Dust off your picnic blankets and lawn chairs: cinéSPEAK’s Under the Stars Film Festival is returning to the bowl at Clark Park for its 2026 season.

Transforming the historic neighborhood green space into an open-air cinema, the annual four-week festival will run every Friday night from May 29 through June 19. Each event features a combination of award-winning independent cinema, live musical sets, local food trucks, and connections to neighborhood advocacy groups.

This year’s festival centers around the poignant theme of “community resilience,” curating a lineup that honors how individuals and collectives organize, protect one another, and build solidarity across global and hyper-local movements.

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Every summer, West Philadelphia experiences one of the city’s biggest rental turnovers as thousands of students around University City, Powelton Village, Mantua, and Spruce Hill prepare for new leases tied to the academic calendar at the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University.

According to a recent report from New Age Realty Group, the area’s student-heavy housing market creates unusually high annual tenant turnover, especially during late spring and summer leasing cycles. But for many renters, the biggest challenge is not simply moving — it is figuring out where to keep everything in between leases.

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Hundreds of local leaders, community partners, and neighborhood stakeholders gathered on Wednesday night for University City District’s (UCD) annual event, which served two purposes: celebrating a major transition in organizational leadership and marking the official release of The State of University City 2026 report.

The gathering was the formal send-off for longtime UCD President Matt Bergheiser, who was widely praised by attendees for his years of stewardship and community impact. The evening also was the official welcome for incoming President and CEO Sarah Steltz.

Steltz laid out a forward-looking vision for the district, emphasizing its position as an economic and civic anchor for West Philadelphia and its importance to the region’s overall economic success.

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Unofficial returns from Tuesday’s primary election are in, including ward and division data from the Philadelphia City Commissioners, and they shows a distinct pattern in how West and Southwest Philadelphia residents cast their ballots. Turnout followed typical primary trends, hovering around 21 percent citywide, but votes highlight a divide between progressive grassroots strongholds and traditional institutional bases.

Here is the breakdown of how West and Southwest Philly voted across the major contests:

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Voters across the city are heading to the polls on May 19 for the Pennsylvania primary election. Only registered Democrats and Republicans can cast ballots for their respective party’s nominees. However, these choices will set the stage for crucial matchups in the November general election.

Here are the key candidates that West Philly voters are watching closely on the ballot:

The 3rd Congressional District race

Because the 3rd District spans all of West and Southwest Philadelphia, the primary to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans is the most consequential race on the ballot. Since this is one of the most heavily Democratic districts in the country, the winner of this primary is virtually guaranteed the seat in November.

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Whether you are looking to get your hands dirty or help maintain the neighborhood’s “green lungs,” West Philadelphia and nearby Southwest Philly offer several opportunities to support urban agriculture and public parks. These organizations are seeking neighbors to help with seasonal stewardship as the spring season reaches its peak.

Park Stewardship & Cleanups

Bartram’s Garden: The 50-acre National Historic Landmark depends on volunteers to maintain its community farm, botanical gardens, and orchard. They host regular “Wednesday Workdays” and “Saturday Service Days” where you can help with weeding, planting, and trail maintenance. Continue Reading

University of Pennsylvania students are scheduled to move out of their dormitories this Tuesday, May 12, and Wednesday, May 13. To facilitate the move-out process, Spruce Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic and bicycles between 34th and 40th Streets from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days.

SEPTA buses operating in this area will be on detour during the closure hours. Visit septa.org for more details.

Access to the Ryan Veterinary Hospital will remain available via the intersections at 38th and 40th Streets.

Motorists should expect delays in the area.

Movies in Clark Park returns in August. (Photo courtesy UCD)

Summer is just around the corner and the University City District has unveiled a schedule of live events in the neighborhood. From the return of the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll to outdoor movies in Clark Park, here’s what’s in store for the next four months.

Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll
June 4 and September 3 | 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

The stretch of Baltimore Avenue between 40th and 51st Street will once again transform for the Dollar Stroll. Neighborhood businesses and community vendors will offer $1, $3, and $5 deals on everything from signature bites and pet supplies to theater tickets. In addition, expect live music and local arts and crafts scattered along the avenue. Go here for more details.

