Special Events | Penn Today

7/26

Made in the Shade Tour

Visitors will walk along a shady path to view the glory of summer at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens—all while keeping cool. The summertime tree canopies will be at their fullest expanse, offering remarkable panoramas. Attendees will also get a chance to view several garden features tucked away in the shade. Free with Penn ID.

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Morris Arboretum & Gardens, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

9/10

PoemTalk: Pierre Joris & Jerome Rothenberg

PoemTalk features a roundtable close reading of poetry recordings in the PennSound archive. This special episode of the series, co-sponsored by Penn’s Creative Writing Program and filmed in front of an audience, will feature poems by Pierre Joris (1946–2025) and Jerome Rothenberg (1931–2024), who were longtime collaborators and dear friends of the Kelly Writers House.

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Kelly Writers House, 3805 Locust Walk

8/21

SP2: Welcome Back Summer Social

The School of Social Policy & Practice’s annual Welcome Back event is part of the New Student Orientation events taking place in August. The gathering is free, and will have food, drinks, a photo booth, and a live DJ. All SP2 students, alumni, faculty, and staff are welcome.

5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Irie Entrée, 4001 Chestnut St.

6/25

Modern Tools for Productivity and Automation

A blue screen made to look like the inside of a computer, with many small blue lit-up icons, including a person, an @ symbol, an envelope, a pin drop, an hourglass, and a computer screen.

Participants will discover how to leverage powerful Microsoft tools designed to streamline work and boost productivity. The session will be especially helpful for those whose jobs involve managing surveys, automating workflows, editing videos, or exploring AI. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Hybrid; Gittis Hall, 3501 Sansom St.

9/12

Making the Medieval Archive

Open pages of John Trevisa book with ancient language and a round blue symbol among the text.

This day-long symposium will commemorate Elizabeth (Peggy) A. R. Brown’s extraordinary legacy in the field of Medieval Studies. The program will also mark the official launch of the Elizabeth A. R. Brown Medieval Historians’ archive, a new initiative at Penn Libraries to collect the professional papers of scholars of the Middle Ages.

10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, 3420 Walnut St.

9/13

Trees Around the World Tour

Participants will learn about numerous tree species from around the world that can be found at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. The tour showcases trees from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Free with Penn ID.

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Morris Arboretum & Gardens, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

8/9

Water Features Tour

Morris Arboretum plants and stream looking into a field of green.

This walking tour will highlight natural and man-made water features throughout the Morris Arboretum & Gardens, including natural streams, cascading waterfalls, and the striking Swan Pond, among others. Free with Penn ID.

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Morris Arboretum & Gardens, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

6/22

Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival

The Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival, started by the Pennsylvania Juneteenth Initiative, is the largest annual celebration in the nation attended by thousands of people with a focus on continuing the tradition of Kujichagulia (self-determination). The annual celebration continues with a festival at the historic Malcolm X Park with over 250 vendors, a musical concert, and more.

10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Malcolm X Park, 5100 Pine St.

6/18

I3H Year in Review Symposium

This symposium, organized by Penn’s Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H), will include the presentation of several awards, as well as a trainee and poster session. The program will also include a keynote lecture from Ruslan Medzhitov, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine, titled “Specificity, Reactivity, and Allergic Immunity.” Free and open to the Penn community.

1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Blvd.

9/3

Speakeasy Open Mic Night

This student-run open mic night welcomes all kinds of readings and performances. A sign-up sheet will be available upon arrival, and participants will have three minutes at the podium to perform. Bring your poetry, your guitar, your dance troupe, your award-winning essay, or your flash fiction to share—or just visit to celebrate the work of classmates, colleagues, and fellow writers.

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Kelly Writers House, 3805 Locust Walk