Preludes to the Chinese New Year, QT Noir Arts Fest, and Blue Heaven welcome February

The Year of the Pig is nearly among us. In Chinese culture, pigs are the symbol of wealth, and their faces and ears are signs of fortune. The first weekend in February is rich with the arts, featuring a collection of festivals, fairs, a renovated and reimagined exhibition, a hands-on celebration of the new year, and more.

FringeArts Blue Heaven comedy festival

The inaugural Blue Heaven comedy festival kicks off February 1 and 2 for two nights of the “bawdiest, most risqué material” from a roster of new, exciting voices in American comedy. The diverse lineup pairs cabaret performances with nationally recognized comedians for standup, sketches, improv, musical comedy, and more. Friday night kicks off at the FringeArts theater (140 N. Columbus Boulevard) at 6pm and Saturday's performance is at 5:30pm. Highlights will include a live recording of the queer podcast Food 4 Thot, Cole Escola’s (Difficult People) new act Quick! Pretend I’m Asleep!, curated sets from Bechdel Test Fest and Good Good Comedy Theatre, and an appearance by rapper/cabaret performer Champagne Jerry.

Roll Play: An Improvised Adventure
What happens when you combine improv with Dungeons and Dragons? You’ll have to come and find out as CSz Philadelphia (2030 Sansom Street) hosts the first week of Roll Play, where audiences are guided by a dungeon master to craft a world and its characters for a night of improv comedy. The adventure begins on February 1 at 8pm (and continues February 8 and 15).

2019 Chinese New Year celebration at Reading Terminal Market
On Saturday, February 2, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation hosts a Chinese New Year celebration at Reading Terminal Market. Cooking demos, dance performances, calligraphy and crafts highlight the day. A food tour starts it all off at 9:30am, and the Philadelphia Suns will perform their beloved lion dance at 11:30am. For a full list of events, check out the Facebook event page.

QT Noir Arts Festival
Celebrate a collection of black LGBTQ+ visual and performing artists this weekend at the Rotunda (4014 Walnut Street). It's hosted by Till Arts and made possible by a Leeway Foundation Art and Change grant awarded to curator Wit Lopezhe festival features two days of joy with a long roster of creative artists from the community.

The festival days begin at 12:30pm on Saturday, February 2 and Sunday, February 3. It’s free and open to the public. Register in advance online. HIV/STI testing will be available on site. The Rotunda is a wheelchair-accessible venue. Personal description tours for the visual art are offered for the vision-impaired upon request.

Feminist Flea Market and Craft Fair
To benefit Women Organized Against R*pe (WOAR), more than 60 vendors and artists are lined up for a Saturday afternoon with a mission. WOAR is a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia that works to eliminate all forms of sexual violence through treatment services, prevention-education programs, and advocacy for the rights of victims of sexual assault.

The flea market and fair take place Saturday, February 2, at Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill Street), which is wheelchair-accessible. All ages are welcome. Tickets are $3, and you can pick yours up online.

New Chinese galleries at PMA
Reimagined and reinstalled Chinese galleries open to the public at the Philadelphia Museum of Art this Sunday, February 3. The renovation features a new installation of works from “treasures created for the afterlife to costumes of the imperial court.” The opening comes with a family festival celebrating the Lunar New Year.