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Visit PA: A dozen reasons to visit Philadelphia in 2014 – Metro US

Visit PA: A dozen reasons to visit Philadelphia in 2014

The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show starts March 1. Credit: R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show starts March 1. Credit: R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia

Art lovers, garden enthusiasts, music mavens and sports fans keep coming back to Philadelphia year after year for festivals, athletic events, art shows, parades and cultural events galore. Here’s what’s going on in the region in 2014:

1. The Pennsylvania Convention Center transforms into a car lover’s dream for the Philadelphia Auto Show, featuring 700 pre-production, hot-production, classic and green vehicles from a range of manufacturers. Feb. 8-16. www.phillyautoshow.com

2. The Pennsylvania Convention Center is the site of the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, the nation’s premier horticultural event. Themed “ARTiculture,” the annual gardening celebration features top-of-the-line floral and landscape design, entertainment and more than 180 vendors. March 1-9. www.theflowershow.com

3. With hands-on events for kids, sophisticated activities for adults and a carnival on the Ben Franklin Parkway, the Philadelphia Science Festival demonstrates the role science plays in everyday life. April 25-May 3. www.philasciencefestival.org

4. Musicians, dancers, actors, jugglers, puppeteers and acrobats delight young audiences at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts during the Philadelphia International Children’s Festival. May 1-3. www.annenbergcenter.org

5. Equality Forum — the Global LGBT Summit that celebrates the cultural and political legacy of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community — includes a featured nation, panels and parties. May 1-4. www.equalityforum.com

6. Philly Beer Week, the seventh annual celebration of Philadelphia’s vibrant beer culture, takes over the city for 10 days and features events ranging from tastings to lectures to beer-pairing dinners. May 30-June 8. www.phillybeerweek.org

7. Philly’s own Grammy-winning hip-hop band The Roots bring together artists from various genres for the seventh annual Roots Picnic at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing. May 31. www.livenation.com

8. Celebrating the nation’s birthday, Wawa Welcome America! is a multiday party with free events for all ages throughout the city — including concerts, a parade and fireworks. June 28-July 4. www.welcomeamerica.com

9. Kennett Square’s annual Mushroom Festival puts the fun in fungi during a weekend of music, food, parades, farm tours and other activities in the “Mushroom Capital of the World.” www.mushroomfestival.org

10. Thrill-seekers celebrate the Halloween season at Eastern State Penitentiary by visiting Terror Behind the Walls, a spooky haunted house inside an abandoned prison. Select nights, Sept. 19-Nov. 8. 215-236-3300, www.easternstate.org

11. With a fast course that winds through the city’s historic downtown, the Philadelphia Marathon has been one of the country’s premier running events since 1994. The weekend also includes an 8K race, half-marathon and a Kids Fun Run. Nov. 21-23. www.philadelphiamarathon.com

12. During A Longwood Gardens Christmas, thousands of poinsettias, towering Christmas trees and fragrant flowers transform the indoor gardens. Outside, 500,000 lights glitter in the trees. Nov. 27-Jan. 11. www.longwoodgardens.org

Content submitted by Visit Philadelphia.