Bartram’s Garden is hosting a double feature on Sunday, Oct. 15. The annual Harvest Festival will take place at the Farm from 12 – 3 p.m. The festival’s program is packed with fun for the whole family: there will be hayrides, cider pressing, cooking and canning workshops, games of chance and skill, yoga, boating, and much more! All events are free. The event schedule can be found here.

Bartram’s Garden is also hosting a free outdoor concert, John Bartram Jawn, as part of the Harvest Fest, featuring musicians and performers with deep connections to Southwest Philadelphia, including Freeway, Recohavoc, and more. The concert is from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Free shuttle bus rides will be provided to and from Bartram’s Garden for Southwest Philly residents. Click here for more information and shuttle times.

Bartram’s Garden is located at 54th and Lindbergh Blvd. and is accessible by Trolley Route 36. You can also bike to the Garden. There’s a free parking lot with bike racks.

Everyone is invited to a free, 7-hour long community festival, Soul Farm, this Saturday (Oct. 14) to celebrate “the rich arts, culture, and community along Lancaster Avenue and throughout West Philadelphia.” The festival is a closing celebration of LoLa 38, a creative placemaking collaboration that has been encouraging civic conversation through art installations and community gatherings throughout the year.

Thanks to LoLa 38, two Lower Lancaster Avenue properties undergoing transformation – the former United Bank building and the site of the former University City High School building – were adorned with art pieces created by local artists from May to September.

The festival will take place from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 225 N. 38th St. (LAZ Parking Lot) and will feature local food, art, and music and dance performances.  Continue Reading

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A community walk will take place in West Philadelphia to bring attention to the issue and provide resources to community members who need help. The Walk for Domestic Violence Awareness is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon. It will start at New Birthing Worship Center, 5949 Spruce St., and end at Malcolm X Park, 52nd and Pine streets. State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown will co-host and participate in the walk.

“Far too often do we see on the news about victims being attacked by their spouse and even killed,” Brown said in a statement. “Enough is enough, and I’m calling on the community to join me in rising above these hateful acts of violence.”  Continue Reading

Camp Sojourner is a nonprofit, year-round leadership program for girls ages 8-17. The program, based in West Philadelphia’s Calvary Center, culminates in a summer overnight camp for girls. On Friday, Oct. 13, another West Philly nonprofit, The Rotunda is hosting Sojo Groove Night, with performances by well-known Philly musicians. All proceeds benefit year-round activities at Camp Sojourner.

Sojo Groove Night will take place from 7:00 – 10:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and performances start at 8:00 p.m.

Camp Sojourner girls will be giving testimony, drumming, and participating in each element of the evening in an interactive manner. The diverse range of performers at Sojo Groove Night reflects the supporters and families who have participated in the program over the past ten years. Performances will include: Paulette Branson & Mixed People, a funky, soul fusion band with hints of rock and world music; Gretchen Elise and Band, performing interactive, original music that combines an international flavor with shades of Philly jazz and soul; and Unidos Da Filadelfia Samba Group, a community-based samba school whose mission is to spread the joy and excitement of Brazilian percussion.  Continue Reading

Lancaster Avenue 21st Century will hold Lancaster Avenue Day festivities on Saturday, Oct. 7. The day will include a parade that starts on 35th Street at noon, as well as resource tables on topics ranging from registering to vote to paying your water bill.

The parade will proceed from 34th street until 43rd street, and the day will include a $100 “Best in Show” award. There will also be decorations on hand to “decorate your car, or your bike, or yourself, whatever you want,” said organizer Joel Spivak.

Spivak said the day grew out of Lancaster Avenue 21st Century, a business association he co-founded in 2005. Back then, he was concerned that gentrification in West Philadelphia might harm longtime residents and businesses. Spivak is experienced in this area: In the 1970s, he said, he was part of a wave of artists that gentrified South Street. As the Lancaster organization sought to promote local businesses while also encouraging new ones, Spivak came up with an idea.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of LoLa 38.

Over the past year, a creative placemaking project, LoLa 38, helped bring art installations, community gatherings and other events to Lower Lancaster Avenue. On Oct. 14, a closing celebration for LoLa 38 will take place near the intersection of Powelton Ave. and N. 38th St. with over five hours of live music and dance performances by such well-known artists and groups as Chill Moody, Raheem DeVaughn, Philadanco, Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble, and many more. The Soul Farm Community Festival will also feature local art and food. The event will kick off at 2 p.m.  Continue Reading