Fairmount Park has been a place of refuge for Philadelphians seeking quiet from the bustle of the city since the 1870s.
For Penn students remaining on-campus during fall break, Fairmount Park is the perfect place to relax after a week of midterms and enjoy the sylvan serenity of the city's largest park.
Seasonal
On Saturday, from noon to 5:30 p.m., venture down to the banks of the Schuylkill River for the Philadelphia Navy Day Regatta, where some of the top high school and college rowing teams in the country will compete.
To finish off the day, walk to the Japanese House and Garden and celebrate the ancient tradition of Otsukimi -- moon viewing. Dinner, live music and even a traditional sing-along are part of the event. Registration is required, so call 215-878-5087 for details.
Philanthropy
If a group of students want to give back to the community, they can contact the Fairmount Park Commission and spend a few hours getting down and dirty by cleaning up a section of the park. Call 215-683-0217 for more information.
On Sunday, head to the Philadelphia Museum of Art's front steps to participate in the Philadelphia AIDS Walk. To register, visit aidswalkphilly.org.
The annual event raises money for a number of AIDS-related causes.
Staying Active
Take a leisurely walk on Monday and view Fairmount public sculptures. An interactive map of some of the sculptures' locations is available at fpaa.org/pa_map.html.
If students are interested in staying physically active over break, the park offers miles of recreational trails for the avid cyclist. These trails also have paths for joggers.
Culture in the Park
Beginning on Friday evening, students can unwind at Art After 5, a weekly entertainment-filled evening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that features live music and food. This week's performer is jazz singer Jackie Ryan. Museum admission is required, and the cost is $8 for students.
For history buffs, there are also a variety of colonial estates that are open to the public, as well as buildings constructed during the Great Depression of the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration projects.
The University's founder, Ben Franklin, was quite fond of the Woodford mansion, which was built by one of his close personal friends. The house now holds an extensive collection of "eye popping decorative arts." It can be found in East Fairmount Park.
In between tree preservation and sculpture tours, pack a picnic lunch and sit outside at one of the 139 picnic spaces in the park.
