Wawa Welcome America’s Free Museum Day & George Fox’s 400th Birthday Celebration

Arch Street Meeting House will be open for FREE as a part of Wawa Welcome America’s Free Museum Day with birthday cake, historic interpreters, crafts, dunk tanks, and more! What better way to celebrate the Quaker City ahead of Independence Day weekend than with a birthday bash four hundred years in the making!

Our historic corner of Old City will bring the past to life with historical interpreters of William Penn, Hannah Callowhill Penn, and the birthday boy, George Fox himself. Period-dressed vendors will share their finest handcrafted goods, and visitors will get the opportunity to explore the exhibits on our historic burial grounds as well as experience a self-guided tour of the meetinghouse’s exhibit galleries.

Whether you’re a Quaker, a history buff, or just someone looking for a fun time, join us as we remember the past, and celebrate the future.

Thank you to our vendors: First Contact Reconciliation Collaborative, Weckerly’s Ice Cream, Byz Empire Food Truck, Keith Henley (Alpha Designs),
Brian the Balloon Artist, Studio Kane, and Ted Stussy’s Shadowcut Silhouettes.

10 am – Arch Street Meeting House opens to the public with exhibit exploration and family friendly crafts.

10:30 am – John Woolman visits the Lenape People at Wyalusing — a Faith & Play story about friendship across differences

11 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 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 – 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 pm – Fox Forward: A Roundtable Discussion — Facilitated by Melinda Wenner Bradley, the roundtable will feature leaders in the Quaker community today speaking to how we can learn from the past as we envision the future of the faith and its witness. Speakers include:

Robin Mohr, Executive Director of FWCC Section of the Americas

Brian Blackmore, Director of Quaker Engagement for the American Friends Service Committee

Dwight Dunston, Host of The Seed podcast from Pendle Hill

Hazele Goodridge, Clerk of the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia and Coordinator of Friends Pantry & Community Fridge at Arch Street Meeting House.

2:30 – 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 pm – Community Worship in the historic West Room (1811) will be open to the public. (optional)