Marywood University and The Center for The Living City Announce Weeklong Observe Scranton Events

Marywood University and The Center for The Living City announce, Observe Scranton, a weeklong program of events. The community festival celebrates Scranton through the eyes of Jane Jacobs, a hometown iconic city activist, on what would be her 105th birthday. Free community exhibits located throughout the city, in collaboration with the Lackawanna County Library, Marywood University, the City of Scranton, other local colleges and universities, and many private community-minded developers, organizations, and businesses, include:

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

  • The festival will kick-off with Jane Jacobs Day & Flag Raising at Scranton City Hall, at 10 a.m., 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton. Join Sister Mary Persico, IHM, Ed.D., president of Marywood University, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, and the Center for the Living City for the inaugural Jane Jacobs Day Proclamation, a day of community conversations and gatherings, along with the Jane Jacobs flag raising on what would have been her 105th birthday.
  • A book launch will take place at 6:30 p.m., in the theater at Lackawanna College. Author Glenna Lang will give a slide presentation to celebrate the publication of her book, Jane Jacob’s First City: Learning from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

  • The Jane Jacobs Walk will take place at the Forest Hill Cemetery, at 2 p.m., at 1830 Jefferson Avenue, Dunmore, Pa. Join the cemetery’s caretaker and archivist, Norma Reese, for a fascinating tour of Scranton’s first landscaped cemetery, founded in 1870.
  • The Architecture and History of Lackawanna Avenue will be explored at the Jane Jacobs Walk, at 5:15 p.m., at The Marketplace at Steamtown, 300 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton. Architect and local historian, Richard Leonori, will lead a several block walk along Scranton’s main downtown street, laid out as part of the original plan for the city in the 1850s.
  • Book signing at Library Express Bookstore will take place at 6:15 p.m., with author Glenna Lang, who will read passages from Jane Jacob’s First City. The book signing will take place at The Marketplace at Steamtown Mall, 2nd floor, 300 Lackawanna Avenue, Scranton.
  • A Community Conversation: A Scranton City Dialogue will take place from 6 – 7:30 p.m., via Zoom. Those interested can register at surveymonkey.com/r/ObserveScranton. An inspired community conversation focusing on questions and themes Jane Jacobs raised in a seminal 1987 letter to the City about “what Scranton is, has been, and can be.” This event is hosted by The University of Scranton and city partners.

Thursday, May 6, 2021

  • From 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. a virtual event, Blue Zone + the Built Environment, will be provided. Those interested can register by emailing Margaret.Brown@sharecare.com with the session the participants plan to attend including:
  • 10 – 11:15 a.m., Built Environment – Government. Discussions targeted to government and planning leaders for public works, economic development, walking and bike infrastructure, public safety, and more.
  • 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.: Built Environment – Policy Advocates: Discussion targeted to walk and bike advocates, neighborhood associations, chamber of commerce reps, and more.
  • 1 – 2 p.m.: Blue Zones for Elected Officials: Discussions targeted to mayors, city councils, county commissioners, and state and federal representatives, as well as the public.
  • A Book Reading with Glenna Lang and community members will take place at 5:30 pm., at the Lackawanna County Courthouse, across from the iconic Electric City sign. Accompanied by special guests, author Glenn Lang will provide an outdoor book reading of Jane Jacob’s First City, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.

Friday, May 7, 2021

  • First Friday Scranton, from 5-9 p.m., will feature a wide variety of cultural events found in some of the city’s best restaurants and cafes, as well as galleries, boutiques, and other small businesses.
  • Interactive Exhibit, from 5 -7 p.m., at the Observe Scranton headquarters, 546 Spruce Street, in the Scranton Life Building. During the First Friday event, attendees are encouraged to share their thoughts about the past, present, and future of Scranton.
  • The Inaugural Community Night Light Ride will take place at 8:30 p.m., with registration at 7:30 p.m. Those interested will meet at the corner of Adams Avenue and Spruce Street. A fun evening bicycle ride through the city of Scranton will take place. Attendees are encouraged to decorate their bicycles with lights. Registration can also be made prior to the event, at northeastartproject.com/lightthenighride.

Saturday, May 8, 2021

  • A Jane Jacobs Walk will take place from 10 – 11 a.m., at 1712 Monroe Avenue, Dunmore, the childhood home of Jane Jacobs. Architect and longtime Dunmorean, John Cowder, will retrace Jane’s routes to her neighborhood school, the potato chip factory in the alley, and other mom-and-pop stores she and her family and friends frequented.
  • Scranton StorySlam with Scranton Fringe will take place at the Scranton Cultural Center, 420 N. Washington Avenue, Scranton, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Scranton StorySlam is a celebration of diverse voices, welcoming all to share their stories of triumph, disappointment, humor, and heartbreak with supportive audiences. Featured storytellers include Amber Viola, Chris Kelly, Glynis M. Johns, Gerard Hetman, Laureen M. O’Handley, Terry Thompson, and Jessica Rothchild, Ph.D., as well as many others.

