2009 Community Events

ONGOING ACTIVITIES

• Daily During Museum Hours
ELECTIONS FROM START TO FINISH. The National Constitution Center museum lobby features programs highlighting the 2008 presidential election, including 5-10 minute demonstrations in the Grand Hall that walk visitors through the election process, a special table informing visitors how to register to vote, a display of historic voting booths and the chance to cast a vote in the museum’s own election. (215) 409-6700, constitutioncenter.org

• First Saturday Each Month Through October
GARDEN DISCOVERY SERIES. The Morris Arboretum welcomes participants to explore little known parts of the garden, learn secrets of nature and create something magical. (215) 247-5777, morrisarboretum.org

• Every Friday and Saturday
SONICVISION. Shown at The Franklin Institute Science Museum’s Fels Planetarium, SonicVision blends today’s popular music by artists such as Coldplay, Moby and The Flaming Lips with the visual artistry of animation and video. (215) 448-1200, fi.edu

• Every Friday
Art After 5. Friday evenings are something to talk about at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with this weekly series of eclectic mix of world and jazz music. (215) 763-8100, philamuseum.org

• First Wednesday Each Month
TARGET FIRST WEDNESDAYS. Continuing its community program to stay open from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with $2 admission, Please Touch Museum® keeps open the entire gallery floor, featuring new exhibitions like Roadside Attractions, Flight Fantasy and Centennial Exploration, along with old favorites like the SEPTA Bus, Supermarket, theater performances, art activities and storytelling. (215) 581-3181, pleasetouchmuseum.org

• Third Wednesday Each Month
TARGET COMMUNITY NIGHTS. The Franklin welcomes visitors to enjoy free admission from 5:00-8:00 p.m. The museum provides access to fun-filled exhibitions, hands-on programs and IMAX films. (215) 448-1200, fi.edu

• First Friday Each Month
FIRST FRIDAY. In Old City, dozens of the city’s premier galleries keep their doors open late and provide free refreshments. (215) 965-9200, oldcityarts.org

• First Saturday Each Month
FIRST SATURDAY GALLERY TOURS. More than 50 galleries, museums, shops, theaters and hotels in Old City present exhibitions and discussions. (215) 625-9200, oldcityarts.org

• First Saturday Each Month
BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF CRUISER OLYMPIA. Take a tour of the 1892 cruiser and learn about the ship docked outside of the Independence Seaport Museum. (215) 413-8658, phillyseaport.org

• Second Thursday Each Month
NIGHT SKIES IN THE OBSERVATORY. Star gazers join Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts of The Franklin to look into the sky to see different planets and stars each month. (215) 448-1200, fi.edu

• Second Saturday Each Month through December 2009
MANAYUNK’S SECOND SATURDAY. Visitors can enjoy live music and face painters, chic galleries and boutiques, festivities and alfresco dining options galore at the popular Main Street in Manayunk. (215) 482-9565, manayunk.org

• Fourth Tuesday Each Month
FIRST PERSON ARTS’ 2009 FIRST PERSON STORYSLAMS. L’Etage hosts this ongoing program in which 10 participants have the chance to step up to the mic and tell a real-life story in five minutes. Contestants are judged by their peers, and each month’s high scorer wins an invitation to the Grand Slam to compete for the title of “Philadelphia’s Best Storyteller” during the eighth annual First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Arts in November 2009. firstpersonarts.org

JULY 2009

• July 3-5, 2009
LINCOLN 200: THE BICENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL. During Fourth of July weekend, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday festival, themed “Lincoln Then and Now,” gears up on Independence Mall with art displays, exhibitions, performances, living history programs, storytelling and children’s activities. lincoln200philly.org

• July 4, 2009
Let Freedom Ring. At this annual event at the Liberty Bell Center, direct descendants of the signers of the Declaration of Independence tap the Liberty Bell to symbolically “ring” it, setting off a nationwide bell ringing ceremony. (215) 965-2305, let-freedom-ring.org

