Lancaster Avenue 21st Century will hold Lancaster Avenue Day festivities on Saturday, Oct. 7. The day will include a parade that starts on 35th Street at noon, as well as resource tables on topics ranging from registering to vote to paying your water bill.

The parade will proceed from 34th street until 43rd street, and the day will include a $100 “Best in Show” award. There will also be decorations on hand to “decorate your car, or your bike, or yourself, whatever you want,” said organizer Joel Spivak.

Spivak said the day grew out of Lancaster Avenue 21st Century, a business association he co-founded in 2005. Back then, he was concerned that gentrification in West Philadelphia might harm longtime residents and businesses. Spivak is experienced in this area: In the 1970s, he said, he was part of a wave of artists that gentrified South Street. As the Lancaster organization sought to promote local businesses while also encouraging new ones, Spivak came up with an idea.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of LoLa 38.

Over the past year, a creative placemaking project, LoLa 38, helped bring art installations, community gatherings and other events to Lower Lancaster Avenue. On Oct. 14, a closing celebration for LoLa 38 will take place near the intersection of Powelton Ave. and N. 38th St. with over five hours of live music and dance performances by such well-known artists and groups as Chill Moody, Raheem DeVaughn, Philadanco, Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble, and many more. The Soul Farm Community Festival will also feature local art and food. The event will kick off at 2 p.m.  Continue Reading

Go West! Craft Fest, the bi-annual celebration of local arts, crafts, music and food, will be back at The Woodlands on Saturday, Oct. 7. Over 100 vendors will participate in the Fall edition of the festival, so stop by The Woodlands (40th and Woodland) beginning at 11 a.m. this Saturday to check out a galore of unique, handmade wares – jewelry, ceramics, knitted accessories, clothing, prints, original art, stationery, home wares, childrens’ items, soaps, candles and more.

The festival, organized by VIX Emporium, will also feature food trucks, live music, activities for children, and acrobatic performances by Tangle Movement Arts.

The popular outdoor event, which is now in its 7th year, will be held from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. (rain date is Sunday, Oct. 8). It is open to the public, kid and dog friendly, and free to attend.  Continue Reading

This Saturday, Oct. 7, Philadelphia Family Pride will hold its eighth annual conference on issues LGBTQ parents face, titled “Family Matters.” The conference convenes in the McNeil Science and Technology Center at the University of the Sciences, near Clark Park. Registration is open until Saturday morning, though attendees who plan to bring children should register earlier to make sure the on-site childcare can accommodate them.

Stephanie Haynes, who runs the conference, said there were several changes this year, like a sliding-scale registration fee that lets attendees pay anywhere from $1 to $50; the conference will also feature photographer Kelly Burkhardt, who will take family portraits for free. Another novelty is an absence of change: This is the conference’s second year at USciences. Haynes hopes that this will become the conference’s permanent venue.  Continue Reading

We’ve previously reported on energy companies that go door-to-door in West Philly to market PECO alternatives that allegedly save you money. Now, a Philadelphia law firm wants to take some of them to court, arguing that they deceive their customers by charging low rates in the first few months and then raising fees.

In August, the firm Kohn, Swift & Graf announced they are looking for customers to join a class action lawsuit. The firm specializes in class action, and they have already sued some of the companies involved in other states, like Just Energy in New York and Direct Energy in Illinois. In the latter case, KS&G argues that the Direct Energy is “luring consumers into switching energy suppliers with false promises.” The firm has previously reached a settlement with Pennsylvania Gas & Electric in a similar case.  Continue Reading