Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll (Photos by Lora Reehling).

West Philly folks and visitors are invited to this summer’s first Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, which will take place Thursday, June 15, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The popular outdoor event, organized by University City District (UCD), features dozens of local businesses and vendors offering deals on food, merchandise and other items along Baltimore Avenue between 40th to 51st Streets.

This year, the event will again feature $1, $3, and $5 bargains from neighborhood standouts like Booker’s, Vientiane Café, Dahlak Paradise and more, as well as newcomers including brewery Carbon Copy and Ethiopian chicken house Doro Bet. The vendors list, including West Philly-based merchandise vendors and food trucks, has also expanded since last year.

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Summer jazz is back in Cedar Park with weekly shows scheduled to begin on Friday, June 16. The popular music series, presented by Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN), features free outdoor performances by some of the area’s prominent jazz musicians and bands at the park, located at 49th and Baltimore.

All shows are held from 6 to 8 p.m. in fair weather – please bring your blanket or chair and picnic! The series is sponsored by local businesses and individual donations from neighborhood residents.

Here’s the schedule through July 28:

June 16 – Rayburn Wright Group
June 30 – Webb Thomas SuperBand
July 7 – Glenn Bryan & Friends
July 14 – Bobby Zankel & the Wonderful Sound 5 Celebrates John Coltrane (7/17/67)
July 21 – Philadelphia Clef Club
July 28 – Rain date (rescheduled performance, TBA)

For updates or changes, follow CPN on Facebook. Updates about this event are also posted in the Cedar Park Neighbors Forum on Facebook.

The full map is available here.

West Philly Porchfest, the annual DIY music festival where anyone with a porch or stoop can host a show, is returning this Saturday, June 3. Dozens of free shows featuring a variety of music genres will take place all over the neighborhood from Noon-6 p.m. The festival has grown over the years (it was first held in 2016), and this year, it stretches from 42nd Street in the east to 59th Street in the west, and from south of Kingsessing to north of Chestnut.

From 12-2 p.m., most performances will take place south of Baltimore Avenue, then from 2 to 4 p.m., most shows will take place north of Baltimore from 42nd to 48th Street. Finally, from 4 to 6 p.m., most performances will be held north of Baltimore, from 48th to 59th.

For the full list of performers and schedule, visit the West Philly Porchfest website.

Max Roach: Courtesy of The Film Collaborative

The West Philly-based cinema project, cinéSPEAK, voted “Best of Philly 2020” by Philadelphia Magazine, is bringing back its independent film programming to Clark Park. On Friday, May 26, cinéSPEAK’s 3rd Annual “Under the Stars at Clark Park” festival kicks off with the Philadelphia premiere of Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes —the highly-anticipated documentary exploring the life and music of the legendary drummer, composer, bandleader, and social activist.

cinéSPEAK will present four film screenings every Friday through June 16 in fair weather. Rain dates are: Saturdays – May 27, June 3, June 10 and June 17. Continue Reading

Live interactive music shows for all ages are coming to Trolley Portal Gardens at 40th and Baltimore. Starting May 11, University City District (UCD) is partnering with West Philadelphia-based jazz vocalist Gretchen Elise to present inclusive musical performances featuring local talent on Thursday evenings from 5 – 7 p.m.

“Our goal with Trolley Portal Gardens is to bring programming for the neighbors, parents, and commuters who use the space every day,” said Margaret Starke, UCD’s Senior Manager of Events and Community Partnerships. “Gretchen has deep connections with the neighborhood and other local musicians and made a great fit as both a presenter and a curator.” Continue Reading

Two local DIY music festivals, Make Music Philly and West Philly Porchfest, are returning in June and currently recruiting musicians and venues.

West Philly Porchfest returns on June 3 from Noon – 6 p.m. It features musicians of all musical genres performing free shows on porches, stoops and lawns. Musicians who sign up to participate in the Fest will be matched with their host porch. Sign ups are still open for both parties. Sign up here if you want to host a show. Musicians who want to perform at the Fest can contact the organizers on this page. Both parties can connect on the West Philly Porchfest Musician/Porch Connector on Facebook. More info about the Fest is here. Continue Reading