World Heritage Week
World Heritage Week is a celebration of the World Heritage City Designation of Philadelphia. The last Thursday of May is set as World Heritage Day by the City. 
The city of Philadelphia declared World Heritage Day on the last Thursday of May to celebrate Philadelphia's World Heritage City Designation. Today, we celebrate World Heritage Week with a selection of events to highlight Philadelphia's international heritages and communities.
This week is a collaborative celebration featuring valued community partners, the Office of the City Representative, and GPA-hosted events.
Community Partners
What to Expect
Sunday - May 19th
Featured Event: Woodmere Youth Art Exhibit: Educational Art Program with Philadelphia School District
Through a partnership between Global Philadelphia Association and Woodmere Art Museum, the organizations are offering art education to Philadelphia district schools. Eight Philadelphia schools have participated in the program, including Esperanza Charter Academy, McClure, Solis Cohen, Kennedy Crossan, Spring Garden, Lingelbach, Shawmont, and Jenks Academy for Arts and Sciences Schools, culminating in an exhibition in Woodmere Art Museum’s Millard Children’s Gallery opening during World Heritage Week.
Throughout the opening reception on Sunday, May 19, attendees are invited to view students’ work, inspired by the artwork of Philadelphia-based, Venezuela-born artist, Henry Bermudez. The artist’s multi-media paintings are filled with vibrant colors, patterns, and dazzling textures that convey the richness of Latin America’s rainforests and his respect for its cultures and mythological deities.
WHERE: 9201 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Monday - May 20th
Featured Event: Philadelphia Visitor Center’s Philly Opener
The Philadelphia Visitor Center is hosting the Philly Opener on Monday, May 20, 2024, as an inaugural event to kick off the tourism season in Philadelphia! This event, held during National Travel and Tourism Week, will take place at the Independence Visitor Center (at 6th and Market Streets) in the heart of Historic Philadelphia and will feature the first-ever presentation of the Most Valuable Philadelphian (MVP) Award. Purchase your ticket now and count on a pep rally atmosphere with festive food, live entertainment, and a preview of the don’t-miss experiences around Philly this tourism season!
WHERE: Independence Visitor Center (6th and Market Streets)
City Hall Tour
World Heritage Week is all about heritage in our city, this year GPA is offering a tour of City Hall for our Young Professional Network. The tour will cover the exterior and interior architecture of the building and also offer access to several offices of city council members.
WHERE: City Hall, 1400 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19107
World Affairs Council - Diplochat: Denmark
Join us for an in-depth conversation between World Affairs Council, CEO, Lauren Swartz and H.E. Jesper Moller Sørensen, the Ambassador of Denmark to the United States. This month sees the launch of a direct flight from Philadelphia International Airport to Copenhagen, Denmark.
WHERE: World Affairs Council 1617 JFK Blvd., Suite 1660, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Tuesday - May 21st
Caribbean Transnational Identity and Art Literacy - Lecture
The Caribbean Lecture Series, proudly sponsored by the Caribbean Community of Philadelphia, invites you to delve into the fascinating intersection of transnational identity and art literacy. Our guest speaker, Sharon Hicks, will take center stage, sharing her personal narrative of navigating the intricate landscape of local and global identity as a second-generation Caribbean-Jewish immigrant from Jamaica.
WHERE: 3401 Market Street, 3rd floor, suite 3000, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
Summer Heat Safety Workshop - City of PHL Health Department
Join the Health Department for a virtual workshop. Learn about heat related illness, utility assistance, and places to stay safe and cool during extremely hot days.
Virtual Event Held via Zoom.
Wednesday - May 22nd
Dare to Declare! A Conversation About the Declaration of Independence
PHILADELPHIA250 and The Welcoming Center present "Dare to Declare! A Conversation About the Declaration of Independence". As the nation's semi-quincentennial approaches in 2026, we reflect upon the meaning of our nation's founding document and the ongoing influence of its ideas.
