The Philadelphia Science Festival is an annual free science festival held in Philadelphia. The festival is organized and managed by the Franklin Institute. The inaugural event was held from April 15, 2011, through April 28, 2011. Subsequently, the festival has been held every year in the second half of April. The festival stretches over a number of days and features events held throughout the city. It culminates with a Festival on Saturday that is typically held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Mission The stated mission of the festival is to bring together Philadelphia's schools, universities, cultural institutions and research centers to put science in the spotlight. Scientists and engineers present interactive programs for Philadelphians of all ages.
Festivals by year
2011 Festival Held: April 15–28, 2011
The inaugural festival began with a Carnival in Logan Circle on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This all-day event featured more than 80 exhibitors offering experiments, interactive activities, games and live entertainment. The Philadelphia Book Festival's Street Fair was held in conjunction with the carnival. Between April 18 and 27, scientists, engineers and other experts offered more than 50 programs in local libraries and community centers. On the 21st, an Astronomy night was held in the observatories at Drexel University, The University of Pennsylvania and the Franklin Institute. Stargazing sites were also set up at community centers, charter schools and even a burial ground. Derek Pitts, Chief Astronomer of the Franklin Institute made the rounds of the various star gazing sites. NASA Astronaut Guion Bluford made a special appearance at the University of the Sciences. Between April 15 and 28, a series of Science Conversations were held on a wide ranging array of topics at a number of venues across the city. During the second week of the Festival, restaurants, bars and cafes served as locales for discourse on a wide range of scientific topics. Throughout the month of April, the city explored the interaction between art and science, focusing on ways in which art can be used to interpret science and ways in which technology can impact the arts. Between the 19th and 25 April, events were presented to engage the entire family, such as Earth Day at the Franklin Institute and Science at the Ballpark. Throughout the Science Festival, a number of activities were planned specifically with students in mind. Recipients of the 2011 Franklin Medal presented a number of symposia and lectures prior to the ceremony. At the same time, the American Philosophical Society held its annual meeting which was webcast to the public.
2012 Festival Held: April 20–29, 2012
The Science Carnival was held on April 21 on the Logan Circle. The rest of the festival consisted of programs categorized as: Signature Programs, e.g., "I Smell You, You Smell Me", "Dava Sobel: A More Perfect Heaven" Science Film Fest, e.g., "Man on a Mission", "The Corridor" Neighborhood Science, e.g., "Nano Discovery Day", "Clark Park Science Discovery Day" Cafe Events, e.g., "Collider: The Search for the World's Smallest Particles", "Wine Chemistry: Best and Worst Pairings" Astronomy Night, held at multiple locations on April 27 Laureate and Luminary Symposia, held during Franklin Institute Awards Week
2013 Festival Held: April 18–28, 2013
April 18 - The kick-off party was held at NextFab Studios on April 18 in a program called "Science after dark". April 20 - The Science Carnival was held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Examples of other events throughout the festival: Educator workshops on topics such as "Integrating experiential education in the STEM classroom" and "Revealing our genetic code" Neighborhood science after school, held in multiple schools in the region Health and wellness topics such as "Gaming as therapy" and "Public Health in Philadelphia". Food and drink topics such as "5 Senses Pub Crawl", "The science of beer and cheese" and "Sweet and Savory: Hives and Honey". Scientific foundations of everyday topics such as "The history, culture and how-to of taxidermy", "How medicine works: a microscopic army" and "Science of Jazz: Waves, scales and beats".
2014 Festival Held: April 25 - May 3, 2014
April 18 - The kick-off party was held at the Franklin Institute on April 25 in a program called "Science After Hours". May 3 - The Science Carnival was held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Examples of other events throughout the festival: April 25 - Astronomy Night April 26 - Discovery Day at Clark Park, Hunting Park, The Schuylkill Center and Fox Chase Farm April 27 - Explorer Sunday - Birding Smackdown, Making Medicine, Field work with an Urban Naturalist, Plasma Lab, Ecosystem Exploration, etc. April 28 - Science on Tap Quizzo, Science Happy Hour (Human Health), Feathered Friends April 29 - Science Night at the Ballpark, West Philly Science Showcase, Creatures that make your skin crawl, Perspectives on Public Health April 30 - I love my science job; To veg or not to veg; Love, lust and loathing; Playing with numbers May 1 - DIY Science (Fermentation), Science storytelling, Cure you or kill you May 2 - Chemical Heritage Foundation First Friday, The Magical Mushroom, Beer Chemistry
2015 Festival Held: April 24 - May 2, 2015
April 24 - The kick-off party was held at the Franklin Institute on April 24 in a program called "8-Bit Night". May 2 - The Science Carnival was held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Examples of other events throughout the festival: April 24 - Astronomy Night April 25 - Discovery Day at Chestnut Hill, Clark Park, Hunting Park, Smith Memorial Playground, Schuylkill Center; Science Night at the Ballpark April 26 - Explorer Sunday - DNA (Cell)fie Station; Science at Sea; Is there a doctor in the house?; Notes, bits and bytes; Fishtown Science Crawl April 27 - Science on Tap Quizzo; Big ideas for busy people; DIY Brewing (Cider and Mead) April 28 - Science of Networking; An Alchemist's toast to Health, Wealth and Longevity; Cookie Lab April 29 - Let's get happy; Nerd Nite (Science Myths Busted!) April 30 - Dinner from the weeds; Gross Anatomy; Inspired by Nature May 1 - Beer Lab; You're the expert Neighborhood Science and Educator Workshops were held throughout the week.
2016 Festival Held: April 22–30, 2016
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