Firstival at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is hosting a Firstival on Saturday, November 21, from 11 AM to 1 PM. It's part of 52 Weeks of Firsts, a yearlong series of free Saturday gatherings produced by the Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee to mark the city's legacy of innovation during the nation's 250th birthday. Each week's gathering centers on a different Philadelphia first, and this one belongs to CHOP, which opened in 1855 as the first hospital in the country devoted exclusively to children. It's been combining research and patient care for over 170 years.

Every Firstival follows a similar format: an opening ceremony, a Once Upon a Nation storyteller, family activities, music, and giveaways. The centerpiece is one of 52 '#1' sculptures, each hand-painted by one of 25 local artists through Mural Arts Philadelphia. This particular sculpture was created by muralist Aaminah Rasheed, who drew on her own childhood experience of being treated at CHOP for asthma when she put it together. The day opens with a bell rung by a mother and child.

Behind the series is the Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee, led by Vince Stango and Amy Needle. They've brought together 23 museums and cultural institutions for the project, including the Betsy Ross House, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and the Museum of the American Revolution. Each Saturday focuses on a different 'first' from the city's history, and this one lands at the hospital that started it all for pediatric care.

You'll find the event at Perelman Plaza, between the Hub for Clinical Collaboration and the Colket Translational Research Building at 3500 Civic Center Boulevard. It runs from 11 AM to 1 PM, and it's free.