For students who thought Le Bec Fin was one restaurant they could never afford to dine at in their four years at Penn, it's time to think again.
The general manager of the plush downtown restaurant will be giving a presentation and offering students free samples next Thursday in Houston Hall.
The event is one of many planned for Penn's first annual Philly Week, sponsored by the Social Planning and Events Committee.
Beginning today and running through the end of next week, Philly Week will feature various concerts, films and foods unique to Philadelphia, showcased both on and off campus. It is intended as a chance for Penn students to be immersed in the arts and culture of the city in which they live.
"Philly Week aims to bring the Penn community to the greater city of Philadelphia," said SPEC Vice President Christina Chiew, a College senior. "Generally, Penn students don't tap into those resources."
The week of events kicks off tonight with free bus rides down to the monthly First Friday celebration, where Old City art galleries hold free open houses for the general public.
"Although there's so many exciting events going on on Penn's campus, actually getting out into the city can also be rewarding," Philly Week organizer and College senior Miriam Ackerman said.
"It's good for the psyche," Ackerman added.
Later tonight, Burnt Sugar, an area band, will be featured in a free concert inside Houston Hall. The band, described by Chiew as "mellow funk," will be playing tracks from their album "Blood on a Leaf."
Philly Week continues on Sunday night when SPEC hosts a Super Bowl party in Houston Hall. The game will be shown on the biggest screen on campus, and the committee expects up to 300 people to attend the free football party.
In addition to the specific events thrown by the organizers of Philly Week, SPEC is also working to promote general Philadelphia cultural events. Philly Week is advertising the Philadelphia Museum of Art's free admittance policy on Sunday mornings and is encouraging all Penn students to take advantage of this opportunity.
If students can't make it down to the museum, they can see it on the big screen. On Wednesday night, Houston Hall will be showcasing the classic Philadelphia movie Rocky, along with a documentary entitled Mural, which shows the making of five murals in the Philadelphia area.
The wide gambit of events continues with the NBA Jam Session's college night on Thursday, Feb. 7. This event is co-sponsored by the Junior Class Board and is meant to supplement the NBA All-Star Game, which will take place at the First Union Center next Sunday night.
Philly Week wraps up next Sunday in Houston Hall at 8 p.m. with performances by an array of local Philadelphia bands, including For Sale and The Great Quentini.
Philly Week organizers have been working for approximately two months to put together these events. They say that although this is a trial run, they hope to make Philly Week an annual event.
"We're trying to get this to be a forever thing," Chiew said. "It holds a lot of promise, so it would be great if we could keep it going for a long time."
