down the witchiest, creepiest, and most delightfully eerie shops and bars to get you ready for the spookiest night of the year.

Where To Find Philly's Witchiest Candles, Crystals, and Curiosities

Where To Find Philly's Witchiest Candles, Crystals & Curiosities 

If you have a taste for the gothic lifestyle, horror, or the macabre, stepping foot inside 

 will bring you joy. The South Street shop is packed with gothic furniture, vintage artwork, jewelry, clutches, parasols, and 

 for people whose taste runs a little darker than the average home goods store.

, a longtime member of Philly’s goth scene, opened The DreamEerie in 2023 as a passion project. He brought on manager Jess Cyphers, whose knowledge of vintage pieces helps keep the store stocked.

Cyphers said The DreamEerie’s clientele includes anyone who has “a taste for the strange and unusual.”

“You don’t have to be gothic to come in; you just have to be open-minded and curious,” he said.

 is a specialty here, from coffee tables to bookshelves. There’s even a 

. The shop also carries taxidermy, including bugs prepared in-house, alongside 

And while the shop might feel especially appropriate in October, Halloween isn’t a seasonal affair here. “Every day is Halloween for us,” Cyphers said.

If you have a taste for the gothic lifestyle, horror, or the macabre, step inside The DreamEerie on South Street in Philadelphia.

Every Day Is Halloween at This South Street Shop

If you're looking for a little controlled terror this Halloween — whether that's getting chased through an old warehouse, wandering a former prison after dark, or investigating alleged paranormal activity along the canal — here are four places around Philly worth getting scared at.

Lincoln Mill Haunted House and Ghost Tours

This deeply story-driven, actor-heavy, immersive experience begins in a historic Main Street textile mill. As the story goes, flood damage from Hurricane Ida 

 and revealed a history of tormented workers. Co-founder Jared Bilsak told me he and fellow co-founder Brian Corcodilos created new rooms, characters, and scenes for this season.

 this year, working with paranormal investigators and psychic mediums to uncover dark stories along the Manayunk Canal and Towpath. Every guest gets an electromagnetic frequency reader to detect unusual activity on the 75-minute tour.

This 120-year-old South Philly warehouse is so scary that the director of “Terrifier 2” and “Terrifier 3” 

. The 25,000-square-foot attraction is divided into three distinct themes: Industrial Nightmare, South Side Sanatorium, and Fright Factory Unholy. I’m scared just 

Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary

The Halloween Nights immersive experience takes over Eastern State with 

 — The Crypt, Machine Shop, Big Top Terror, Nightmares, and Dark Tides — plus historic tours, bars, lounges, and live entertainment. Of course, you can always take a 

daytime guided tour of the historic prison

, which comes with some goosebump-inducing stories of its own.

The memory of walking through this creepy former hospital as a teenager will haunt me forever. And if the 

 is any indication, the theatrics, acting, makeup, sets, and props have advanced to max spooky in the last two decades. The current experience includes four attractions — Pennhurst Asylum, Pennhurst Tunnels, The Morgue, and The Catacombs — spread across the sprawling property outside of Pottstown.

Get chased through a “Terrifier” filming site, wander a former prison after dark, or hunt ghosts along the Manayunk Canal at these four frightful spots.

Best Haunted Houses in Philadelphia for Halloween 2026

4 Places To Get Very, Very Scared in Philly 

Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829 and was considered the 

first true correctional facility in America

, with Charles Dickens referring to its early-on solitary confinement practices as “

.” Before closing in 1971, the penitentiary housed thousands of inmates and saw countless brutalities, making it a 

👻 Think you know all the trivia about Fairmount’s famously scary prison? Try your knowledge in this week’s spooky Philly quiz.

Over 100 inmates escaped Eastern State, but can you name its most famous? Put your Philly history to the test before your next eerie visit to Fairmount.


Think You Know Eastern State Penitentiary? Try this Quiz.

Philly Spooky Quiz: How Well Do You Know Eastern State Penitentiary?

October officially means cozy season in Philadelphia, and there are plenty of places around the city that capture that fall feeling. Here are four spots worth venturing out for that will give you maximum coziness.

In my opinion, few cafes are cozier to find yourself in than at 

 on Ridge Avenue. With its squishy mismatched armchairs, autumnal-colored walls, and stained-glass art, it’s the perfect place to get some work done with a latte, or meet friends for a cup of tea and a board game. Eremita’s 

 sound delicious: lattes in the form of maple pistachio, orange cardamom, and pumpkin cinnamon.

What could be cozier than making candles and drinking wine? This 

 lets you wander around its “Scent Cellar” with glass in hand to sniff more than 60 fragrances and blend scents into two custom 8-ounce candles. 

 for the candle-obsessed person in your life.

Give me a rainy day and hours to kill in a bookstore anytime. It’s easy to lose track of time at 

, the Queen Village staple that boasts a quarter acre of used books across several rooms and multiple floors, often stacked halfway to the ceiling. With its wooden floors, exposed brick walls, and hand-written signs, the shop is full of little nooks and crannies and furnished with mismatched, well-worn chairs where you can settle in with a book and get lost in everything from historical fiction to self-help.

