Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

New Year’s Day is about celebrating, and there’s no better place to fete than at the Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade, a 110-year-old tradition in which 10,000 men and women dressed in colorfully lavish costumes twirl, sashay, pirouette and strut up one of the city’s main streets. An unforgettably wild ritual, the parade and subsequent performances are all family friendly, yet exciting enough to entertain everybody. While a carnival-like atmosphere welcomes anyone who decides to stop by at the last minute, a little advance preparation guarantees a clear view. Better still, spending the night in the city ensures an early start to

The Calendar of Events is organized as follows:

November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
Ongoing Activities

NOVEMBER 2009

Through November 1, 2009
HAUNTED POE. This theatrical work unites literature, history and theater with the haunted attraction genre during the 200^th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth. A 10,000-square-foot warehouse is transformed into an eerie maze of chambers featuring short vignettes of 11 of Poe’s pieces, including “The Tell-tale Heart,” “The Raven” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” (215) 627-2577, hauntedpoe.com

Through November

Barkley Hendricks’ fans coming to Philadelphia for the hometown art legend’s first major career retrospective, Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool, can plan their trip at gophila.com/philly360, where they’ll find exhibition details, a Barkley and Friends tour of Philadelphia, a photo slideshow, videos, hotel package offers and more. The exhibition is on view at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) through January 3.

Here’s a look at some of the cool features found on the Barkley Hendricks page of gophila.com/philly360:

• Exhibition Details: Runs down the who, what, when and where and gives exhibition highlights and

The following itinerary is available on gophila.com/barkleyhendricks.

LOCATION: Historic Philadelphia, Center City and North Philadelphia

TRANSPORTATION: On foot, by taxi or car

DURATION: Two nights and two days

Note: Locations picked by Barkley and friends are indicated as such. Other places are suggestions of the tourism office.

Philly’s flavors, faces, rhythms and spaces have always been on the cutting edge of cool. Need proof? Acclaimed artist and local son Barkley L. Hendricks is bringing his Birth of the Cool career retrospective home to his alma mater, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), through January 3, 2010—making this

When Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds 2 & The Brain makes its debut at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute on October 17, it will be one of many points of interest for visitors eager to explore the area’s vast array of scientific treasures. The second-largest medical research and education center in the U.S., the Philadelphia region is home to many medical, anatomical and scientific sites—from the nation’s first hospital and the well-heeled home of the “Father of American Surgery” to museums devoted to medical marvels and the history of pharmacy. Those who’d like to spend a night or two exploring the region’s

As the first decade of the new millennium winds to a close, some of Philadelphia’s most venerated cultural and historical institutions are gearing up to spend the coming decade newly energized and outfitted for a tech-savvy, sophisticated new generation of visitors. Throughout Historic Philadelphia, Center City and Philadelphia’s countryside, tourist attractions are launching revolutionized technological experiences, adding thousands of square feet to their display areas, moving their collections both around the block and miles away and showcasing blockbuster art exhibitions. Collectively, they continue to tell the story of the citizens of Philadelphia, America and the world who seek to create

The Christmas season really is the most wonderful time of the year in Philadelphia and The Countryside®, where families partake in old and new traditions to make happy holiday memories. Parents who remember standing in awe of the Enchanted Colonial Village at Lit Brother’s department store can take another peek inside the busy bakery, the bustling village store and the seven other restored scenes with their own children at the Please Touch Museum®. Or, they can start a new holiday tradition when they catch The Comcast Holiday Spectacular on the 2,000-square-foot LED screen inside the 57-story Comcast Center. And, of

From his iconic life-sized portraits to compelling Jamaican landscapes, native son Barkley L. Hendricks’ works come to Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) for an exclusive fall engagement. Birth of the Cool is Hendricks’ first career retrospective, and from October 17 to January 3, art aficionados can visit the artist’s alma mater and browse nearly 60 interpretations of contemporary black identity. Plus, Philly’s wide range of exhibitions, performances and galleries offer fresh ideas to make it a long weekend. Visitors can book their stay at gophila.com, where they can also plan every detail of their trip. Here’s

Gay and lesbian travelers looking to extend their summer fun into autumn need look no further than Philadelphia in 2009 and beyond. With a handful of new restaurants, bars, clubs, events and hotels to complement Philadelphia’s cherished and historical gay-friendly heritage, Philadelphia is the place to Get Your History Straight And Your Nightlife Gay®.

Make It A Weekend—Or More:
One of the nation’s leading gay-friendly hotel chains, Kimpton makes its Philadelphia debut on October 15 with the Hotel Palomar Philadelphia, a 24-story property housed in the 80-year-old American Institute of Architects building. Themed “Art in Motion,” the Art Deco

Consider yourself warned: Dracula is taking over Philadelphia this Halloween season, along with Edgar Allan Poe, a Sphinx and other thrill-ebrities who will wreak delightfully scary havoc with ghoulish events and ghostly attractions throughout the region. Dracula events range from kid-friendly treats at Sesame Place during The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular to a six-hour vampire dance party at Shampoo Nightclub to a Dracula Parade with larger-than-life puppets. Ghost tours, scarecrow festivals, haunted houses and dinner in a cemetery round out the region’s Halloween offerings.

