August 23-25: Seed saving lecture | Block Captain Boot Camp | Benjamin Franklin Museum reopens | Clark Park comedy screenings | Butterfly Festival | Avenue of the Arts tour

Happy weekend Eyes on the Street! 

PRESERVE Seed Saving and Agricultural Heritage

Friday, August 23, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 North 20th Street, Philadelphia. As part of the Mural Arts Program’s What We Sow project, Adam Forbes will discuss his seed diversity research from seven countries and the intertwined social/ecological importance of biodiverse and traditional agriculture. Forbes will also provide instructions of saving seeds at home and talk about what some of the immigrant communities in Philadephia are doing to preserve this heritage. 

LEAD Block Captain Boot Camp

Saturday, August 24, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Salvation Army Kroc Center, 4200 Wissahickon Ave, Philadelphia. Fourth District Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. will host the sixth annual Block Captain Boot Camp this Saturday. The program is designed to provide leadership and organizational training for community leaders as well as an opportunity for block captains to gather and exchange ideas. Workshops will focus on sustainability, neighborhood schools and property tax reassessments. 

LEARN Benjamin Franklin Museum Reopens

Saturday, August 24, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Franklin Court, enter the courtyard from Market or Chestnut streets, between 3rd and 4th streets. For the last two years the Benjamin Franklin Museum has been closed for a $23 million overhaul overseen by the National Park Service. This weekend, the long shuttered museum opens its doors with free admission on Saturday and Sunday. The museum features a collection of artifacts, computer animation and interactive, educational displays. For more on the museum and the project, check Eyes on the Street’s Ashley Hahn’s report here. 

LAUGH Clark Park Classic Comedies Screenings

Saturday, August 24, 8:30 p.m. Clark Park, 43rd Street and Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia. As summer winds down the chances to catch free outdoor movie screenings are dwindling. This Saturday head to Clark Park for a night of multiple classic comedy screenings. Beginning at 8:30 p.m. the big outdoor screen will feature comedies starring the likes of Laurel and Hardy, who claimed their fame in the ’40s, and Buster Keaton, the silent film humor master. 

CELEBRATE Butterfly Festival at Tyler Arboretum

Saturday, August24, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Tyler Arboretum, 515 Painter Road, Media, Pa. Catch a glimpse of the monarch butterflies before they flutter bye and migrate south for the cooler months. The Tyler Arboretum invites guests to its all-day Butterfly Festival. Learn about the mystique of butterflies, what types of flowers and plants attract them, the magic behind their metamorphosis and more. The event includes colorful arts and crafts and games too. Bring your own picnic basket or enjoy food from the Pizza Wagon. Festival included in general admission: Adults $9, Seniors $8, Youth ages three through 15 $5, Children under 3 and Tyler Members free.

TOUR Avenue of the Arts, Architectural Walking Tour

Sunday, August 25, 2 p.m. Meet in front of PA. Academy of Fine Arts, 128 N. Broad St. Let the Preservation Alliance guide you on an architectural walking tour of the “Avenue of the Arts” and its rich assortment of building styles and functions. Tour highlights include the Frank Furness-designed Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Victorian eclecticism, the dramatic glass canopy of the Kimmel Center as well as Victorian and Beaux Arts commercial buildings. Cost: Adults $10, Students $8, Children 10 and younger free. Preservation Alliance members $5.

Have fun!