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October 7-17, 2010. (Photo courtesy Design Philadelphia)

The clouds have cleared and the sun is shining as Design Philadelphia kicks-off its sixth annual celebration of all things design in Philadelphia.

Partnered for the first time with The University of the Arts, Design Philadelphia is the nation’s largest festival of its kind with 500 designers taking part in more than 150 exhibitions, lectures, workshops and demonstrations from October 7-17.

The celebration officially begins with a kick-off party tonight at 5:30 pm at West Elm (1330 Chestnut St.) featuring an exhibition from InLiquid featured artist Sarah Zwerling.

The festivities continue later tonight with a party at The Design Lot across from the Kimmel Center from 7:30 – 10 pm. Enjoy music, beverages and explore artist installations within the space designed by architects Grace Ong-Yan and King Sophaphone.

The Design Lot also serves as an information hub throughout Design Philadelphia 2010; here you can find out about upcoming events throughout the festival, daily from 11 am – 7 pm.

Check out a full listing of Design Philadelphia events on their website.

Below we highlight a few more select Design Philadelphia kick-off events taking place today.

Eye Design at Margot & Camille Optique
47. N. 3rd Street
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Design your own eyeglasses using pipe-cleaners. The favorite designer will win a free pair of real eyeglasses from Margot & Camille Optique. Admission costs $5 and RSVP is required.

Birds, Boats, Battles, Buildings & Beer
Metcalfe Architecture & Design
211 N. 13th Street
6 pm – 8 pm

Talk with architects and designers during happy hour while browsing through displays of their newest architectural and museum design projects, including a tree canopy walk, an Audubon museum and more. Free and open to the public.

Deconstructed Tools
North Bowl Lounge ‘n Lanes
909 North 2nd Street
7 pm – 10 pm

North Bowl Lounge ‘n Lanes, two.one.five magazine and Fishtank PHL host this multidisciplinary exhibition focusing on tools designers value most in their craft; a painter’s brush, a carpenter’s hammer, a photographer’s eye. Free and open to the public.

Illuminating Graffiti
The Design Lot
313 S. Broad St.
October 7th, 8:00pm – 10:00pm

This project features several graffiti artists in different locations who will work collaboratively in Philadelphia through digital projection. The public will have the opportunity to watch the expression unfold, understand it better, and experiment with led light graffiti, furthering The Hactory’s mission to inspire new mediums and experiences through the use of technology in the arts. This event is co-sponsored by University of the Arts College of Media and Communication. Free and open to the public.

DesignPhiladelphia [Official Site]