Photo from Philly Thriller Facebook page.

Many of our readers have probably seen this group perform in the streets of West Philly and near the Haunted House at 46th and Springfield on Halloween nights. Now, in its 5th year, Philly Thriller is planning to return for Halloween 2013 and they need some dancers. If you want to join in on the fun for a night of performing a short Thriller-inspired dance routine, read on.

Rehearsals begin on Friday, Oct. 18 at the University City Arts League (4226 Spruce St.). Performances are on Halloween (Thursday, Oct. 31) all over West Philly.

The show is choreographed and co-directed by Sammy Reyes of Sambruca Productions. Here are some of the Q & A’s compiled by Philly Thriller for those interested in joining the group:

Q: When are rehearsals?

A: There will be four in all. Rehearsals will be on:

Friday, October 18, 8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 20, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Friday, October 25, 8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 27, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Q: How can I participate?

A: To participate, you must reserve a spot by registering. You must also be 18 or over.

Q: How much does it cost to participate?

A: Participation is FREE HOWEVER…If you come and have a blast (which we are sure you will) we just ask that you make a donation at each rehearsal to help us defray costs of the production. We’ll accept more if you have it and less if you don’t, but no one is turned away for lack of funds. This project is a labor of love. There is no profit made. It’s put on with a shoestring budget and with a little help from participants, friends, and neighbors. No contribution is too big or too small. One dollar? One million dollars? We’ll take it!!

Q: When are performances?

A: Halloween, Thursday, October 31, 2013 from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. depending on weather and other factors. Dancers, we will meet at 2:45 p.m. at 4014 Walnut, The Rotunda, to get our make-up done. Please enter at the side of the building. We will return to The Rotunda by 8 p.m.

Q: Where are we performing the dance?

A: In the streets of West Philly, on Penn’s campus, possibly The Haunted Garden at 46th and Springfield (if they put it on again this year), hopefully also at some block parties maybe, parades, some other places to be determined, etc.

For more information, visit Philly Thriller’s Facebook page. For more Q & A’s click here.

The Philadelphia Mobile Food Association (PMFA) is holding its next member meeting on Monday, Sept. 23 in Silverman Hall at Penn Law
located at 3501 Sansom Street. Prior to the 6:30 p.m. meeting, members and non-members are invited to “Making Money in the Mobile Restaurant Business” workshop, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. PMFA Board Members Harris Eckstut, Joshua Kim, and Rocco Gallelli will lead and moderate a discussion of essential business practices for mobile restaurateurs, ranging from budgeting and controlling food and labor costs to tips for local sourcing.

This workshop is the first in a series of informative classes open to the public about the mobile food business.

To attend, use the entrance to Silverman Hall on 34th St. between Chestnut and Sansom streets.

Fast and loose: that’s how the Sloppy Film Fest wants your flicks, West Philly artists.

Organized by Project Arts Executive Director Rich Wexler, Val Sowell, and Jessica Marcus, the 2013 Sloppy Film Fest is currently accepting short film submissions until October 27. The “quick and dirty” homemade flicks can be about any subject, a new or old project, and should be experimental. The suggestion length for the flicks is five minutes and should not surpass 10 minutes (although longer shorts may be reconsidered). “The idea is to promote DIY filmmaking,” Wexler said of Sloppy Film Fest, which has been held on and off for the last 15 years.

Since kids are welcomed at the Project Arts-sponsored DIY movie carnival, artists should be able to rate their films appropriately using PG, PG 13 and XXX ratings, so organizers can show the legitimately dirty films towards the end. Films in DVD, VHS, and online formats will be accepted.

All submissions sent before the October 27 deadline will be reviewed, with those selected notified via email if they’re to show during the free 2013 Sloppy Film Festival taking place November 8 from 10:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. at Dahlak Paradise, 4706 Baltimore Avenue. Compensation, however, is not being offered for submissions, and some registered films may not be shown during the event.

In the meantime, make sure to stop by The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, on Friday, October 4 for a special double screening of Alan Menkin’s Little Shop of Horrors (Director’s Cut) to benefit Project Arts’ upcoming production of “Avenue Q School Edition”. Sponsored by The Rotunda and Touch Me Philly, the screenings will take place at 7 p.m., featuring a talk by local puppeteer Steve Abrams, who worked on Little Shop; and 9:30 p.m., with special guests Cadavera and Stabigall of Touch Me Philly Productions LLC leading the sing-a-long and interactive portions of the screening, and featuring music by Suggestical Musical Improv. The suggestion donation is $5 to $20 to attend.

To submit your sloppy film, visit this page. For questions, email: sloppyfilmfest@gmail.com.

