Welcome to the second installment of “Your Month IRL,” Bustle’s monthly roundup of in-person events, from city-specific festivals to astrological happenings you won’t want to miss. As I mentioned in January, as a team, we’re predisposed toward resolutions and lifestyle tweaks, and in 2025, many of us are hoping to unplug more. If you’re feeling similar, you’re in the right place.
—Brianna Kovan, Deputy Editor, Entertainment
Some dates and details to keep in mind, regardless of which city you call home.
Award-winning author Imani Perry kicks off the February stops of her book tour in Baltimore (Feb. 1) before swinging through the South. Her new book, Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People, tracks the color and its association with Black America.
Eateries are luring diners inside with Restaurant Week, and a slew end on Feb. 2 (Washington, D.C., Baltimore, San Diego). Others extend further into the month: Chicago and New York, for example, celebrate through Feb. 9, and Minneapolis–Saint Paul’s kicks off on Feb. 24.
Image Courtesy of Torrisi
Patrick Mahomes & Co. are looking to win the Super Bowl for the third year in a row, facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles at 6:30 p.m. Plan a watch party, or link up with another, to track the stats (and celeb attendees) in live time.
Before the North American leg of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, which kicks off in May, Shakira is traversing South America. She starts in Rio de Janeiro on Feb. 11, followed by stops in Peru, Colombia, and Chile.
If you’re feeling sluggish about a romantic dinner date, consider celebrating Valentine’s Day at the movies: Our picks go to the Ke Huy Quan-led action thriller Love Hurts, or, for more traditional rom-com fare, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. (For a gals’ night in, the latter is also available on Peacock.)
Two Final Four mainstays face off in a Top 10 battle starting at 1 p.m. Watch reigning champs South Carolina vs. the University of Connecticut at one of the many women’s sports bars popping up around the country, from Portland and Seattle to Minneapolis.
At the Poetry Foundation, Luftwerk’s immersive light exhibition — inspired by Aram Saroyan’s one-word poem “lighght” — just extended its run through Feb. 15.
—Gabrielle Bondi, Entertainment Editor
From Feb. 20-23, Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival is back with culinary classes, tastings, and special events such as a drag brunch co-hosted by Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski.
— Grace Wehniainen, Staff Writer
In the midst of Wicked mania, Idina Menzel returns to Broadway for the first time in 10-plus years. Her new musical, Redwood, about a woman seeking self-discovery in the Redwood forest, opens Feb. 13.
—Jake Viswanath, Staff Writer
On Feb. 18, author Ta-Nehisi Coates is joining Omar El Akkad downtown to speak about his latest bestselling nonfiction book, The Message.
—B.K.
Have an event for our monthly roundup? Send it to bustlecalendar@bustle.com.
