February 17-21: Presidents Day festivities | Bacon Awards | Northern Liberties exhibit | Kahn Day

Shake off the chill with events that celebrate presidents, Ed Bacon and Ed Rendell, Norther Liberties, and Lou Kahn.

LEARN: Presidents Day Celebration at National Constitution Center

Monday, February 17, 9:30am-5pm. National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St. The Constitution Center is free on Presidents Day in celebration of our presidents as well as African American History Month. Play games, meet presidents, talk leadership, and do crafts. At noon, join presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt for a Kids Town Hall. Free.

EXPLORE: Presidents Day at National Museum of American Jewish History

Monday, February 17, 10am-5pm. National Museum of American Jewish History, 5th and Market streets. Learn about connections between American Jews and presidents through special tours, spotlight talks and exhibits.  See an original letter written by George Washington to the Jewish Community of Newport, Rhode Island and write your own letter to a President with a quill pen. $12, $11 for seniors and students, free for kids under 12 and active military.

HONOR: 2014 Edmund Bacon Competition and Award Honoring Ed Rendell

Tuesday, February 18, 7-8:30pm. Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch, Room 114. Join Governor Ed Rendell, the 2014 Edmund N. Bacon Prize recipient, a talk about transportation and infrastructure investment. Ceremony will also honor the student winners of the 2014 Better Philadelphia Challenge. $15 for awards ceremony, $150 for VIP reception and ceremony.

VIEW: Northern Liberties: From World’s Workshop to Hipster Mecca and the People In Between

Thursday, February 20, opening 5:30-7:30pm. Philadelphia History Museum, 15 South 7th Street. Artist Jennifer Baker’s exhibit traces the story of Northern Liberties from its industrial life, deindustrialization and depopulation, and its rebirth. Opens Feb. 20, with a reception complete with pizza and beer. Register for opening online. Regular admission: $10, $8 for seniors, $6 for students, free for members and kids under 12.

COMMEMORATE: Louis I. Kahn Day

Thursday, February 20. PennDesign, 210 and 220 South 34th Street, 4-7:30pm. To mark the 113th birthday of architect Louis Kahn join PennDesign to celebrate Kahn’s residential designs. At 4pm a panel discussion in Meyerson Hall will discuss his residential projects and clients. Then from 5:30-7:30pm in the Architectural Archives enjoy the opening of a new exhibit Brought to Light: The Houses of Louis Kahn, which will be open until May 23. Free, register online.

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