The Philadelphia Science Festival kicks off on April 22, and Penn Medicine will again play a leading role in the sixth annual city-wide event that showcases science and technology from all corners of the Delaware Valley. The Festival packs more than 90 events into nine days at diverse locations across the region, including restaurants and breweries, parks, libraries, and museums, along with a new spot for the Carnival – the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing.
The Festival, from April 22 – 30, is a partnership among over 200 of the region’s most influential institutions, museums, and cultural centers working to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers and spark discussion among young and old. The aim is to create homegrown citizen scientists, by exploring the many ways that science and technology touch our everyday lives.
Penn Medicine will be represented by several tents in the “Penn village” of displays, which includes Penn Vet, Dental, and other schools at the Carnival and Clark Park Discovery Day. “The Festival is a great way to get involved with the community and give families a sample of what we do every day and how scientific research is relevant to their lives," said Robin Armstrong, lab manager for the Department of Neurosurgery and administrative Coordinator for the Center for Brain Injury and Repair (CBIR). Armstrong and CBIR staff, students, postdocs, and faculty have been involved in the Festival since the start.
Clark Park Discovery Day
Saturday, April 23, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Clark Park
4301 Chester Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Free
This is the fifth time that Penn Medicine has participated in this hyper-local event. Meet area scientists and students while exploring one of the most beautiful parks in the city. The Center for Brain Injury and Repair and many students from the Biomedical Graduate Studies programs will be there.
Explorer Sunday: Medicine 1776
Sunday, April 24, 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Pennsylvania Hospital
800 Spruce St. – Enter at the Archway on 8th Street
Free
What was medicine like in 1776? Travel back in time at Pennsylvania Hospital’s historic Pine Building and explore just how much has changed (or stayed the same) throughout American medical history. Visit the original surgical amphitheater, where surgeries took place before the development of anesthetics and sanitation standards, and take a tour of the Physic Garden to learn about herbal medicine. Peer through antique microscopes and uncover the intrigue surrounding Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond’s establishment of the first chartered hospital in the nation.
Fishtown Science Crawl
Sunday, April 24, 2:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m.
Start at Frankford Hall
1210 Frankford Avenue
Reservation required
Price: Free, $5.00 Happy Hour Wrist Band
Toast science and innovation and take bar hopping to a whole new level during the Fishtown Science Crawl! Enjoy great drink specials at awesome Fishtown venues and engage in hands-on science activities with the Center for Brain Injury and Repair and other science and health educators.
Neighborhood Science After School
Monday to Thursday, April 25 to 28, 3:00 p.m.
4/25Whitman Library, 200 Snyder Ave.
4/26 Fumo Family Library, 2437 Broad St.
4/27 Independent Branch, 18 South 7th St.
This event features experts from the Center for Brain Injury and Repair. Join our brain scientists at neighborhood libraries after school for a celebration of science exploration. Scientists, engineers, and other experts share their knowledge to provide programs filled with exciting activities, animal encounters, family-friendly experiments, and hands-on demonstrations.
Gross Anatomy
Thursday, April 28, 6:30 p.m.
Ruba Club Studios
416 Green Street
Must be 21+ to attend this event
Reservation required
Ticket price: $10 (Code UPENN10 for 10% discount)
Back by popular demand, this cabaret will light up the stage and draw the curtain to reveal the invisible universe of the human microbiome. The audience will celebrate the microscopic protagonists living in and on the theatre of the human body and the vital role they play in our health and well-being. Gary Wu, MD, a professor of Gastroenterology at Penn Medicine, will join Tracy Bale, PhD, also from Penn, and other colleagues to talk about the wild ecosystem within our own guts.
Science Carnival: Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing Note New Location!
Saturday, April 30, 10:00am to 4:00p.m.
Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing
101 Christopher Columbus Blvd.
Free
The Carnival features more than 175 exhibitors offering family-friendly experiments, interactive activities, games, and a packed line-up of live entertainment.