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A major effort is underway to save nearly 1,000 affordable rental units in West and Southwest Philadelphia from being sold to for-profit developers.

The properties are owned by Neighborhood Restorations, which manages 925 units integrated into residential blocks across the Haddington, Mantua, Cobbs Creek, and Kingsessing neighborhoods. In July 2025, the company issued a notice of intent to sell — a move that could displace thousands as early as this July, according to a WHYY News report.

The potential sale poses a dual threat to the neighborhood’s stability: mass displacement and rising costs. The Stoneleigh Foundation estimates that at least 3,000 residents are at risk if these units convert to market-rate housing. A Reinvestment Fund study previously noted that this “scattered-site” model has been vital for neighborhood revitalization; losing them could drive up rents across the entire area.

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UPDATE (5/8/26): The Spruce Hill May Fair is still a go for tomorrow, despite rain showers in the afternoon forecast. Organizers are prepared to work around any passing clouds and hope the community will join them regardless of the weather.

The annual Spruce Hill May Fair, the biggest fundraising event for the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA), will be held in Clark Park (43rd and Chester) this Saturday, May 9, 12-6 p.m..

This year’s May Fair is expected to be “larger and livelier than ever,” according to the organizers. It will feature:

• Live music throughout the day, featuring Mad Beatz Philly, Ants on a Log, Settlement Music School Jazz Ensemble, Upholstery, and Steady State.

• Family friendly activities, including a Petting Zoo, moon bounce and obstacle course, free kids games, and Stacey’s Face Painting.

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A West Philly-rooted lineup graces the Trolley Portal Gardens this spring as Pop-Ups at the Portal returns to 40th and Baltimore Ave. starting May 7. University City District is teaming up with local performer and curator  Gretchen Elise to present five weeks of free, interactive, all-ages entertainment. Pop-ups will run every Thursday from May 7 through June 4, 5:30 p.m.– 7:30 p.m., and are fair-weather only.

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Here’s a great opportunity to have your garden soil tested for contaminants. The University City Garden Club is teaming up with the University of Pennsylvania for a free soil testing event on Sunday, May 10. You can bring a sample of your yard or garden soil between 3 and 5 p.m. on that day to the event location at 519 Woodland Terrace (near 40th and Woodland) and it will be tested on the spot by participating Penn researchers. You can also drop your samples off in advance.

Soil will be tested for lead, a dangerous contaminant which can cause serious health problems.

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Photo from girlsleadershipcamp.org

The upcoming Sojourner Truth Walk in West Philadelphia is more than just a 5K; it’s a celebration of community resilience and girls’ and women’s leadership and activism. Scheduled for Saturday, May 2, the 13th annual event organized by Camp Sojourner will center on the theme “We The People… Build Sanctuary.”

This year, the walk honors Councilmember Jamie Gauthier for her dedicated advocacy. Gauthier is being recognized for her efforts to bolster environmental protections and immigrant rights, reinforcing Philadelphia’s commitment as a Sanctuary City.

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Dr. Ala Stanford, a candidate for the 3rd Congressional District Democratic nomination, speaking at the West Philly forum on April 20, 2026. (Photo by Tony West)

Three candidates for the 3rd Congressional District were at the Penn Alexander School (43rd and Locust) on Monday evening to court West Philly voters. State Rep. Chris Rabb, Dr. Ala Stanford and State Sen. Sharif Street are running in the May 19 primary for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans. They appeared in a forum sponsored by the 24th and 27th Wards.

Stanford, a physician and a political newcomer whom Evans has endorsed, was a federal Health & Human Services leader. She also led a vital city medical response during the COVID pandemic. Street, the son of  former Mayor John Street, was the Democratic state party chair before this race. He is backed by the Democratic City Committee. Rabb is a progressive firebrand who has long defied Democratic City Committee. He was endorsed by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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