The Philadelphia Historic District’s “52 Weeks of Firsts” continues this weekend with a Saturday “Firstival” at the Fireman’s Hall Museum, commemorating the city and nation’s first volunteer fire company, formed in 1736.
The weekly celebrations highlighting America’s 250th birthday showcase a variety of marvels, inventions and events that first happened right here in Philly. The first two weeks recognized the first successful balloon flight in America and then the Mummers Parade as the nation’s first folk parade.
Brian Anderson, a firefighter and curator at the Fireman’s Hall Museum, said he was excited to get to tell the history of firefighting in the “52 Weeks of Firsts.”
“This is just outstanding,” he said at a press conference held at the Mummers Museum. “Telling the story about how Ben Franklin started the first fire company in 1736 when they were using bucket brigades and hand engines, to how we evolved to today, the equipment that we’re using doing the same mission of saving the general public and protecting property.”
The “firstivals” are free public events that run each Saturday of the year, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., kicking off each “firsts week” and offering entertainment and activities, including a sculpture painted by a local artist and selected by Mural Arts Philadelphia, music, giveaways and storytelling by Historic Philly’s Once Upon a Nation historical experts.
Artist Jenn Procacci painted the “No. 1” sculpture this upcoming week. The subject had special meaning to her, she said.
“My grandfather was a volunteer firefighter and I love civic service, so I wanted to support that topic by working with the volunteer fire company museum, firemen’s hall, to get the right imagery on their ‘first,’ and just honor the bucket brigade,” she said.
While researching about the first volunteer fire company, Procacci said she was amazed how it operated within the limitations of the time.
“I mean, the name is literally the bucket brigade,” she said. “So it was amazing to think about the work that these people did when they were defending property and lives from fire, and just how physical and arduous it must have been for them.”
Procacci also appreciated how the bucket brigade would defend everyone’s property, not just paying clients, which similar groups did. Her grandfather died five years ago, but she said she knew he would have been happy to see the “firstival” and her sculpture.
For all of the events happening during the city’s semiquincentennial celebrations, there will be teams of first responders present, making sure that everything happens safely.
Anderson said it was an honor to be in the spotlight and represent that group as a whole, in a year where they’ll be called on so heavily.
“I mean servicing [Philadelphia’s population] and then what will be coming into the city for the soccer events, the All-Star games, we will be at our max for medical emergencies, fire and and anything else that we are supported in and our partners,” he said “So, it’s very exciting to be able to tell the story, and I look forward to what kind of year 2026 is going to be for us.”
In the coming weeks
Here is the complete list of other firsts being highlighted this year, along with the upcoming Saturday “firstival” dates and locations.
The first:
Professional basketball league (1898)
Jan. 24, Xfinity Mobile Arena, 3601 S. Broad St.
Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)
Jan. 31, PECO Building, 2301 Market St.
African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)
Feb. 7, Mother Bethel AME Church, 419 S. 6th St.
Abolitionist society in America (1775)
Feb. 14, African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St.
Authentic Chinese gate built in America (1984)
Feb. 21, Crane Building, 1400 N. American St.
Public protest against slavery in America (1688)
Feb. 28, Historic Germantown Mennonite Meetinghouse, 6119 Germantown Ave.
Flower Show (1829)
March 7, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St.
Women’s medical college (1850)
March 14, Health Sciences Building, Drexel University, 60 N. 36th St.
Match folder (1892)
March 21, Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut St.
The first medical school in America (1765)
March 28, Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Civic Center Blvd.
Stadium in America (1895)
April 4, Franklin Field, 235 S. 33rd St.
Circus performance in America (1793)
April 11, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, 6452 Greene St.
Botanical garden (1728)
April 18, Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd.
Postmaster (1737)
April 25, Franklin Court, 322 Market St.
American-made piano and sousaphone (1775 and 1893)
May 2, Ensemble Arts Philly, 300 S. Broad St.
Mother’s Day (1908)
May 9, Historic St. George’s Museum & Archives, 326 New St.
Hospital in America (1751)
May 16, Pennsylvania Hospital, 800 Spruce St.
World’s Fair on American soil (1876)
May 23, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic
Steamboat for passengers and freight (1787)
May 30, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.
American flag (1777)
June 6, Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch St.
U.S. Army (1775)
June 13, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St.
Annual Reminder demonstration (1965)
June 20, Philly Pride Visitor Center, Lombard St. and S. 12th St.
Paper maker in America (1690)
June 27, Rittenhouse Town, 6034 Wissahickon Ave.
Bank of the United States (1791)
July 4, First Bank of the United States, 120 S. 3rd St.
Organized baseball team (1831)
July 11 (location TBD)
Ice cream soda (Oct. 1874)
July 18, Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St.
American art school (1805)
July 25, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St.
Scientific Society of Natural History (1812)
Aug. 1, at Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Zoo in America (1874)
Aug. 8, Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave.
U.S. Mint (1793)
Aug. 15 (location TBD)
Selfie (1839)
Aug. 22, Love Park, 1501 John F Kennedy Blvd.
Slinky (1943)
Aug. 29, Philadelphia Art Museum, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Signing of the Constitution (1787)
Sept. 5, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.
Continental Congress (1774)
Sept. 12 at Carpenters’ Hall, 320 Chestnut St.
Naming of the United States (1776)
Sept. 19, Independence Hall
Ronald McDonald House (1974)
Sept. 26, Ronald McDonald House, 3925 Chestnut St.
Penitentiary in America (1829)
Oct. 3, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave.
The First Peoples
Oct. 10, Penn Museum, 3260 South St.
U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)
Oct. 17, Arch Street Meeting House, 320 Arch St.
Public showing of a motion picture (1870)
Oct. 24, Philadelphia Film Society, 1412 Chestnut St.
Modern detective story written (1841)
Oct. 31, Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th St.
Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)
Nov. 7, Benjamin Franklin Parkway
University in America (1740)
Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St.
Children’s hospital in America (1855)
Nov. 21, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd.
Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)
Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.
Weather bureau (1870)
Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.
Electronic computer (1945)
Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St.
Public lending library in America (1731)
Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St.
Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)
Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.
