🏖️ Your ultimate Jersey Shore guide | Things to Do

Today’s weird, misty weather has me dreading the outdoors while still dreaming of the beach. The good news is that this week The Inquirer dropped its annual guide to getting the best out of the Jersey Shore this summer, so at least I can make some serious getaway plans. It answers all your burning questions, from best pop concerts and food destinations to where you can bring your dog and how you can get weed delivered.

This week’s lineup:

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, Email me at mailto:[email protected])

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There’s nothing like summer at the Shore. (Also, if you haven’t already, you should sign up for my colleague Amy Rosenberg’s excellent Down the Shore newsletter.) Aside from the beach and boardwalk fun, we dig into exploring Atlantic City like a local, finding good cheesesteaks, shopping in stylish boutiques, and so much more.

🎩 The expert illusionists: Celebrity magic duo Penn & Teller are back in Philadelphia today for their 50th anniversary tour, which stops at the Academy of Music. It’s a special hometown show for Teller, who grew up here and got his start busking with Penn in Headhouse Square. He told me why, after decades living in Vegas, he still identifies as a Philadelphian.

🎭 Last chance: Go see The Return of Benjamin Lay. Quintessence Theatre’s production of the one-man show about the revolutionary abolitionist Quaker with dwarfism who called out Ben Franklin ends this weekend. It’s a rousing, fascinating story akin to Hamilton.

🎈 For the kids: An attraction that calls itself the “‘world’s biggest bounce park” returns to Cherry Hill Mall this weekend with 25,000 square feet of bouncy fun.

🎹 Sounds of serenity: New Orleans-based composer Courtney Bryan maintains a deep relationship with Philadelphia and brings her stunning, genre-blending concert to the American Philosophical Society on Sunday. Her music will make you feel better.

🎤 Dinner and a show: The Rittenhouse Grill closes out its Spring season of Broadway Cabaret performances early next week with Julie Benko, who played Fanny Brice in the 2022 revival of Funny Girl. Benko will be joined by her husband Jason Yeager on piano as she shares her funny and unforgettable experiences in theater.

🖼️ Opening weekend: Today PAFA unveils its latest exhibit, “William Villalongo: Myths and Migrations,” a homecoming of sorts for the Brooklyn-based artist who grew up in Bridgeton, N.J. and attended the Tyler School. His velvety paintings need to be seen in person for the full, mesmerizing experience.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Chestnut Hill Home & Garden Festival, New Hope Pride Parade & Fair, HBCU Festival, Italian Market Festival

The inimitable Dito van Reigersberg has been performing as Martha Graham Cracker for 20 years. The iconic Philadelphia drag queen will celebrate the milestone with a rock and roll cabaret at the Miller Theater on Friday, backed by a four-piece band performing everything from Led Zeppelin to Pink to Nina Simone. Martha will also share stories from her sassy and successful career and raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

🍕 Grab a slice: What’s a Trenton-style pizza pie? Find out more about South Jersey’s pizza culture with our recommendations for five pizza spots worth the trip.

🪕 Beach fest: Next month will see the Barefoot Country Music Fest return to Wildwood with headliners Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Jason Aldean, and Rascal Flatts. Here’s what you need to know.

🧭 Treasure hunting IRL: If playing pirate or intrepid explorer is your jam, two brothers from Hammonton, N.J. have created a treasure hunting business where you can search for a prize (and win actual dollars) at regional parks.

🛍️ Another man’s treasure: But if treasure hunting to you actually means thrift shopping, try one of these six great antique stores down the Jersey Shore.

🔊 Table spinning: More than 120 DJs and bands will descend on Fort Mifflin later this year for the biggest Making Time ∞ festival ever. Catch up on who’s playing.

Pop music critic Dan DeLuca breaks down the best upcoming shows:

💃 Thursday: Puerto Rican pop star Rauw Alejandro headlines the Wells Fargo Center. The San Juan native — born Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz — is on the road with his “Cosa Nuestra World Tour,” named after his 2024 album that takes a break from reggaeton and trap to draw inspiration from vintage salsa while also including a Bad Bunny collab. It promises to be a romantic evening with Rosalía’s dapper former fiancé putting on what‘s said to be an elegant four-act show that‘s part Broadway musical and part telenovela. Get your wardrobe in order before you head out: The crowds at previous tour stops have been dressed to the nines.

🎤 Also Thursday: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic will be tearing the roof off in Glenside, as they are wont to do. Clinton — who was featured prominently in Questlove’s new Sly Stone movie and is one of the most entertaining people I’ve ever talked to — claimed back in 2019 that he was giving up touring for good. But of course, he couldn’t stay away. The 83-year-old ringleader of one of the greatest bands in history of 20th-century pop will return to the stage — likely letting the two dozen or so younger musicians carry his iconic message: “Free your mind, and your ass will follow” message.

🎸Thursday and Friday: Japanese Breakfast begins two back-to-back nights at the Met Philly. Michelle Zauner is touring her sumptuous new fourth album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women). It should be fascinating to hear the Crying in H Mart author and bandleader bringing the Blake Mills-produced song cycle to life on stage in an emotional hometown show.

Read more music picks.

Classical music critic Peter Dobrin has some suggestions for Opera Philadelphia, which began selling $11 tickets for its upcoming season today. He thinks the company should invest in a holiday production for children: “Like The Nutcracker, but opera.” Would you (and your family) see it?

Are you taking advantage of their new uber-affordable tickets? Let me know!

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This week I’ve been finishing up the latest Hunger Games novel, Sunrise on the Reaping. What’s on your book list this month? Drop me a rec.