Thank the gods for the cool weather. It has arrived just in time for the 2nd annual University City Arts League (UCAL) Chili Bowl Sale and Cook Off.

Here’s how this thing works: Come to UCAL (4226 Spruce Street) on Sunday, March 27, from noon to 6 p.m., buy a hand-made chili bowl and fill it up with homemade chili. The one-of-a-kind bowl will cost you $20 and the chili is free. Wash down the chili with beer and ale donated by Yards Brewing Co. Wine and soft drinks will also be available.

This UCAL fundraiser is also a chili cooking competition. If you buy a bowl you can vote for the best chili. The winner receives 10 pottery classes to figure out how to make their own chili bowls.

Three local businesses – Colonial Pizza, Local 44 and Milk and Honey Market – are sponsoring the event.

The classic Japanese film Sansho – The Bailiff will screen at the International House (3701 Chestnut St.) tonight as part of the Cherry Blossom Festival. All proceeds will be donated to the Philadelphia- Japan Disaster Relief Fund.

Here is a description of the 1954 film from the International House website:

“When an idealistic governor disobeys the reigning feudal lord, he is cast into exile, his wife and children left to fend for themselves and eventually wrenched apart by vicious slave traders. Under Kenji Mizoguchi’s dazzling direction, this classic Japanese story became one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces: a monumental, empathetic expression of human resilience in the face of evil.”

Tickets are $8 for general admission, $6 for students/seniors and $5 for Internationalist members.

All of the funds raised in the Philadelphia-Japan Disaster Relief Fund will go directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society in Japan.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be in West Philly on March 18 at the Annenberg Center (3680 Walnut St.) at 8 p.m. This show is very likely to sell out so we are giving you plenty of notice. The beloved South African vocal group will perform songs from their new album, Songs From a Zulu Farm.

Tickets for the performance are steep – $60. If that’s a deal breaker, then you might try to hold out for “West Philly Rush Hour” tickets. The Annenberg Center offers special first-come-first-serve $10 tickets for residents who can prove they live in the following zip codes: 19104, 19131, 19139, 19142, 19143, 19151, 19153. The tickets are on sale for an hour two hours before the show starts. So if there are any left for this show, they would be available from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the box office.

All of that said, though, there is a pretty good chance that the show will sell out.

West Philly resident John Salmon is putting together a series of free weekly, weekend ukulele workshops at his home (46th and Hazel) for kids 8-14. The first meeting will be this Sunday.

John writes:

“It’s a very fun and relatively easy instrument, and a great way to expose children to the joy of making music.”

Each child will need a ukulele. John said he will have some for sale ($25-$45), but also asks parents to consult with him before buying one as “the difference between a usable instrument and a piece of junk is not always obvious.”

John has committed to eight classes and then says he will assess how it’s going before proceeding with more classes.

For more information see John’s blog post here. E-mail him at sugarinthegourd.com — at — gmail.com.

To provide a little inspiration, here’s Jason Castro from American Idol a couple of years ago singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and playing ukulele, a performance inspired by  Israel “IZ” Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole’s version:

Just a reminder that the “Arts for the Cause” fundraiser for victims of the Windermere Court Apartments fire is tonight beginning at 8:30 p.m. at The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St.). The fundraiser features a number of great musical performances. Check out the flier for more details.

Here’s a chance to watch the creative process at work. The Curio Theatre Company will hold a staged reading Monday at 7 p.m. of the award-winning Irish play “Leopoldville.” The event is free, open to the public and feedback is encouraged.

Here’s a synopsis of the play from the Curio folks:

Jaki McCarrick’s LEOPOLDVILLE shines a bright light on the destructive power of directionless young men. Set in 1990 in an Irish border town, a gang of teenage boys with few prospects ends a long night of “adventure” by breaking into “The Congo”, a pub owned by a well-traveled widower. When the owner comes back and claims to have no valuables, no African diamonds, nothing more than the cash in the till, the gang starts to fall apart, and things spiral out of control.