To celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, Philadelphia is highlighting 52 historic and ingenious firsts that began here — and it’s going to be a year-long extravaganza.
The initiative kicked off on Jan. 3 with the very First Saturday “Firstival” honoring America’s first balloon flight. The commemoration took place at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia in the Historic District, near the site of the significant event, and the festivities will continue on this Saturday (Jan. 10) with a Firstival honoring the First Folk Parade. Taking place at the Mummers Museum this weekend, locals can learn how a rowdy neighborhood celebration became one of the country’s most unique New Year’s Day traditions.
Every Firstival will take over a Saturday in 2026 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at different sites across the city. Each event features a brief opening ceremony, a Once Upon A Nation storyteller sharing the true tale of that week’s "First," family activities, giveaways, music and entertainment, selfie stations, and the spotlighting of a No. 1 sculpture representing that milestone. As a release notes, each of the stories is created by Once Upon A Nation historical experts. The story will also be recorded by an actor and be available online after its designated Firstival (via QR code embedded on each NO. 1 sculpture or on the website).
The rest of January will hold events for the First Volunteer Fire Company (Jan. 17 at the Fireman’s Hall Museum), the First Professional Basketball League (Jan. 24 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena) and the First Public Girl Scout Cookie Sale (Jan. 31 at the PECO Building). All the free Saturday Firstivals will take place throughout the year at locations—or in neighborhoods representing the locations—where these significant Firsts occurred.
The year will also feature commemorations for the First Abolitionist Society in America (Feb. 14 at the African American Museum in Philadelphia), the First Flower Show (March 7 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center), First Postmaster (April 25 at Franklin Court), First Mother’s Day (May 9 at Historic St. George’s Museum & Archives), First American Flag (June 6 at the Betsy Ross House), First Ice Cream Soda (July 18 at the Franklin Fountain), First Selfie (Aug. 22 at LOVE Park), First Continental Congress (Sept. 12 at Carpenter’s Hall), First Public Showing of a Motion Picture (Oct. 24 at the Philadelphia Film Society), First Thanksgiving Day Parade (Nov. 7 at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway), First Weather Bureau (Dec. 5 at the Franklin Institute) and more. A full schedule can be found online.
52 Weeks of Firsts will also feature different sculptures debuting around the city, photo quests, a podcast and legacy projects. All of the sculptures have been designed and hand-created by local artists, and they will serve as landmarks, selfie spots, and starting points for the ongoing photo quests. Each sculpture can be found in locations where the Firstivals take place in 2026.
As a release notes, the 52 Weeks of Firsts Photo Quest presents different challenges each week and submissions are invited via Instagram using a specific hashtag (#52FirstsPhilly), with winners chosen randomly and announced each Saturday and featured on social media (@52firstsphilly.)
Additionally, there will be a companion 52 Weeks of Firsts Podcast featuring conversations with historians, artists, and storytellers. All of the episodes will “reimagine how we experience Philadelphia’s history.”
And for the Legacy Projects tied to the initiative, locals can find Commemorative Plantings and a 52 Weeks of Firsts Time Capsule. With the former, each Firstival will also feature a ceremonial presentation for each partner organization to be honored with a designated tree. All plantings will be done by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in April and October. As for the capsule, each partner organization is invited to participate and contribute an item throughout 2026.
To learn more information about the 52 Weeks of Firsts, visit visitphilly.com/52-weeks-of-firsts