• July 4, 2009, opening
OUT ON A LIMB – A TREE ADVENTURE. This permanent exhibition at the Morris Arboretum features a 275-foot canopy walk that soars more than 40 feet into the air, providing a wonderful vantage point from which to understand the critical role that trees play in our environment. (215) 247-5777, morrisarboretum.org

• July-August 2009, weekly
SCREENINGS UNDER THE STARS. Each week throughout the summer, Penn’s Landing hosts a free outdoor film beginning at dusk and preceded by fun activities coordinated with the theme of that week’s film. (215) 922-2FUN, delawareriverwaterfrontcorp.com

AUGUST 2009

• Through August 1, 2009
WHAT IS OPEN SPACE? The Chester County Historical Society explores the past and present conditions of county land management. The exhibition encompasses topics related to natural habitats, wildlife, recreation and development as presented through artifacts, interactives and handouts. (610) 692-4800, chestercohistorical.org

• August 15-16, 2009
BUG FEST. The Academy of Natural Sciences hosts creepy, crawly visitors from world-renowned collections for this second annual event. Museum-goers can touch a tarantula, watch a cockroach race or make an insect sculpture to take home. (215) 299-1000, ansp.org

SEPTEMBER 2009

• Through September 2009
SHOPPING IN PARIS. This show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Perelman Building, compares American fashions, spanning from 1850 through World War I, to the French luxury designers like Lanvin and House of Worth that inspired them. (215) 763-8100, philamuseum.org

• Through September 2009
THE TEXTURE OF TREES. The Morris Arboretum features the work of Andrea Baldeck with this exhibition, a photographic pictorial of trees and all their arboreal accents. (215) 247-5777, morrisarboretum.org

• Through September 7, 2009
GALILEO, MEDICI AND THE AGE OF ASTRONOMY. The Franklin is the only stop in the world for this special exhibition that explores the contributions of Galileo, as well as that of other luminaries during the age of the Medicis. Highlights include one of only two existing Galileo telescopes. (215) 448-1200, fi.edu

• September 12-November 29, 2009
Jim Henson’s Fantastic World. This exhibition at the James A. Michener Art Museum documents Henson’s process of “visual thinking” through works of art, photographs, documents, puppets and film and video clips. (215) 340-9800, michenermuseum.org

• September 18-November 1, 2009
TERROR BEHIND THE WALLS. Thrill-seekers celebrate the Halloween season at Eastern State Penitentiary for a spooky haunted house inside an abandoned prison. (215) 236-3300, easternstate.org

• September 19, 2009
RIVERFRONT RAMBLE. This year’s ramble should be the best yet, as more and more Delaware County towns along the Delaware River host a free festival to celebrate the heritage and contributions of the artery that helps the area thrive. (610) 565-3679, brandywinecountry.org

• September 2009 (TBD)
CENTER CITY DISTRICT RESTAURANT WEEK. More than 100 restaurants participate in this week-long event that features special menus with three course offerings for $35. centercityphila.org

OCTOBER 2009

• October 2-December 31, 2009
Diana: A Celebration. This 10,000-square-foot National Constitution Center exhibition showcases the life and work of the popular princess of Whales. Museum-goers can explore Diana’s childhood, her engagement to Prince Charles, her lavish royal wedding, her children and her works as a global humanitarian. (215) 409-6700, constitutioncenter.org

• October 3, 2009
Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival. More than 150 teams race fiberglass dragon boats, complete with heads and tails, on a 500-meter course on the Schuylkill River during this annual fall event, which draws thousands of participants and spectators. (610) 642-2333, philadragonboatfestival.com

• October 3-4, 10-11, 2009
Philadelphia Open Studio Tours. During this 10th annual event, visitors can see local artists of all mediums in their workshops in neighborhoods throughout the city. (215) 546-7775, philaopenstudios.com

