Chestnut Hill Announces Three Family-Friendly Events for the 2015 Philadelphia Science Festival

The Chestnut Hill Business District is partnering with Chestnut Hill College and J.S. Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences to present Astronomy Night on April 24 and Discovery Day on April 25 as part of the fifth annual Philadelphia Science Festival. Chestnut Hill’s youngest residents can also enjoy Neighborhood Science Afterschool on April 29 at the Chestnut Hill Library.

Chestnut Hill Astronomy Night on Friday, April 24th, one of 29 Astronomy Night events happening across the region, will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the playground at J.S. Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences located at 8301 Germantown Ave. and is free and open to the public. Four professors from Chestnut Hill College will be on-site with telescopes for guests and attendees to take a tour of the moon, planets and stars.

Chestnut Hill’s first Discovery Day, also part of the nine-day Philadelphia Science Festival, will take place on Saturday, April 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will offer attendees the opportunity to engage with science and technology. Several of Chestnut Hill’s local businesses, along with Morris Arboretum, Chestnut Hill College, Friends of the Wissahickon, Woodmere Art Museum and Chestnut Hill Hospital, will offer fun, interactive science activities for children and adults. Attendees can learn the chemistry of bread baking, how paint gets its color, what teeth are made of, and much more. Plus, Dow Chemical Company who teamed up with the USA Luge team to help design and engineer superior luge sleds, will be on-hand with their street luge for attendees to try.

“For this year’s Philadelphia Science Festival, Chestnut Hill is enhancing and increasing the experience for our community through Astronomy Night and Discovery Day at J.S. Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences,” said Martha B. Sharkey, Executive Director of the Chestnut Hill Business District. “Thanks to our shops, restaurants and neighborhood institutions, this year’s Science Festival will be better than ever in Philadelphia’s Garden District.”

In addition, The Friends of J.S. Jenks and J.S. Jenks Home and School Association will host a Spring Funfest at Discovery Day to benefit the J.S. Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences. Highlights of Funfest include moon bounces and inflatables, face painting and temporary tattoos, crafts, games, lemonade, popcorn and cotton candy stands and an herb planting table. Discovery Day is free and open to the public; tickets for Funfest can be purchased on-site at the event. Funds raised at Funfest will go towards the school’s “Plant a Seed in Chestnut Hill” campaign, which is specifically targeting capital for technology enhancement, science and art programing and enrichment activities.

Finally, on Wednesday, April 29 residents can head over to the Chestnut Hill neighborhood library after school for a celebration of science exploration. Scientists, engineers and other experts will be on hand to share their knowledge through engaging, free programs filled with exciting activities, animal encounters, family-friendly experiments and hands-on demonstrations.

The Philadelphia Science Festival is an annual city-wide event with over 100 events taking place over nine days organized and led by The Franklin Institute. For more information about Astronomy Night and Discovery Day, please visit www.chestnuthillpa.com. For more information about the Philadelphia Science Festival, please visit www.philasciencefestival.org.