Things are looking up. Spring is near. We can taste it. Here are a few things going down this weekend. Let us know if we missed something especially important to you. Write editor — at — westphillylocal.com.

Saturday, March 12

• Chess Tournament • 1 p.m. • Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library (125 S. 52nd St.) • Free

Join chess players from around West Philly for this free chess tournament. Adults and children are welcome, though they will compete separately.  See more information here.

• Tool Library Yard Sale • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. • West Philly Tool Library (4620 Woodland Ave.)

The West Philly Tool Library is celebrating its third anniversary with its annual yard sale. Four Worlds Bakery will provide treats.

• All Around This World musical snack time • 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. • Milk and Honey Market (4425 Baltimore Ave.) • Free

Good music and snacks from Jay Sands for kids 0-8 years. This thing fills up quick so you might want to RSVP. Call Jay at 215-913-2679.

• Javaflix Movie Discussion Night • 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. • VCC Office and Cultural Center (4523 Springfield Ave.) • Free

The Javaflix discussion group will watch and discuss Gasland, the Oscar-nominated documentary about the effects of natural gas drilling (a process called “fracking”). The film is particularly pertinent for Philadelphia residents because of the drilling upstream in northeastern and northcentral Pennsylvania. Here’s a trailer for Gasland.

Sunday, March 13

• Kids Rock for Kids benefit Concert • 11:30 a.m. • World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut St.) •Tickets: $7

World Cafe Live’s “Kids Rock for Kids” rock concert series benefits children’s medical charities in the Philadelphia area several times throughout the year. Concerts feature teenage rock bands from Music Training Centers’ Rock 101 program in a family-friendly atmosphere.This event will benefit LiveConnections.org, which creates innovative music education programs for children and special needs populations.

• Cat’s Pajamas Kids Music Fundraiser for the Global Leadership Academy • 5 p.m. • Green Line Cafe (45th and Locust) • Tickets: $5-$15 for kids and adults on a sliding scale.

On January 9, 2011, a fire hit the building housing the Global Leadership Academy in West Philly. We’re joining the fundraising effort, as GLA prepares to open a new building next school year! The Cat’s Pajamas makes very cool music for kids, bringing a musical-comedy twist to high-octane kid-rock. All the proceeds go directly to the GLA’s Fire Relief fund! For more info on Cat’s Pajama’s go here.