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It’s a warm, sunny June day in 1829. A crowd gathers outside Philadelphia’s Masonic Hall, a grand gothic structure on Chestnut Street, and waits to enter a brand-new kind of horticultural exhibition. 

“Finally, the doors swing open and we flood inside. And it is amazing,” recounts Heron Kennedy, a storyteller with Historic Philadelphia. “The hall is filled with all different plants, some familiar from America, like magnolias, and some from far off places, like a rubber tree from India, the bird of paradise flower from South Africa, the peony from China and a coffee tree from Arabia.”

“This one-day-only event marks the first-ever Philadelphia Flower Show,” she said.

Kennedy retold that origin story Tuesday afternoon, at an announcement of an event this Saturday that will commemorate the creation and long history of the flower show. 

Flower dancers prepared to perform at Historic Philadelphia Inc.’s announcement of “52 Weeks of Firsts” events in March. (Meir Rinde/Billy Penn)

The event is the latest in the “52 Weeks of Firsts” — a year-long series of “Firstivals” that Historic Philadelphia and many other organizations are putting on to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday and the city’s central role in U.S. history.

Every Saturday in 2026, the free events offer storytelling, performances, exhibits, souvenir giveaways and activities for kids and adults to celebrate innovations or “firsts” that originated in Philadelphia.

This weekend’s Firstival focusing on the flower show will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, 1201 Market St.

A profusion of flowers

The past few Firstivals have been drawing 200 to 300 people every Saturday morning, organizers said. Events in January and February have commemorated a historic protest against slavery, the first authentic Chinatown Friendship Gate, and the first professional basketball league, among other notable firsts.

“What we’ve learned over the past nine weeks is that Philadelphians love ‘52 Weeks of Firsts,’” said Amy Needle, Historic Philadelphia’s president and CEO. “They love going to these somewhat unique places. They love hearing stories… and they love seeing the gorgeous murals on our ‘number one’ sculptures that our incredible Mural Art artists have created.”

For each Firstival, Historic Philadelphia commissions an artist to decorate a 5-foot foam statue, in the shape of a ‘1,’ with images related to that week’s theme. 

Matt Rader, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, left, and artist Sean Martorana stood by a poster showing a statue decorated with Mortarana’s design. (Meir Rinde/Billy Penn)

The artists for the next four Firstival sculptures were on hand to discuss their designs during the announcement event Tuesday. It was held at the Science History Institute on Chestnut Street, the site of another upcoming Firstival on March 21. 

Artist Sean Martorana covered his flower show-themed sculpture with a profusion of flowers that bloom in every season, rendered in bright, chalk-like lines.

“I wanted to do something very, very colorful for this. All the flowers and the vines are painted in metallic or iridescent paints, so it could also shine in the light and add a little bit more experience to it,” he said. “I did include a little easter egg of the butterfly, because the [show’s] butterfly station has been there for so long, and is a favorite of my family.”

The old Masonic Hall where the first Philadelphia Flower Show was held was destroyed in a fire more than 200 years ago, and the annual event is now held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Arch Street. It’s currently under way and runs through March 8.

First medical colleges, matchbook, and stadium coming up

Here’s the complete list of other firsts being highlighted this year, along with the upcoming Saturday Firstival dates and locations.

Completed

Week 1:  Successful balloon flight in America (1793)

Week 2: The Mummers parade, the nation’s first folk parade (1901)

Week 3: Volunteer fire company (1736)

Week 4: Professional basketball league (1898)

Week 5: Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)

Week 6: African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)

Week 7: Abolitionist society in America (1775)

Week 8: Authentic Chinese gate built in America (1984)

Week 9: Public protest against slavery in America (1688)

Week 10: Flower Show (1829)

Upcoming

• Women’s medical college (1850)
March 14, Health Sciences Building, Drexel University, 60 N. 36th St.

• Matchbook (1892)
March 21, Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut St.

• The first medical school in America (1765)
March 28, Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Civic Center Blvd.

• Stadium in America (1895)
April 4, Franklin Field, 235 S. 33rd St.

• Circus performance in America (1793)
April 11, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, 6452 Greene St.

• Botanical garden (1728)
April 18, Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd.

• Postmaster (1737)
April 25, Franklin Court, 322 Market St.

• American-made piano and sousaphone (1775 and 1893)
May 2, Ensemble Arts Philly, 300 S. Broad St.

• Mother’s Day (1908)
May 9, Historic St. George’s Museum & Archives, 326 New St.

• Hospital in America (1751)
May 16, Pennsylvania Hospital, 800 Spruce St.

• World’s Fair on American soil (1876)
May 23, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic

• Steamboat for passengers and freight (1787)
May 30, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.

• American flag (1777)
June 6, Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch St.

• U.S. Army (1775)
June 13, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St.

• Annual Reminder demonstration (1965)
June 20, Philly Pride Visitor Center, Lombard St. and S. 12th St.

• Paper maker in America (1690)
June 27, Rittenhouse Town, 6034 Wissahickon Ave.

• Bank of the United States (1791)
July 4, First Bank of the United States, 120 S. 3rd St.

• Organized baseball team (1831)
July 11 (location TBD)

• Ice cream soda (Oct. 1874)
July 18, Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St. 

• American art school (1805)
July 25, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St.

• Scientific Society of Natural History (1812)
Aug. 1, at Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

• Zoo in America (1874)
Aug. 8, Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave.

• U.S. Mint (1793)
Aug. 15 (location TBD)

• Selfie (1839)
Aug. 22, Love Park, 1501 John F Kennedy Blvd.

• Slinky (1943)
Aug. 29, Philadelphia Art Museum, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

• Signing of the Constitution (1787)
Sept. 5, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.

• Continental Congress (1774)
Sept. 12 at Carpenters’ Hall, 320 Chestnut St.

• Naming of the United States (1776)
Sept. 19, Independence Hall

• Ronald McDonald House (1974)
Sept. 26, Ronald McDonald House, 3925 Chestnut St.

• Penitentiary in America (1829)
Oct. 3, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave.

• The First Peoples
Oct. 10, Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

• U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)
Oct. 17, Arch Street Meeting House, 320 Arch St.

• Public showing of a motion picture (1870)
Oct. 24, Philadelphia Film Society, 1412 Chestnut St.

• Modern detective story written (1841)
Oct. 31, Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th St.

• Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)
Nov. 7, Benjamin Franklin Parkway

• University in America (1740)
Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St.

• Children’s hospital in America (1855)
Nov. 21, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd.

• Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)
Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.

• Weather bureau (1870)
Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.

• Electronic computer (1945)
Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St.

• Public lending library in America (1731)
Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St.

• Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)
Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.