DesignPhiladelphia is right around the corner, going from the Kickoff Party on the evening of October 4 to October 15 twelve days later. While you still have to wait to see the full event schedule, we're too excited to keep everything to ourselves. Here are some of our favorite events from this year's festival. Keep an eye out for more very soon!

MillerKnoll - Celebrating 100 Years of Herman Miller

To launch the celebration of the 100th anniversary of its brand name, Herman Miller has taken a deep dive into its rich archive of graphic design to bring its story of design authorship and cultural influence to life. Throughout its history, Herman Miller has worked with many graphic designers and artists who came to define the look and feel of their respective eras from Alexander Girard to John Massey. This visual journey celebrates their work, and the boldness, rigor, and joy innate to the brand.

AIA Home Tours

In its inaugural year, AIA Philadelphia Home Tours is showcasing the very best residential architecture in Philadelphia to demonstrate to the public the value of using an architect. Enter the houses that always catch your eye when walk by and learn how architects, product manufacturers, artists and artisans come together to make the house a home.

Asian Arts Initiative - Invasive Species: Eco Systems Land Based Initiatives

Visit The Cut, a sub-street level, open-air green space that runs parallel to Callowhill Street from North Broad Street to behind the Rodin Museum for an interactive and immersive mixed reality project. Developed by Eto Otitigbe (eo Studio), in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative and 2022 Artists-in-Residence Dr. Ashley Gripper and Sonia Galiber (of Land Based Jawns and Soil Generation), the project invites visitors to use mixed reality to cross-pollinate the Cut’s diverse plant life with narratives about cultural and physical migration. Invasive Species also includes sound sculptures that will be temporarily installed around the Cut.

Made Institute 10th Anniversary Fashion Show and Fundraiser

Celebrate 10 years of accessible fashion education featuring the collections of Made Institute's talented Graduate and All Star designers and support future talent with the featured 'shop the runway' and tuition fundraising opportunities.

National Liberty Museum - Project Liberty: A Design Challenge Community Open House 

Through a series of hands-on interactives and a dedicated studio space, Project Liberty will employ design thinking as a framework for solving problems, big and small, and empower visitors to be active participants in findings solutions for real-world issues. Visitors will work with others to find solutions at both the personal and community levels, and answer the question, “How can we create liberty for all?”

To celebrate the opening of their latest exhibition, join the National Liberty Museum for pay-as-you-wish admission and engaging activities suitable for all ages. The Director of Exhibitions and Exhibition Designer will hold special behind-the-scenes tours at 11am and 1pm.  

Philadelphia250 - Designing the 250th

Philadelphia250, the organization leading Philadelphia's celebration of 2026, will unveil the prototypes for its Declaration Station – a mobile, attention-grabbing, interactive and playful civic engagement resource. Come to a happy hour where you can meet the design teams, hear about their visions, test out the prototypes, and give your feedback. You can also get a sneak peak of Philadelphia250s plans for programming curated by neighborhoods throughout Philly for the nation's 250th.

Argent Mirror x Dina Wind Art Foundation - Fierce Women Artists: A conversation with Cimone Berman of Argent Mirror

Join the Dina Wind Art Foundation for an evening with Cimone Berman of Argent Mirror. Cimone has created architectural mirror installations for some of Philadelphia’s most stylish restaurants, repurposing cast-off glass and transforming it with sophisticated and dramatic chemical applications inspired by antique mirrors. She'll be in conversation with interior designers Katheryn Lundburg of Studio Briquette (Kalaya, Suraya, Archway) and Hope Velocette of Velocette Design (Wilder, Mission Taqueria, Oyster House) about her practice and her more recent expansion into the world of one-of-a-kind art mirrors created for residential interiors and collectors.  

The discussion will be moderated by John Wind, artist and President of the Dina Wind Art Foundation. Explore the art, enjoy light refreshments, and take in the views from our South Philly sculpture deck.