f you’re looking for a break from screens, alerts, and endless scrolling, the Philly Pen Show might be the cure—at least temporarily. It’s an unapologetically analog event: pens, paper, ink, and the people who still care deeply about them.
Whether you’re a serious collector, someone who misses the feel of writing by hand, or just looking for something fun to do—indoors—the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown, at 201 North 17th Street (a short walk from Suburban Station), is where you want to be this weekend.
The Philly Pen Show runs Friday through Sunday. You’ll find some nice ballpoints and rollerballs, but the raison d’être is fountain pens. Vendors will be selling pens ranging in price from under $5 to well into the thousands of dollars.
Best of all, many exhibitors have beautifully restored or modern pens inked up and ready for you to try. Feel free to scribble “the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog,” or whatever else you like, to test a pen you have absolutely no intention of buying. No one will give you attitude for that.
If you have newbie questions, ask away. There’s very little that “pen people” enjoy more than talking about their pens.