This photo came from our reader Ms. Walker who lives near 49th and Sansom. Happy Halloween!

Photo by Eva Jacobs.

This weekend is not only about Halloween (that said, you can check Halloween events here). A bunch of other fun community events are being held this Saturday and Sunday, including food-centered events (End of Season Fall Market, Vegan Day celebration, a taco fundraiser), a tree giveaway and a couple of fall festivals. For more upcoming events or if you want to submit an event, go to our Event listings.

Saturday, Nov 1 

• End of Season Market Celebration & Tree Giveaway

Neighborhood Foods Farm (53rd & Wyalusing), 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Photo courtesy Urban Tree Connection.

Urban Tree Connection (UTC) and Neighborhood Foods (NF) invite neighbors to an end-of-season market, featuring fall farm produce, $3 chicken platters (cooked by NF Coop Members Gale and Nicole) with potluck sides, vendors, and giveaways: recycling bins and yard trees provided thanks to a grant from TreePhilly. You can also bring your own food or items to sell. There will be 50 trees available for property owners with yards – an open (unpaved) area on private property – and are absolutely free. They come with a free planting demonstration, educational materials, and a bag of mulch from the Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center. Several species will be available, ranging from large shade trees to medium-sized trees to smaller fruit trees. A full list of available species can be found here. To reserve your tree and for species list, contact Karen: 215‐900‐1292 or karen@urbantreeconnection.org 

• Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) Celebration

Penn Museum (3260 South Street), 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Photo courtesy Penn Museum.

This Saturday, the Penn Museum presents the third annual Day of the Dead Celebration. Throughout Mexico and around the world, Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) brings family and friends together to pray for and remember loved ones who have died. The celebration includes pageantry, traditional music and dance, storytelling and puppetry, paper maché artistry, sugar skull and mask making, face painting, special foods and more.

Guests can also view colorful altars (ofrendas) designed by regional community groups, and a large Day of the Dead altar created by the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia and the Mexican Cultural Center, co-organizers of the event, with the help of local artist Cesar Viveros. The event is free with Penn Museum admission ($15, general admission; $13, seniors [65+]; $10, children [6-17] and full-time students [with ID]; $2 ACCESS Card holders; free to children under 5, members, active U.S. Military, STAMP and PennCard holders). For more information, go here.  Continue Reading

Philly Thriller performs in front of The Rotunda (Facebook photo).

We hope you prepared your spooky costumes because All Hallows’ Eve is almost here! Check out our Halloween events roundup (for kids and adults alike) below and we hope you have a lot of fun. Also, the popular local community dance group, Philly Thriller (Facebook page), will be performing again on West Philly streets. Here’s a tentative schedule of their performances:

4:30 p.m. – Dress rehearsal on The Rotunda Plaza (40th and Walnut)
5:00 – 5:15 p.m. – Performances at 42nd and Osage
5:30 to 6:45 p.m. – Clark Park performances

Also, there will be some “Catch us on Baltimore Ave” flash mob performances, according to Philly Thriller founder Rashida Holmes.

Continue Reading

UPDATE (10/29/14, 1:30 p.m.): The robbery suspect is in custody, according to police. He was caught thanks to a 911 call from a person who saw the stillshot from the video posted by police, showing a young man wearing a red and blue jacket.

(Tuesday, 10/28/14): A woman was mugged this morning on Windsor Ave between 48th and 49th Streets, according to various reports. The incident took place shortly before 10 a.m. An unknown man ran up behind the woman and knocked her down, according to a neighbor report. He was unarmed, according to police. The man, who was wearing a blue windbreaker with a red stripe on the hood, got away with a small amount of cash.

A giant dumpster is already in front of the former Best House Pizza. A zoning hearing for 4301 Baltimore Ave is scheduled for Nov. 19. (Photos by West Philly Local)

Tentative plans for a new restaurant and bar at 4301 Baltimore Ave. – formerly Best House Pizza – include a stripped down facade, craft beer on tap, second floor dining and, possibly, pizza by the slice.

The owners of Local 44 introduced their plans to open the establishment, tentatively named “Clarkville,” to the Spruce Hill Community Association planning committee and a roomful of nearby neighbors last night.

Plans call for the removal of the awning and the installation of floor-to-ceiling windows on the restaurant’s first floor, which will also include a bar that serves only tap beer, wine and high-end spirits. In other words, no Jägermeister shots.  Continue Reading

Two great local community resources, Scribe Video Center and KEYSPOT, are hosting open houses on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

KEYSPOT, a project by the Freedom Rings Partnership that has over 70 centers with computer labs, free internet access and training throughout Philadelphia, has recently opened a new location in West Philly – at Drexel University’s Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships. This Tuesday, community members are invited for an evening of mingling and refreshments at an open house at this location. There will be opportunities to:

• Learn about free computer access, education, and job preparation resources
• Participate in a Q&A session with KEYSPOT staff and clients
• Enter a raffle to win a netbook computer
• Discover how these KEYSPOTs are helping put Philadelphia’s job-seekers to work

The open house will be held from 4 to 7 p.m.. Dornsife Center is located at 3509 Spring Garden Street. The event is free and open to the public.

Scribe Video Center (4212 Chestnut St) will host an open house on Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m.. It’s a great networking opportunity for emerging and experienced video makers. You can also learn about membership, workshops and programs at the center, tour the facilities, and check out the equipment! Light refreshments will be served.

Founded in 1982, Scribe Video Center provides training in all aspects of film, video and audio production by offering classes and workshops. It also hosts a wide variety of programs and event series, including Community Visions, the Producers’ Forum, Muslim Voices of Philadelphia, Street Movies!, and more.