–Annamarya Scaccia

The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation (TEC-CDC) and The Walnut Hill Community Association are inviting neighbors to participate in the celebration of Park(ing) Day and Grand Opening of the new community park near 46th and Market this Friday (Sept. 20). The new park at the Walnut Hill community farm will extend into the street along the 4600 block of Market, with food, music, pumpkin carving, and tours of the farm and garden. Community members are welcome to stop by between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to have fun and show their support. The ribbon cutting is at 10 a.m.

The park, named “Max Paul Park” (local businessman Brad Paul partnered with TEC-CDC to complete this project and dedicated it to his father, Max Paul), is meant to “capture the importance of creating safe, beautiful and dynamic spaces for community residents to enjoy. ”

Park(ing) Day has become an annual tradition where parking spaces across the city and country are taken over for a day for use as public park space. The event celebrates parks and other public spaces in cities, and raises awareness of the need for more pedestrian-friendly spaces in our urban areas. The number of parks throughout Philadelphia increases dramatically each year on the second Friday in September, when activists, artists, architects, and other citizens transform metered parking spaces into temporary public parks. You can read more about this event and check out other locations for such parks on the Park(ing) Day website (some other West Philly locations include: near People’s Emergency Center at 40th and Lancaster, CityLights Network at 58th and Woodland, and 34th and Walnut).

These trees will soon be ready to leave the nursery and go to your yard. Photo via treephilly.org.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PP&R) has announced the return of its hugely popular TreePhilly Yard Tree Program. Registration for the fall program is open through October 31 and property owners can apply to receive a free yard tree to plant on their private property by visiting www.treephilly.org.

For the first time, residents who pre-register for the Yard Tree Program will be eligible to receive a fruit tree. There will be 8 to 10 species of trees to choose from at each giveaway event, all available on a first come, first-served basis. Philadelphia residential property owners can request up to two trees per address and community groups who will be planting on private property with a community use, such as faith-based institutions and senior centers, can register for up to 10 trees. During pre-registration, residents will be able to choose from four giveaway events across the city in November. At each giveaway event there will be free mulch and tote bags, and tree planting and care demonstrations, provided by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Unfortunately, none of the four pick-up locations are in West Philadelphia, with the closest being in South Philly (the other three are in North Philly). You can pick up your tree on Sunday, Nov. 10, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Columbus Square Playground (1200 Wharton St.). If there are any changes, we’ll let you know.

Residents with limited mobility can apply for free tree delivery and planting by a representative from Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. Space for this service is limited and residents are encouraged to apply early by contacting Erica Smith Fichman at 215-683-0217 or by visiting www.treephilly.org.

There are several ways citizens can get involved with TreePhilly, including planting and caring for trees on their property, volunteering for a tree planting event in their local park, or sponsoring community service days to plant and maintain trees. For more information, citizens can visit www.treephilly.org or call 215-683-0217.

Hawthorne Hall. Photo via Hiddencityphila.org.

West Philly neighbors and friends have a great opportunity to learn more about the Powelton and Garden Court neighborhoods and their hidden architectural gems at a series of neighborhood walking tours that begin on Saturday, Sept 21. Here’s more details:

• Two Powelton Village tours, organized by Hidden City, will take place on Saturday (Sept 21). Each event will start with a tour of Hawthorne Hall, home to a remarkable installation created for the 2013 Hidden City Festival. Then participants will get a chance to check out the Divine Tracy once owned by Father Divine’s Peace Mission Movement, the Hotel Powelton (Albert Barnes’s first factory), the Cloister, a gorgeous church converted to apartments, and more.

The tours will be led by Rachel Hildebrandt, a writer for the Hidden City Daily, who has an MA in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and now works at Partners for Sacred Places, and Caroline Acheatel, who is also of Partners for Sacred Places.

The tour hours are: 1:00 p.m.  –  2:30 p.m. and 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. and the starting point is Hawthorne Hall, 3849 Lancaster Ave. Tickets are $20 ($15 for members) and spots can be reserved here (Tour I) and here (Tour II).

• Also beginning Saturday, Sept 21, there will be a few chances to explore the Garden Court neighborhood. “Farm to Ford” is the name of this historical walking tour. Organized by Garden Court Community Association, it is scheduled for Sept 21, Oct 5, 12 and 19 (all Saturdays).

During this tour you will learn the history of the neighborhood from its rural beginnings to today. You will also find out which children’s author made her livelihood here and discover a “secret” garden typically closed to visitors.

The tours will run from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and the starting point is in the courtyard of the Lea Elementary School, on 47th, between Spruce and Locust Streets. Tickets are only $5 (only cash accepted) and the organizers would appreciate if you RSVP at: GCCAtour@gmail.com. More information is available on the event’s Facebook page.