A lot of little (and not-so-little) ghosts, ghouls and goblins paraded up Osage Avenue in the Spruce Hill section of West Philly yesterday for the annual Halloween Tot Parade.

As usual, the parade culminated with a party on Little Osage Avenue. Thanks to the folks on Little Osage for the hospitality. Check out more photos and a video below. Here are some photos from Tot Parades in years past.  Continue Reading

Want to see giant colorful puppets “marching” along West Philly streets? Come to the annual Peoplehood Parade this Saturday, Oct. 20, organized by West Philly’s Spiral Q puppet theater. The event will kick off outside the Paul Robeson House (4951 Walnut St) at 1 p.m. Nearly 500 people of all ages will be marching, dancing, and carrying puppets, flags, and drums to Clark Park (45th and Chester), where the parade will be followed by a small giant puppet pageant with participatory performances around 2:15 p.m.

Peoplehood is a parade that celebrates and energizes PEOPLE, particularly those living in and/or working at the forefront of anti-discrimination and anti-oppression work.  Continue Reading

Fall is here, so it’s time to celebrate harvest, get spooked, show off your costume, and engage in more fun fall and Halloween-themed activities. In this post, check out Fall events, including events for the whole family, happening at two historic places in West and Southwest Philly – The Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion (40th and Woodland) and Bartram’s Garden (5400 Lindbergh Blvd).

HollyWoodlands
Friday, Oct. 12
6:00 –  9:00 p.m.

HollyWoodlands presents Buffy The Vampire Slayer on the big screen in the Hellmouth of The Woodlands. Showings begin at sundown. Watch three episodes of the 90’s cult classic, and come dressed in your Buffy Best for a costume contest before the showing. $5 suggested donation. For more information, go here.  Continue Reading

Neighborhood residents (especially homeowners) may find this workshop very useful. A free Will and Estate Planning workshop, hosted by Cedar Park Neighbors and the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, will take place on Thursday, Oct. 4, at 6:30 p.m. at Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore).

The workshop will cover simple wills, living wills and powers of attorney and will answer questions related to home ownership in case of the owner’s death or a serious illness when you can’t speak for yourself. Attendees are also welcome to sign up for a free one-on-one follow-up meeting at Drexel University to write their actual documents.

More information about the workshop is available here. You can also RSVP on Facebook.

The Mantua Greenway rendering.

Here’s an opportunity for local artists to help create public art in West Philadelphia’s Mantua neighborhood. Mt. Vernon Manor CDC and the Friends of the Mantua Greenway are seeking a qualified team of artists to work on public art installations along the future Mantua Greenway site, a new bike and walking trail. The project includes the design, creation, and installation of three community-supported, semi-permanent elements that “will inspire curiosity and foster engagement with the Mantua Greenway project during its construction phases,” according to the project description.  Continue Reading

Drexel University has recently purchased the West Philadelphia Community Center (WPCC) at 35th and Haverford and is planning to use it for expansion of their Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, the neighborhood resource center serving Powelton and Mantua residents. The newly acquired facility will allow Drexel to bring more programming to local communities.

WPCC is a two-story 37,000 sq. foot facility located at 3512 Haverford Avenue. Prior to the purchase of the building by Drexel, it was owned and operated by Caring People Alliance (CPA). CPA will be moving to another location, according to reports.  Continue Reading