The Random Tea Room and Curiosity Shop (Northern Liberties)

While studying abroad in England more than a decade ago, I developed a daily tea ritual. 

 understands the importance of that ritual, and they’ve created a cozy space where you can slow down and enjoy an international selection of teas and herbal blends. They occasionally host events, like 

gong-fu cha, or Chinese teatime, on Oct. 18.

Looking for a warm, cozy place to enjoy an autumn afternoon? Here are four spots in Philly sure to give you maximum coziness.

Where to Spend a Cozy Fall Afternoon in Philadelphia

Where to Spend a Cozy Fall Afternoon in Philly

Stacy Morris often finds herself in unexpected places searching for treasures to stock her 

Sometimes she’s digging through cars. Other times it's flea markets. On a recent weekend, she was three floors into a four-story home in the Lehigh Valley during an estate sale when she followed her instinct to check the basement.

She found exactly what she was looking for: a collection of old wooden 

 — the wooden, often hand-painted cabinets that 19th-century Americans used for storing jams, pickles, and other food for the winter.

Morris collects these herself — she has three at home — and couldn’t wait to put this discovery in the Meadowsweet General Store. The shop is built around Morris’ vision of an early American general store, stocked with vintage workwear, flannels, and denim alongside quilts, baskets, folk art, furniture, rare books, and candles. Its setting — a 

 with indoor cobblestones, exposed brick, old fixtures, and wooden beams — only adds to the feeling that you’ve wandered into some well-curated version of the past.

Morris has been hunting down vintage since opening her first shop (in what is now the 

 kitchen) in Manayunk in 2011. She spends weekends traveling to markets and working with a network of longtime sources to fill her current Norris Square shop. She said she has developed something of a “spidey sense” for the objects she's after.

She'll sometimes spend six months to a year assembling vintage collections. Lately, her obsession has been miniature handmade log cabins.

“I stumble upon something that I'm looking for and it's almost like the universe is gifting me these things,” she said.

Stacy Morris’ three Meadowsweet picks for a cozier home:

: The mixed media and tattoo artist out of Reading will be displaying a collection of his work — repurposed found objects from the 1890s through the 1930s inspired by the aesthetics of tramp art, hobo jungles, and railroad monikers — at Meadowsweet during the month of November.

Stacy Morris stocks her store with treasures found in unexpected places. Here are the three items she thinks you need for a cozy fall season.

Philadelphia's Meadowsweet General Store is a Vintage Dream

A Philly Vintage Shop for Your ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Dreams 

NextFab is a collaborative, membership-based makerspace that provides access to tools, technology, education, events, and services to help people turn their ideas into products. The business was 

 and was originally part of the University City Science Center’s business incubator. After a stint in South Philadelphia, NextFab 

settled into its current location in Norris Square in 2020

Here are three hobbies you can pick up at NextFab:

Have you ever wanted to learn how to use consumer-grade 3D printers? Now you can, and you can pick and print a design from NextFab’s curated project files. The course will teach you how to set up the printers for clean, precise prints, as well as how to troubleshoot common issues.

You’ll finish this two-hour course with a brand new custom belt that you made yourself. Get step-by-step guidance in safe splitting, beveling, burnishing, and hand punching.

Be the most popular person in your friend group once you learn to sew, stitch, and hem on a consumer-grade sewing machine. Once you complete the course, you’ll have made your very own tote bag and can keep practicing on NextFab’s Singer home sewing machines.

NextFab is a membership-based makerspace that helps people turn ideas into products. Here are three hobbies you can pick up at NextFab.

Learn to Make Cool Things at NextFab in Philadelphia

Learn to Make Cool Things at NextFab 

We rounded up Philly spots where you can start a new hobby this fall — whether you want to make something, move your body, learn a skill, or just get really, 

✂️ For the person who wants to make things

: The fall term starts Sept. 30 at The Clay Studio, where you can sign up for a 

 in wheel-throwing or handbuilding techniques. Can’t commit to a fall semester? The South Kensington studio also offers 

 There’s a class for pretty much anything woodworking-related at this Manayunk studio. Learn how to make cutting boards, picture frames, bowls, and furniture in a group or privately. 

: With locations in Fishtown and East Falls (plus a few in the suburbs), this climbing gym has intro classes for top rope climbing and lead climbing. The 

 includes three day passes, gear rentals, and a beginner class.

, which is “for folks that have absolutely no dance experience” (like me!). The two Center City locations offer classes primarily based in contemporary Black American folkloric dance, African folkloric dance, Latin American dance, and contemporary somatic and movement culture practices.

There’s a multiverse that exists in which I’m really into board games. If I wanted to manifest that life, I’d go to 

 with games that range from Magic: The Gathering (for the strategic thinkers) to Scrabble (more my speed).

Sign up for individual or group lessons at this Germantown studio that offers multi-level lessons in guitar, bass, ukulele, keys, voice, songwriting, music production, and more. If you’re not ready to commit, you can 

Whether you want to make something, move your body, learn a skill, or just get really good at something new, here are a few places around Philly where you can create your next hobby this fall.