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George Fox’s Birthday Celebration at Arch Street Meeting House
June 29 @ 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Bring your friends, your children, and your neighbors for a birthday party at Arch Street Meeting House!
On June 29th Friends in the Philadelphia area will celebrate and reflect on the legacy of Quakerism co-founder, George Fox. This event is free and open to the public.
Event highlights include:
- Historical re-enactors
- Outdoor and indoor games – including a dunk tank!
- Food trucks, birthday cake and ice-cream
- “Fox Forward” panel discussion: learning from the past, visioning a Quaker future
- Interactive Lenape display with the First Contact Reconciliation Collaborative of PYM
- Storytimes
- And more — See schedule below!
Parking and Transportation:
Parking is unavailable at Arch Street Meeting House during this event.
There are multiple public lots close by, which you can find with a Google maps search for Arch Street Meeting House and nearby parking (see map image – these lots are all a 5-6 minute walk to ASMH).
Drop-offs for those unable to walk distances can be done in the ASMH parking lot or the Wyndham Hotel entrance on 4th Street. The hotel driveway is an easy way to stop without backing up traffic, and is the pickup location for Ubers/Lyfts called in the area.
Please consider public transportation!
Schedule for the Day: 10am to 4:30pm
10:00 am – Arch Street Meeting House opens to the public with family friendly crafts
10:30 am – “John Woolman visits the Lenape People at Wyalusing” a Faith & Play story about friendship across differences
11:00 am – Meet Quaker History: George Fox & Hannah Callowhill Penn (historic interpreters)
11:30 am – “Margaret Fell of Swarthmoor Hall” – a Faith & Play story for all ages about George Fox’s partner in ministry and life
12:00 pm – “Happy Birthday, George!” You can’t have a birthday party without cake! Join us for singing and a cake cutting. Cake available on a first come, first serve basis.
12:30 pm – “George Fox’s Big Discovery” – Fox was a young man with a lot of big questions. His questions led to co-founding the Quaker faith. Hear his Faith & Play story and wonder about what it says to us today.
1:00 pm – Fox Forward Roundtable
A panel of leaders in the Quaker community today speaking to how we can learn from the past as we vision the future of the faith and its witness in the world. Speakers:
- Brian Blackmore, Director of Quaker Engagement for the American Friends Service Committee;
- Dwight Dunston, host of The Seed podcast from Pendle Hill and co-facilitator of the Quaker Coalition for Uprooting Racism (QCUR);
- Hazele Goodridge, clerk of the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia which runs the Friends Pantry & Community Fridge with Arch Street Meeting House; and
- Robin Mohr, Executive Director of FWCC Section of the Americas.
2:30 pm – “The Power of Goodness”: The Power of Goodness is a collection of stories and artwork on nonviolence and reconciliation collected by Quakers over 65 years. Respect for the dignity of all life emboldens people to act in love and conscience. “Bridging Divides: Mercy: A Poet’s Memory” is an exhibition of children’s art and stories of nonviolence and reconciliation, opening with an interactive event for youth and adults, an Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) mini-session.
4:00 pm – Community worship in the historic West Room of Arch Street Meeting House will be open to the public.
Learn more about celebrations happening around the globe: fwcc.world/fox
