Shopping local is a way to keep more of your dollars in your own community. Our 2015 local holiday shopping guide, “Buy Local for the Holidays,” is here. Check out this page for information on holiday specials and events and for some great local gift ideas from a variety of West Philly businesses – bookstores, jewelers, gift shops, art galleries, bars, cafes and restaurants, and more!

This Week’s Holiday Specials include:

• Monday, Nov. 30: Cyber Monday? How about “Cider Monday” at Penn Book Center, 130 S. 34th Street. Enjoy hot cider and holiday treats as you spend a cozy Monday shopping locally. 25% off sale on select Random House titles kicks off today! The store is open until 6 p.m. Mon-Fri.

• Thursday, Dec. 3 – Saturday, Dec. 5: Holiday Kick-Off at Hello World, 3610 Sansom Street – Featuring jewelry designed by West Philly jeweler Amy Neukrug. Thursday and Friday: 5-9 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• Friday, Dec. 4: Opening reception for the University City Arts League Annual Holiday Craft Show, 6-8 p.m., 4226 Spruce Street. The show features hand-crafted one-of-a-kind gifts by 30 local artists.

• Saturday, Dec. 5: The Baltimore-Lancaster Avenue Shoppers’ Trolley (BLAST), 12-5 p.m. Featuring: great gifts and discounts galore from dozens of local businesses and free trolley shuttle service between Baltimore Avenue and Lancaster Avenue. The event is organized by the Baltimore Avenue Business Association (BABA) and People’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation (PEC-CDC).

For more information about these and other local holiday events and specials, visit: www.westphillylocal.com/buy-local-for-the-holidays-2015

Forget about Black Friday. A great way to kick off your holiday shopping is by shopping locally on Small Business Saturday on November 28. Small Business Saturday was founded six years ago and has quickly become a great holiday tradition and one of the most important shopping days of the year.

We have a lot of great businesses in West Philly. From local gift and craft shops to book stores to small groceries to coffee shops and breweries, you can find unique holiday gifts and support your neighborhood tomorrow. For every $100 spent at local small businesses, $68 returns to the community. Your perfect holiday gift may be waiting for you just around the corner!

Here’s a great and delicious way to celebrate the end of the growing season and help a neighborhood farm. Mill Creek Farm board members, staff and volunteers are inviting West Philly neighbors to their 10th annual “Grow Strong” Benefit Party on Saturday, Dec. 5, 5-8 p.m.

The party, which will be held at the new Penn State Philadelphia Center (675 Sansom St.), will feature live music, local eats and brews, a silent auction and a raffle. Tickets ($25) can be purchased online or at the door.

Donations can also be made online to benefit Mill Creek Farm’s education and food access programming in 2016 and beyond: www.millcreekurbanfarm.org/donate.

Over $15,000 has been raised at previous benefits, the proceeds of which support free educational field trips and after-school programs for local public schools, a Philadelphia Youth Network high school internship, an apprenticeship program and a host of community workshops. Each year, over 5,000 lbs. of chemical­ free produce are harvested from the farm and sold at affordable prices at market stands within two miles of the farm. Over 1,000 lbs, of produce are donated annually to neighborhood food cupboards.  Continue Reading

Here’s some useful info for those who are celebrating Thanksgiving in the neighborhood. Also, if you’re looking for something to do today, there will be Holiday Tree Lighting with hot cocoa and live music in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art beginning at 5 p.m. On Friday morning, Nov. 27, special “Santa Express” trains will operate (see more details below).

• Public schools will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27.
• Post offices will be closed, and there will be no mail delivery on Thursday.
• Trash/recycling collections will be one day behind schedule starting Thursday for the rest of the week.
• Public libraries will close at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25 and remain closed through Thursday, Nov. 26.  Continue Reading

                            Click to enlarge

The annual Philadelphia Marathon will be held this Sunday (Nov. 22), starting at 7 a.m. at 22nd Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The City and SEPTA announced street closure and detour information ahead of the marathon. Street closures and detours will affect parts of Center City along the course of the marathon (see map), and also some areas in West Philadelphia. Also, check out the information out below on cheer zones in University City/West Philadelphia. Good luck to all West Philly folks who are running this Sunday!

The following streets will be affected across the city on November 22:

• 18th Street, from Arch to Callowhill streets
• 19th Street, from Arch to Callowhill streets
• 20th Street, from Arch to Callowhill streets
• 21st Street, from Spring Garden to Arch streets
• 22nd Street, from Spring Garden to Arch streets
• Benjamin Franklin Parkway, from 22nd to 16th streets
• Arch Street, between 16th to 4th streets
• 4th Street Arch to Vine streets
• Race Street, from 4th Street to Columbus Boulevard  Continue Reading

The Next Level Expo, a career and opportunities fair, will take place at The Enterprise Center (4548 Market St.) this Friday, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Geared for youth ages 18-25, The Next Level Expo will serve as a one-stop-shop for attendees eager to learn more about career options available to them.

Photo courtesy Episcopal Community Services.

Traditionally, expos focus primarily on employment or education, but The Next Level Expo focuses on all options available to youth so they can determine – on their own – what their next steps in life should be. Four workshops will be offered during the expo: How to Obtain Financial Aid for College, Time Management Tips and Strategies, How to Dress for Success, and Accessing Alternative Pathways to Higher Education.

The expo will feature employers, post-secondary institutions, and apprenticeship programs including: ShopRite, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia Fire Department, Orleans Technical College, Childcare Careers, Jefferson University Hospital, Community College of Philadelphia, Saxby’s Coffee, Elwyn, People’s Emergency Center, OIC of Philadelphia, Integrity Staffing, PA Army National Guard, Sodexo, FedEx, and more.

The Next Level Expo is organized by Episcopal Community Services’ R.I.S.E. Initiative. The event is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, click here.