A great West Philly tradition, the Peoplehood Parade & Pageant, is returning on Saturday, Nov. 9. The family-friendly event, featuring giant puppets created by Spiral Q as well as drumlines and banners, will kick off at 1 p.m. at the Paul Robeson House (4951 Walnut St). The line-up begins at 12 p.m.

The parade will proceed to Clark Park at 45th and Kingsessing, where performances will take place, starting approximately at 2:15 p.m.

The annual event, which has been held since the 1990s, promotes diversity, civic engagement and creativity. The longtime organizer is the West Philly-based arts organization, Spiral Q, which works with artists, activists and community members and groups to create the giant puppets and banners for the event.

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Bark in the Park, the outdoor party for dogs and their owners, will return to 43rd & Chester beside the Bowl in Clark Park this Saturday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. This frolicsome fall affair will be held by Friends of Clark Park in honor of Fran Byers, founder and longtime organizer of the event, who passed away earlier this year.

A host of silly contests will give every kind of dog a chance to compete for prizes, treats and toys! And a raffle will give one lucky winner a bag of goodies to bring home.

The party will last an hour. As always, it’s free. See the flyer below with more details. For questions, contact anthony.abbott.west@gmail.com.

The Friends of Clark Park will also plant a memorial tree for Fran Byers this Sunday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. in the Dickens Garden. All are welcome to join.

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The Friends of Clark Park, the volunteer-run organization that oversees much of the management of the park, is gearing up for the 2024 Parktoberfest, which will take place next Saturday, Oct. 19, 2-8 p.m.. Parktoberfest is a family-friendly event and a great opportunity to spend time with your friends and neighbors at the park, located at 43rd and Chester. The event will include live musical performances by local bands, food from neighborhood restaurants, and beer from Carbon Copy. The event is suitable for all ages!

Parktoberfest is a fundraiser for the Clark Park Master Plan, which was approved by the City last year. This new plan aims to expand the park’s impact on the community through multiple improvements and renovations.

“We are currently working to fund its final design and implementation,” says the Friends of Clark Park board member Cameron O’Grady. “The plan serves as a vision document, outlining substantial renovations to Clark Park to rejuvenate Park B. It includes plans for new playgrounds, a social gathering space near 45th and Chester, and other amenities and improvements.”

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The Ethiopian Community Association of Greater Philadelphia is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month and invites community members to Clark Park at 43rd and Chester for the annual Ethiopian Day Festival. The event, which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 12-7 p.m., will include DJ music, vendors, children’s games, food, a raffle and more.

The event is co-sponsored by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District).

The festival is a great opportunity to celebrate Ethiopian culture. West Philly is home to many residents of Ethiopian heritage and many Ethiopian businesses are located in the area, such as Abyssinia, Dahlak, Alif Brew & Mini Mart, Doro Bet, and more. The Ethiopian Community Association of Greater Philadelphia is located at 44th and Chestnut Streets, where the Ethiopian Day Festival used to take place for many years.

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Free outdoor movies will return to Clark Park next month when University City District (UCD) will present three popular film screenings on Friday nights. The annual program kicks off this Friday, Aug. 2 with a screening of a Hollywood classic, Men in Black.

On Friday, Aug. 9, UCD will present last year’s summer smash, Barbie. Finally, on August 16, don’t miss the screening of the 2023 family musical, Wonka.

All movies are shown at sundown (approximately 8:15 p.m.) during fair weather and with dry ground conditions. In case a screening has to be postponed, Saturday, Aug. 17 has been reserved as rain date. Please follow UCD on X, Facebook, or Instagram for updates.

For more details on each movie, visit: https://www.universitycity.org/events/movies.

Also, don’t forget that UCD is bringing back its popular summer outdoor concert series in August. More details are here.

From left to right: Jason Lindner as Duke Frederick/Amiens, Tariq Kanu as Orlando, Cheyenne Parks as Rosalind, and Felicity Mundy as Celia (Photo credit: Shamus).

Shakespeare in Clark Park is returning next month with outdoor performances of “As You Like It,” July 24-28 at the Bowl in Clark Park. The production features contemporary and creative innovations, including input from participants in a series of community poetry workshops (see more info below).

A celebration of poetry and community is the focus of this show, directed by Ontaria Kim Wilson. Professional Philadelphia actors take the stage along with community performers, and an original anthem has been created by local composer and community music leader, Pax Ressler. Wilson was born and raised in Philadelphia and lived through the ongoing shifts and displacement of community, a theme that is central to her interpretation of “As You Like It,” which is often simplified to a love story. Wilson’s  experience is essential to  the production, in the bodies we see onstage, and how the lead character, Rosalind, actively hides her identity to survive in a world where she was once celebrated.

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