• October 3-4, 2009

BIKE MS: CITY TO SHORE RIDE. This popular charity ride brings 7,000 cyclists from the Philadelphia area through blueberry fields and the New Jersey Pine Barrens to the sweet smells of salt water taffy and ocean air in historic Ocean City, New Jersey. (800) 445-BIKE, mscycling.org

• October 4, 2009
FALL FESTIVAL. The Morris Arboretum hosts its 11th annual celebration of the season with scarecrow making, pumpkin decorating, a produce market, a falconry display and the Garden Railway display against the backdrop of fabulous fall colors. (215) 247-5777, morrisarboretum.org

• October 11, 2009
OutFest. Part of the National Coming Out Day Festival, this is the largest event of its kind in the world. (215) 875-9288, phillypride.org

• October 2009 (TBD)
THE BOOK AND THE COOK. During this annual event, participating restaurants present special meals inspired by the writings of their guest authors. Each offers an opportunity to meet the author, purchase a book and enjoy delicious food prepared by the author and the host chef. thebookandthecook.com

NOVEMBER 2009

• Through November 1, 2009
HENRI MATISSE AND MODERN ART ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA. Including approximately 35 paintings and sculptures, this installation at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Perelman Building celebrates the French Riviera’s mythic allure for modern artists. (215) 763-8100, philamuseum.org

• November 7-8, 2009
Apple Festival. This 38th annual event at Peddler’s Village honors the fruit with old-fashioned country apple butter, apple cider, apple dumplings, apple fritters and caramel-dipped apples. (215) 794-4000, peddlersvillage.com

• November 10-15, 2009
First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art. Taking place at various venues throughout the city, this eighth annual festival is the only event in the nation dedicated to art based on real-life experiences. The multidisciplinary festival features memoir readings, author discussions, film screenings, performance art, experiential tours, visual arts exhibitions, music, competitions, artist receptions and more. (267) 402-2055, firstpersonfestival.org

• November 10, 2009-January 10, 2010
OLIVER! One of Broadway’s most beloved classic musicals comes to the Walnut Street Theatre, vividly bringing to life Charles Dickens’ timeless characters and the story of the boy who asked for more. (215) 574-3550, walnutstreettheatre.org

• November 12-15, 2009
PHILADANCO. This versatile, diverse and imaginative dance company’s thrilling 40th anniversary season begins with a world premiere by Christopher L. Huggins and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s Batty Moves at the Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1955, kimmelcenter.org

• November 22, 2009
PHILADELPHIA MARATHON. With a fast course that winds through the city’s historic downtown, past the world-famous Philadelphia Museum of Art and along scenic Boathouse Row, the marathon has been one of the country’s premier running events since 1994. (215) 683-2122, philadelphiamarathon.com

• November 24-29, 2009
WHITE CHRISTMAS. The Academy of Music presents this Irving Berlin holiday classic about two showbiz buddies who put on a show at a magical Vermont inn and find their perfect mates in the process. (215) 893-1955, kimmelcenter.org

• November 26, 2009
THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE. Channel 6 ABC and Boscov’s sponsor Philadelphia’s annual Thanksgiving parade down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. (215) 581-4507, wpvi.com

• November 2009 (TBD)
PHILADELPHIA IMPROV FESTIVAL. This fifth annual festival at Plays and Players Theatre showcases long and short form improv groups from across the country, along with workshops to help performers discover and hone their craft. phif.org

DECEMBER 2009

• December 12-31, 2009
THE NUTCRACKER. The Pennsylvania Ballet’s season at the Academy of Music features its annual performance of the classic holiday ballet. (215) 551-7000, paballet.org

• December 2009 (TBD)
WINTER MUSICALE. This Bristol Riverside Theatre tradition celebrates the season with a family-friendly evening of conventional carols, popular classics, contemporary arrangements and even original songs. (215) 785-0100, brtstage.org