From 2011 to 2019, The Franklin Institute organized and hosted the Philadelphia Science Festival. After a successful first run, the event became an annual tradition, typically scheduled for the second half of April. The festival lasted anywhere from a few days to several weeks and featured numerous events across the city. Here’s a closer look at its history and its role in the life of the city’s residents, brought to you by philadelphiaski.
The Idea and Mission of the Science Festival
Over the years, the Philadelphia Science Festival attracted more than 500,000 visitors. Its programming included lectures and hands-on workshops, as well as parties, games, and other informal, science-oriented events designed for all ages.
The festival’s goal was to give all Philadelphians and city visitors a chance to engage with modern science, engineering, and technology. It also aimed to build a stronger scientific community.
The Science Festival brought together the city’s scientific and research institutions, schools, and various cultural organizations, all with science at the center of attention. Scientists developed and presented fun, interactive science programs for attendees while also getting the chance to network with each other.
The First Philadelphia Science Festival
The inaugural science festival was held from April 18 to 27, 2011. The event kicked off with a carnival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This day-long celebration featured 80 stations with experiments, interactive activities, games, and other entertainment. A street fair for the local book festival took place at the same time.
Throughout the festival, over 50 events were held at various locations. These included “Science for Sinners” discussions on different topics held in restaurants and cafes. One of the central themes was the intersection of art and science, exploring how art can explain scientific achievements and how modern technology influences art.
From April 19 to 25, the festival featured family-friendly events like Earth Day at The Franklin Institute. Special lectures and seminars were organized for college students. A series of talks were presented by the 2011 Franklin Institute Awards laureates, and the annual meeting of the American Philosophical Society was also broadcast.
Astronomy Night took place on April 21 at the observatories of The Franklin Institute, Drexel University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Stargazing stations were also set up at several community centers and schools, where anyone could come and look at the night sky.
The festival’s events drew significant attention and had a wide reach. Given the public’s interest, The Franklin Institute decided to make it an annual event. Each year, organizers would select a specific set of themes and plan corresponding activities and locations to attract as many science enthusiasts as possible.
The 2019 Festival and the Event’s Future
The next Philadelphia Science Festival took place from April 26 to May 4, 2019, with FMC Corporation as its main sponsor. The events were once again a huge success, offering visitors the following program:
- A city-wide party scheduled for April 26 was canceled due to bad weather, but on April 27, “Science in the Park” was held in Clark Park, and “Science Saturday” took place on the Rutgers University-Camden campus.
- On April 28, various science events were held across Philadelphia at educational institutions, museums, hospitals, and research centers (including Temple University, Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health, the Wagner Free Institute of Science, and the Independence Seaport Museum), while “Science Sunday” was celebrated at Rowan University.
- On April 29, local libraries joined in with the “Science After School” program, and a forum was organized where scientists shared their personal journeys into science and what sparked their interest in their respective fields of research.
- The “Science After School” library events continued on April 30 and May 1.
- On May 2, science activities took place at Independence National Historical Park.
- On May 3, the festival kicked off the Philly Tech Week celebration of technology and innovation.
- The final day of the festival was May 4, featuring a massive Science Carnival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with 150 exhibitors.
The Science Festival was traditionally a vibrant and engaging event. Unfortunately, 2019 was its final year. The planned 2020 festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions on public gatherings. The tradition has not been revived since.
The Science Festival left behind many wonderful memories and significantly increased the engagement of residents and visitors with the scientific process. It opened up the world of science to everyone, providing opportunities to listen to scientists, see and even use scientific equipment, and prove that science is not complicated, but fun and exciting.