Free Firstival with opening ceremony, storyteller, family activities, music and a #1 sculpture celebrating the first pencil with an attached eraser, invented in Philadelphia.
Daniel Lipschutz is unveiling a new sculpture at the National Liberty Museum on Saturday, November 28, as part of a Firstival celebrating the first pencil with an attached eraser. The invention dates back to 1858 and happened right here in Philadelphia, so the whole day is built around a piece of local history that most of us use without thinking twice about.
This particular Firstival is one stop in 52 Weeks of Firsts, a citywide, yearlong celebration produced by the Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee to honor the city's legacy of innovation and the country's 250th anniversary in 2026. The series runs every Saturday from January 3 to December 26, and it moves through different neighborhoods across the city, so each one brings the celebration to a new spot.
Every Firstival follows the same format: an opening ceremony, a storyteller, family activities, music and entertainment, giveaways and selfie stations, and a #1 sculpture painted by Mural Arts Philadelphia and hand-created by local artists. Lipschutz's piece is the sculpture for this one, and it's the center of the day's activities.
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Behind the series is the 250th Committee, a partnership of 23 museums and cultural institutions led by Vince Stango and Amy Needle, with funding from the 2026 Funder Collaborative, the City of Philadelphia and the William Penn Foundation. The event runs from 11 AM to 1 PM at the National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut Street, and it's free.