Thrill seekers who book one of the 80 featured hotel packages on gophila.com/withlove will receive a special

It’s the time of year when visitors wander the cobblestone streets of Historic Philadelphia and ask the question, are they or aren’t they…haunted. Halloween offers lots of “Poe-tential” for literary encounters with spooky characters, as well as family-friendly ghosts and goblins who some think still inhabit the centuries-old neighborhood.

Halloween enthusiasts who book one of the 80 featured hotel packages on gophila.com/withlove will receive a special treat at check-in. The giveaway includes a Philadelphia Privileges coupon book, a five-pack of With Love postcards, a With Love pin and Philly Fill-Ins word games, along with other brochures, coupons and maps. After

Philadelphia is making a statement this fall with top-notch style and design events the aesthetically inclined won’t want to miss. For fashionistas, there’s the first-ever Philadelphia Fashion Week, two exhibitions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Perelman Building featuring the work of a who’s who of fashion greats and the arrival of the Arts of Fashion Symposium, Design Competition and Fashion Show, another first for the city. Design fans will get their fill, too, thanks to the fifth annual—and biggest yet—DesignPhiladelphia celebration, a brand new Kimpton hotel in a historic building and 11 enormous ceramic, steel and bronze works

Art lovers, garden enthusiasts, film connoisseurs and sports fans keep coming back year after year for festivals, sporting events, art shows, parades and cultural events in Philadelphia. Here’s what’s going on in the region in 2010*:

January:

• Thousands of decorative strutters kick off the New Year by marching up Broad Street in the festive day-long Mummers Parade that ends with the Fancy Brigade Finale at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. January 1, 2010. phillymummers.com

February:

• The Pennsylvania Convention Center is the site of the Philadelphia International Flower Show, the oldest and largest indoor show of its kind. The annual

A major art exhibition, a Puerto Rican parade and grassroots community events are all in the works for Philadelphia’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, taking place from September 15 to October 15, 2009. Those wishing to experience the culture and charisma of the city’s large Latino community will find plenty of fun events and activities to choose from throughout the month.

As part of the new With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ tourism marketing campaign—a series of 60+ love letters addressed to travelers and penned by the city itself with a bit of Philly “atty-tude”—visitors who book one of the 80 featured packages

As summer’s high temperatures subside and leaves turn red, orange and yellow, Philadelphia and The Countryside® welcomes autumn with special exhibitions, Halloween haunts and all-ages annual events. Princess Diana, Jim Henson, Henri Matisse, George Washington Carver and Barkley L. Hendricks lead the lineup, which also includes Body Worlds 2 at The Franklin Institute Science Museum, tattoos galore at the Independence Seaport Museum, Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls, fall festivals and much more.

Fall Into A Philadelphia Hotel:
As part of the new With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ campaign, fall-loving visitors who book one of the 80 featured packages

This summer, as part of the new With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ marketing campaign, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) is asking 5,000 Philadelphians to send postcards to friends and family all over the country inviting them to visit Philadelphia and stay over in a hotel.

Philadelphians can write their messages on pre-stamped postcards at a series of postcard-writing booths throughout Philadelphia in June and July. Locations include Sunoco Welcome America’s Party on the Parkway, at Citizens Bank Park and at Suburban Station.* The booths will be adorned with With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ letters, and postcard writers may receive

There’s always a ton of fun and fabulous things to do on any given night in Philadelphia—hip bars, luxurious lounges, indie rock haunts and electric clubs. But visitors looking for more variety in the nightlife scene have plenty of choices as well, such as dance lessons, drag shows, movie showings, museum happy hours and free concerts. What’s more, many of the options are low-priced or free, and with 80 valuable hotel packages available on gophila.com/withlove, including the two-night Philly Overnight® Hotel Package that includes free hotel parking, visitors can spend a couple nights (or more) sampling the region’s many

When foodies hit the road, they take their passion for farmers markets, culinary tours and tasting experiences with them. Whether it’s called culinary tourism or just plain fun, the chance to see, smell and taste the best of local gastronomy is a big attraction, and it’s getting bigger. The 2009 Travel & Tourism Market Research Handbook reports that 27 million Americans—or 17% of leisure travelers—made culinary and/or wine activities part of their trips within the last three years. These activities include everything from taking cooking classes and dining out in a unique setting to visiting farmers markets and attending food

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) will debut PHILLY 360°™, The Book—the newest component of its African-American tourism marketing campaign—at The Roots Picnic on June 6, 2009. The limited-edition, hard-bound book features interviews with some of Philadelphia’s most prominent African-American tastemakers and trendsetters, including The Roots, King Britt and Ethel Cee, and details what these creative ambassadors love most about the city. All of the people featured in the book are part of GPTMC’s Philly 360°™ Coalition, a group of 50 of the city’s African-American thought leaders, cultural entrepreneurs, marketers and other stakeholders committed to promoting a 360°

After exploring the Galileo, the Medici and the Age of Astronomy exhibition, appearing only in Philadelphia, only in 2009 (April 4 through September 7, 2009 at The Franklin Institute Science Museum), visitors are encouraged to spend a night or two and enjoy other exhibitions and events in the region. Here’s a look at what’s going on while Galileo’s in town:

Fun Art And Culture:

• The popular three-day West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival—now in its sixth year—features all types of jazz alongside visual artists, craft vendors and more. This year’s lineup features WAR, Jeffrey Osbourne, Average