Center City Philadelphia

Join Avenue of the Arts, Inc. on April 30 from 5:30 to 8pm for the Preview Reception of Paradise City Arts Festival (PCAF), an exciting show of museum-worthy works of art and sculpture, where you will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the artists.

There will be showcase performances by the Savoy Opera Company, Pennsylvania Ballet, Rebecca Davis Dance Company and the Grupo Fuego Dance Company. There will also be an opportunity to take Salsa lessons!

Tickets are $75 and include cocktail treats, savory fare, cash bar and free admission to PCAF on May 1, 2 or 3. Please come dressed in business attire or festive best. To purchase tickets or get more information, please call 215.731.9668 or visit www.avenueofthearts.org

On Monday, April 27 at 6:30pm, the National Constitution Center will host a panel discussion where journalists, historians and other field experts reflect upon the decisions President Obama and his administration has made thus far in an effort to strengthen the economy and restructure the nation. Among those speaking are New York Times Editorial Board member Adam Cohen, author of Nothing to Fear: FDR’s Circle and the Hundred Days that Created Modern America; Stanley Greenberg, leading political strategist and author of Dispatches from the War Room; and Byron York, The Washington Examiner’s Cheif Political Correspondent.

Admission is free but reservations are required. Call 215.409.6700

National Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street, Independence Mall, www.constitutioncenter.org

Presented by PECO Family Concert Series, this interactive concert for children allows students from the Curtis Institute of Music to share their musical talent by offering the audience various instrument demonstrations. Watch, listen and learn as the students play and coach the audience in the piano, celesta, harp, harpsichord and organ.

Best enjoyed by children between the ages of five and twelve, the event will take place Sunday, April 26 at 2pm in the Field Concert Hall. Tickets are $5 for adults; free for children twelve and under. For tickets, visit http://www.curtis.edu/html/50700.shtml

Parents, get your tickets now for an event your children are sure to love! HIT Entertainment, one of the world’s premiere independent children’s entertainment producers, have announced the debut of Bob the Builder™ LIVE!: Spud’s Big Mess. This tour will mark the first Bob the Builder US stage show in five years. Visiting the Academy of Music on May 5 & 6, the tour will produce three shows only: May 5 at 7pm and May 6 at 10:30am and 5pm.

Tickets are on sale now and range between $10 and $42.50. To purchase, call 215.731.3333 or visit www.kimmelcenter.org/broadway

Artwork courtesy of www.kimmelcenter.org

Beginning April 27 until May 3, the museums in the Greater Philadelphia area, partnered with the American Association of Museums, will provide a platform for discovery and remembrance.

Take your pick from over 50 museums as they offer an array of discounts and specials on museum admission, as well as museum store purchases.

Get the most out of this offer by visiting one per week!

For more information, visit http://www.phillyfunguide.com/group/detail/5

Visit the Franklin from April 4 through September 7 for the unique opportunity to get a glimpse of invaluable Galilean relics, imported from Italy!

Witness the extraordinary impact of Galileo’s work on astronomy, math, physics and even military operations! Fashioned out of The Franklin’s partnership with the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence, Italy, the Galileo exhibition displays numerous rare artifacts, some of which include Galileo’s remaining telescopes and other instruments and paintings and papers from the priceless Medici collection.

The Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th Street, 215.448.1200, www.fi.edu

Join Philadelphia magazine and the Center City District for a weekend of Open House tours within Philadelphia on April 25 – 26 from noon to 5pm. This unique event will feature exceptional homes, condos and apartments for sale or rent in the region’s most desirable neighborhoods. Tour some of Center City’s newest properties, enjoy special events and speak with property experts. As a bonus, take advantage of the Open House Pass, which provides discounts and benefits at participating restaurants, boutiques and several Parkway Corporation parking facilities.

For more information, visit  www.phillymag.com/openhouse

The Philadelphia Zoo is bringing its “Zoo on Wheels” program to the plaza at Capriccio at Café Cret April 18 from 10:30am to 12:30pm. Bring the family and enjoy Capriccio’s full menu of food and beverages while visiting with the animals and learning from one of the zoo’s wildlife experts. The Zoo will bring two or three animals from its “Zoo on Wheels” menagerie, which includes rabbits, owls, chickens, porcupines, falcons and countless other zoo residents, all of whom love to visit the people of Philadelphia.

Capriccio at Café Cret, 16th Street and the Ben Franklin Parkway, 215.735.9797 www.capricciocafe.com

Join KYW Newsradio and the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation (CPDC) on April 14 at 4pm for the State of Center City Address with Paul Levy, Executive Director of CPDC and President & CEO of Center City District, as well as Mike Dunn from KYW Newsradio.

The event will be held at the Union League of Philadelphia, where there will be an overview of the State of Center City 2009 report. A panel of local experts will then diagnose the impact of the global economic crisis on Center City and offer thoughts on how to prompt recovery, followed by an audience Q & A.

Following the address, a reception will be held.

Tickets are $35 for the general public, free for CPDC members. For tickets, visit http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=1053074

Join the Kimmel Center in celebrating Spring!

Wind down your day from 5pm to 7:30pm, six nights a week, April 15 to May 8. Commonwealth Plaza will transform into Club Kimmel so that Free in the Plaza can offer Arts for All. Settle into a laid-back café atmosphere with Happy Hour drinks and appetizers, and great musical performances from jazz trios and vocalists, ensembles and keyboardists.

The event is free of charge, so let your friends know about this new meeting spot.

Visit www.kimmelcenter.org for a complete listing of events.