Some major Juneteenth celebrations will be held in West Philly this Sunday. The Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade & Festival is returning after the pandemic-related hiatus. The 2022 Juneteenth Parade participants will march along 52nd Street – from Jefferson to Pine. The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. and will conclude at Malcolm X Park where the festival will take place (from 12-8 p.m.).

The Juneteenth Parade will include non-profit organizations, youth groups and schools, local politicians, as well as dance and music groups. The festival at Malcolm X Park will feature music and dance performances, local merchants, food vendors, and more. Residents can also get tested and vaccinated against COVID. Continue Reading

The 52nd Street business corridor will get improvements ahead of Philadelphia’s Juneteenth Parade and Festival, thanks to funding received as part of Wells Fargo’s “HOPE 2.0” initiative. The $250,000 in funding, presented to The Enterprise Center today, is a continuation of Wells Fargo’s “HOPE, USA” initiative, which pledged more than $1 million in support for the 52nd Street corridor ahead of the 2021 holiday shopping season and encouraged residents to shop local in support of small businesses.

The funding will be used for continued façade improvements and enhancements along the 52nd Street commercial corridor. This includes new signage, gates and doors, power washing and graffiti removal for a number of small businesses on the 300 block, as well as sidewalk repairs. New planters will be placed along the corridor, and street banners designed by local female-owned artist collective Hagopian Arts with the phrase “Never Lose Hope” will run from Market to Larchwood Street. Continue Reading

The Free Library of Philadelphia is teaming up with an award-winning docuseries, Philly D.A., to present a series of civic dialogue events. The docuseries is an eight-part “epic, inside look at the tumultuous first term of Philadelphia’s unapologetic District Attorney, Larry Krasner,” according to the film’s website. The civic dialogue series, titled Let’s Talk: Philly D.A, will share the experiences, questions, and concerns of Philadelphians via eight screenings and discussions at Free Library locations citywide.

Each screening is presented in partnership with community leaders seeking solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing Philadelphia.
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Them That Do!, a visual arts and activism project that centers conversations and artmaking on community building and mutual aid, is inviting all interested folks, age 18 and older, to be a part of a new, free workshop series. Two library branches, the Kingsessing Library and the Blanche A. Nixon/Cobbs Creek Library, will each host four 90-minute workshops led by a visual artist and a mutual aid activist.

Participants will receive an introduction to digital photography or lessons in drawing and illustration. Mutual aid activists will join the artmaking while sharing information about their projects in Philadelphia and information about how to get involved, and the value of building grassroots support networks.

The project will culminate with a pop-up exhibition of the work created in the courses that will be shown at each participating library branch. Continue Reading

UPDATE (5/6/2022): The annual Spruce Hill May Fair has been cancelled due to rain in the forecast for Saturday. The organizers decided to forego the rain date earlier this week. The raffle will continue, with the ticket purchase deadline of Sunday, May 22. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.sprucehillca.org/2022-may-fair-raffle/.

In recognition of the great hardship suffered by many neighborhood establishments, Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA), the May Fair longtime organizer, will purchase gift certificates from local businesses to bundle together in several themed baskets as raffle prizes. You can buy one book of six tickets for $5.

Please note that the May Fair is SHCA’s only major fundraising event, so purchasing raffle tickets is a good way to support them. Other ways to support this neighborhood organization is through membership or donations. Visit their website for more information.

Since the May Fair is cancelled, the University City Garden Club will hold a pop-up plant sale Sunday, May 8, 12-6 p.m. at the corner of Woodland Terrace and Woodland Ave.

On Saturday, April 23, the day after International Earth Day, the Green Committee of Garden Court Condos invites neighbors in West Philly to drop by between 2 and 4 p.m. On the sidewalk in front of GC (Pine St. between 46th and 47h), several of Philadelphia’s green organizations will present their options for more sustainable lifestyles. These include:

– The Rounds, Philly’s new startup which provides weekly deliveries of basic goods and local specialties with little or no packaging — and will be providing sample snacks;
– PECO, which offers home owners and residents promotions for converting to LED lighting, plus tips and subsidies for conserving electricity; and Continue Reading