Here’s some great news for local community members and visitors to Bartram’s Garden. After being cancelled since mid-July due to a report of chemical contamination on a portion of the Bartram Mile Trail, the Free Fishing program is set to resume at Bartram’s on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 5-8 p.m.

The popular program is resuming following independent test results that indicate very low levels of hexavalent chromium, a toxin, outside the affected areas of the Trail. All fishing equipment “has been properly cleaned,” according to a statement by Bartram’s, and the team is ready to “invite folks back to the Dock for fishing.”

And there’s more good news: Bartram’s is also extending the fishing season through the end of September “to make up for the lost time.”

While fishing is resuming this week, free boating is still on hold while all boating equipment goes through a cleaning process. Bartram’s team hopes to announce the reopening soon. Free biking programs also remain on pause until further notice. The impacted portion of the Trail will remain closed until the contamination is removed from the landscape.

By the way, check out the 2024 Southwest Fish-Off, which will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15. For more information and updates, visit www.bartramsgarden.org or follow Bartram’s on social media (@bartramsgarden).

Officials have revealed more details on the recently discovered water and soil contamination along the banks of the Schuylkill River in the area adjacent to Bartram’s Garden and Bartram’s Mile Trail in Southwest Philly.

The initial report on potential toxic chemical contamination as a result of a leak from a now closed industrial facility was released last month by City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, but now authorities have confirmed that the area had been contaminated with excessive levels of toxins like hexavalent chromium, arsenic, and lead. The information was presented at Wednesday’s virtual town hall meeting hosted by State Rep Regina Young and Senator Anthony Williams (read more about this here).

While authorities have been working to remediate the contamination, the affected section of the trail has been closed and riverfront and trail activities at Bartram’s Garden have been cancelled since mid-July. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Philadelphia Water Department, there is no threat to the public at this time, but boating, fishing and biking at Bartram’s will remain suspended until further notice.

As monitoring of the site continues, both the officials and Bartram’s staff hope that the trail will reopen soon and riverfront activities will resume. For now, please follow updates related to the contamination from Bartram’s here. Also, follow their Facebook page for updates on their programs and activities.

Former Greensgrow West site at 5123-5129 Baltimore Ave. (Archived photo)

For many years, 5123-5129 Baltimore Avenue operated as Greensgrow West – the West Philly hub of a nonprofit organization with the mission of growing fresh produce and making nutrition accessible to all Philadelphians, regardless of income. Due to unexpected financial challenges, Greensgrow closed in 2022.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s office is soliciting ideas for acquiring and reactivating 5123-29 Baltimore Avenue through an Open Call for Ideas process. They have been researching ways to maintain the space for community use, particularly by a non-profit organization as a garden, open space, recreational area, or other community-centered ideas. This process will allow the Councilmember’s office to identify a non-profit organization with an innovative, feasible, and community-centered proposal for reactivating this property. They will then work with the selected application to complete the City’s land application process.

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Malcolm X Park will be hosting several community events this summer. Here are a couple coming up soon.

The Garden Court Community Association is inviting families with young children to a new event series – Children’s Read Aloud! The series will be held every other Thursday at 5 p.m., from June 20 to September 12, and feature books by local authors – a different author each week! Families will get an opportunity to get free books (while supplies last) and/or purchase books from Hakim’s Bookstore. See the flyer below for more details.

Thursday, June 20 is also a kick-off day for the popular Jazz Heritage Series, featuring free shows performed by some of the best local musicians. This event is also held every other Thursday from June through September, at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the upcoming performances and other updates, follow the Friends of Malcolm X Park on Instagram.

Stay tuned for more events later this summer, including the beloved Theatre in the X performances.

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Image from Juneteenthphilly.org

The annual Juneteenth Parade and Festival will take place on Sunday, June 16. The parade, grand marshaled by Mayor Cherelle Parker, will kick off at Noon on South Concourse Drive across from the Mann Center. It will proceed down 52nd Street toward Malcolm X Park at 52nd and Larchwood where it is expected to conclude around 2 p.m. The 2024 Juneteenth Parade is expected to attract around 2,000 participants and 20,000 attendees. The event will be broadcasted by 6ABC.

Malcolm X Park will be a location for the annual Juneteenth Festival, which includes a marketplace, art exhibition, live music performances and more.

The Juneteenth Marketplace and Art in the Park will be held throughout the day (from 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.). The marketplace will feature Black and Brown-owned businesses and vendors offering food and wares, while the Art in the Park exhibit, titled Unveiling Creativity and in partnership with the Mural Arts of Philadelphia, is an opportunity to meet local artists and check out their work. In addition, many local non-profit organizations will be doing outreach and hosting activities at the park throughout the day.

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The annual Spruce Hill May Fair, organized by Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA), returns this Saturday (May 11) to Clark Park from 12-6 p.m. The popular community event features children’s games, including the popular petting zoo, scores of vendors and community service information tables, food trucks, and more.

There will also be a full day of music and entertainment from some local musicians, including:

• Paulette Branson & Mixed People
• Willy Wonka presented by Penn Alexander Musical Cast
• Kelvin Cochrane and the South Philly All Stars
• Steady State

Also, the University City Garden Club will hold an outdoor plant sale at the Fair. It will offer a variety of veggies, herbs, and annual and perennial flowers and flower baskets.

Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, SHCA have some amazing raffle items to give away this year. Stop by the Spruce Hill booth this Saturday to purchase your tickets. Tickets are $5 for a book of six tickets, or $1 per ticket.