THE PHILADELPHIA CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL Celebrate the Year of the Horse in Franklin Square with giant illuminated sculptures, authentic Chinese food, cultural performances, the Franklin Square Fountain Show and more, all in the shadow of the iconic 200-foot-long dragon!
Drink in the moment independence began. Step back in time to 1774, when revolutionary ideas first took root in Philadelphia and take a front row seat to all the action behind the scenes at the First Continental Congress. Watch the Founders debate independence inside the storied walls of Carpenters’ Hall. Witness the tension, courage, and conviction that shaped the path to American liberty through short, vivid scenes while enjoying cocktails and snacks. Feel the energy of spirited debates and passionate disagreements with the Founding Fathers – John Adams and John Dickinson – as well as members of the enslaved and free Black communities, as they wrestle with the fate of the colonies behind closed doors.
Meet Betsy at two different stages of her life, along with Hannah Lithgow, who rented Betsy her rooms in the house. Talk to a young Betsy Ross while she secretly stitches the nation’s first flag in her bedchamber, away from the prying eyes of Loyalists. Then, meet Betsy Ashburn, the remarried upholsterer, now participating in even more rebellious activities – making musket cartridges for the Continental Army.