PHILADELPHIA250 and The Welcoming Center are hosting a civic conversation and networking event for friends and participants of The Welcoming Center's programs to learn what Philadelphia's immigrant and international communities think about this anniversary and how they believe the ideals of the Declaration resonate today.
WHERE: 211 N 13th St 4th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107
GPLEX360: Recruitment and Networking Event
The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia hosts their Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange (GPLEX) recruitment and happy hour. Dive into our vibrant community at the Writers Room. Connect with like-minded individuals and immerse yourself in the distinctive conversations that define GPLEX. GPLEX has been building civic muscle since 2005, convening diverse cross-sector leaders for highly curated learning and networking experiences. Don't miss this opportunity to join us and discover what makes GPLEX truly special. This year’s exchange is in San Diego, CA October 18th - 21st.
WHERE: The Writers Room, 229 North 34th Street Philadelphia, PA 19104
Thursday - May 23rd
Sustainable Development Goal #2 Unveiling - Zero Hunger with Philabundance
Global Philadelphia Association will unveil Sustainable Development Goal 2 - Zero Hunger at BUDD Bioworks. This piece, sponsored by GIANT Foods, hosted by BUDD Bioworks, and painted by Branche Coverdale, highlights the Sustainable Development Goal #2 which aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
Our non-profit grantee for this mural is Philabundance. The artwork unveiling will debut the art with a speaker portion presenting speeches regarding the efforts to end hunger within the city of Philadelphia.
WHERE: Budd Bioworks, 2450 West Hunting Park Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19129
Friday - May 24th
Soccer Clinic with Philly Parks & Recreation
In collaboration with The Philadelphia Parks & Recreation we are hosting a world-class compilation of coaches, captains, and players from the Philadelphia International Unity Cup soccer tournament to conduct a fun-filled youth soccer clinic. Youth ages 4 to 14 years of age will participate in skills and drills taught by some of our area’s most talented athletes. In collaboration with Global Philadelphia Association, families can also enjoy fun heritage-themed activities. All participants will receive soccer-themed giveaways.
WHERE: Franklin Square, 200 N 6th St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Saturday - May 25th
Echoes of the Land: Chronicles of West Africa - HYENAS
“An enthralling Senegalese adaptation of the play ‘The Visit’, director Djibril Diop Mambéty masterfully blends critiques of neocolonialism into an evocative narrative of a woman’s high-stakes return home for vengeance.” The Philadelphia Film Society presents a new film series- Echoes of the Land: Chronicles of West Africa. Launching Saturday, April 27, with two weekend screenings of MANDABI, the series will take place at the end of each month this quarter. MANDABI is the first predominantly Wolof language film from renowned director Ousmane Sembène. The other films in this series include HYENAS and EMITA.
WHERE: Film Center, 1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Tango Dance Workshop - Beginner
The Philadelphia Tango Festival will explore the theme, La Poesia del Abrazo (The Poetry of the Tango Embrace). The premise of this three-day festival is that, whether or not we speak Spanish, if we invest just a bit of time and effort to explore tango’s poetry, we can enormously enrich our experience of dancing and listening to tango. The festival draws together dancers, musicians, vocalists, poets/lectures, and DJs who will expertly guide us in this exploration.
WHERE: Lithuanian Music Hall, 2715 E Allegheny Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19134
Global Philadelphia Digital Archive: SDG Murals Drone Video
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Project calls attention to crucial sustainability issues with a timeline to make significant progress by 2030.
Global Philadelphia and local partners have created a comprehensive set of public artworks to raise awareness of these 17 elemental goals.
World Heritage Week Advisory Committee
Carol Wong, Chinatown Learning Center, Director
Jeannine Cook, Harriett’s Bookshop, Owner
Layla Tannir, Director of Entrepreneurship at The Welcoming Center
Toyin Ogunfolaju, Jacobs, Director Social Value & Equity Americas
Jane Grabias, Philadelphia250, Director of Programs
Bill Salvatore, Deputy Commissioner of Programs; Director of Philadelphia International Unity Cup
Jazelle Jones, City Representative and Director of Special Events
Val Kogen, Mid-Atlantic - Eurasia Business Council
