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Christine Barnabic had already run a 5K at Belmont Plateau on Saturday morning when, still in her running gear, she hopped on her scooter and headed from her home in Fairmount<\/a> to the Philadelphia Zoo<\/a>. Her purse held commemorative pencils and a tattered punch card. <\/p>\n When she arrived, the punch card had 10 holes in it \u2014 one for each \u201cfirstival\u201d she had attended so far this year<\/a>. At the zoo, she got her 11th hole punched, and a hat to celebrate her attendance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just really neat to recognize these firsts in America,\u201d Barnabic, 42, said. <\/p>\n The Philadelphia Zoo, for its part, was the first public zoo to open in the United States,<\/a> in 1874. It is just one stop along the Philadelphia Historic District\u2019s \u201c52 Weeks of Firsts\u201d<\/a> events that celebrate Philly\u2019s history and cultural significance by showcasing things that happened here first. <\/p>\n The series launched Jan. 3<\/a>, commemorating the first balloon flight in America<\/a>. Barnabic missed the first run of events, but once she attended an event marking the first circus <\/a>performance in the U.S., she was hooked.<\/p>\n She started posting selfies taken at each firstival and was stunned to learn she had won a prize pack including a Slinky, a record of old songs, tickets to the Betsy Ross House and Eastern State Penitentiary, and free admission to adult circus classes \u2014 each gift celebrating a historic milestone that happened in Philly. <\/p>\n Barnabic said she is no history expert, but she is an enthusiast. She manages a company that does fitness tours for people who are in town for conferences or staying at hotels. To her, checking off the firstivals also boosted her knowledge. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd people are very friendly here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Todd Marcocci at Under the Sun Productions has been coordinating the events for the historic district. He said he knows at least four people who have attended all 32 events so far. <\/p>\n The firstivals are often held at popular public locations, and many, like Barnabic, have been drawn in and kept coming back, Marcocci said. The zoo commemoration, for example, was held near the Ferris wheel, which is open to the public, no ticket required.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been great, because each week there is variety. It\u2019s beyond education. You think you know a lot about history, but everyone learns something here,\u201d Marcocci said. <\/p>\n Retired historian Lee Arnold agreed. In March, he attended the first flower show event<\/a> at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and kept coming back. <\/p>\n He has his own side quest: He is gathering commemorative items from all of the firstivals that he plans to give to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania for posterity.<\/p>\n