For additional information about Observe Scranton events with Center for The Living City and Marywood University, please visit observescranton.org/schedule.

Planned Community Events Observe Scranton Jane Jacobs Festival

The Center for the Living City, with community partner organizations including The University of Scranton, will offer a series of events for the Observe Scranton Jane Jacobs First City Festival. 

On May 5 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Scranton community members are invited to attend for a special event, Community Conversation: A Scranton City Dialogue. This Jane Jacobs inspired community conversation will focus on questions and themes she raised in a seminal 1987 letter to the City about “what Scranton is, has been, and can be.” This community dialogue event will be held via Zoom. For more information, please visit scranton.edu/ScrantonCityDialogue. Registration is required for this event at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ObserveScranton.

This community dialogue is sponsored by The University of Scranton and The Center for the Living City in partnership with United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA, NeighborWorks of NEPA, Scranton Tomorrow, Valley in Motion, the Greater Scranton MLK Commission and the Scranton Area Ministerium.

This special virtual dialogue event is a part of the Observe Scranton “Jane Jacob’s First City Festival,” a weeklong celebration of Jane Jacobs’s life and legacy hosted by The Center for the Living City.  Festival events will take place in Scranton, PA and virtually from May 4, 2021, through May 8, 2021. Highlights include the Book Launch of Jane Jacob’s First City: Learning from Scranton, Pennsylvania and a Story Slam. In-person events will follow all Covid safety protocols. For more information about Observe Scranton and the festival events and exhibits, please visit observescranton.org.

The Observe Festival will also offer a variety of events as a part of the First Friday Scranton offerings this May 7 from 5 – 9 p.m.  At the Observe Festival HQ, community members are invited to participate in an interactive art exhibit that will allow participants to share their thoughts about the past, present and future of Scranton. This event will take place at 600 Spruce Street and is sponsored by The University of Scranton in partnership with The Center for the Living City and United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA.

Another First Friday and festival offering is coordinated by the Northeast Art Project (NEAP) the “Light the Night Ride,” a community bicycle ride and contest, to Scranton. Community members can participate by either coming down to enjoy the incredible display or register in advance to participate. For more details or to register your bike for Light the Night Ride, visit NEAP’s website, northeastartproject.com, contact via email at admin@northeastartproject.com, or follow Northeast Art Project on Instagram and Facebook.

Jane Jacobs’s First City Live Book Launch

Hear author Glenna Lang at an in-person lecture and slide presentation celebrating the release of her new book—Jane Jacobs’s First City: Learning from Scranton, Pennsylvania(New Village Press). Learn how Jane Jacobs’s influential ideas about vibrant cities developed through her early life in the City of Scranton. This May 4th marks what would have been Jane Jacobs’s 105th birthday and the first annual Jane Jacobs Day in Scranton.

Special guests will include Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, architect John Cowder, and Center for the Living City director Maria MacDonald. Audience Q&A will be followed by a book signing. The socially-distanced program will take place at the spacious Theater at Lackawanna College, formerly Central High School from which Jane Jacobs (née Butzner) graduated.

Registration is required but free. This program is part of the Jane Jacobs Lecture Series hosted by the Center for the Living City and Marywood University, and is a kickoff for many events in the week-long Observe Scranton: Jane Jacobs’s First City Festival.

If you cannot attend in person, tickets for a livestream virtual event will be available soon through the Center for the Living City.

Thanks to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) NEPA Chapter for sponsoring this event and offering CES credit for architects attending in-person or virtually. Additional sponsors include Lackawanna College and the Scranton Public Library.

Seating is limited—Register now.

Masks required. Space is wheelchair accessible.

Observe Scranton Festival

Join us for a weeklong community festival celebrating Scranton through the eyes of Jane Jacobs, its hometown iconic city activist, on what would be her 105th birthday.

On May 4-8, free community exhibits will be located all over the city in collaboration with the Lackawanna County Library, Marywood University, the University of Scranton, the City of Scranton, and many private community-minded Developers, organizations, and businesses.

Live Music, First Friday Celebrations, Book launch/signings, Flag raising, Bike rides and more. The Festival concludes with a special ticketed Fringe Festival event StorySlam.