Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

2009 is going to be a blockbuster year in Philly thanks to nine big-name events and exhibitions focusing on leaders in art, history, literature, science and beer. Two only-in-Philadelphia exhibitions—Galileo, The Medici and The Age of Astronomy at The Franklin Institute Science Museum and Cézanne and Beyond at the Philadelphia Museum of Art—and the world debut of Tavis Smiley’s America I AM: The African American Imprint at the National Constitution Center lead the pack of nine notable names visiting the region in the coming year. Here’s a look at the exhibitions and events making 2009 a year of

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 2009:

January 2009:

• 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, 2009. phillymummers.com
• Making its world debut in Philadelphia, America I AM: The African American Imprint celebrates African-American contributions across 400 years of American history at the National

Population:
There are 3.9 million people residing in the five-county region (7.75 million in the Philadelphia Designated Market Area), making Philadelphia the second largest city on the East Coast and the sixth largest in the U.S.

Location:
Philadelphia is a two-hour drive from New York City, two-and-a-half hours from Washington, DC and 45 minutes from Atlantic City, with convenient access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-76, I-95 and the New Jersey Turnpike. 25% of the United States population lives within 350 miles of Center City Philadelphia.

The city is a 90-minute flight or a one-day drive from Toronto (880