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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.

The Pennsylvania SPCA is coming to West Philly! On Saturday, Nov. 14, pet owners are invited to the Dornsife Center (3509 Spring Garden St.) to learn more about their pets’ needs, body language, and how to problem-solve tough behavior. SPCA will present two workshops: Cat Workshop is from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., and Dog Workshop is from 12-1 p.m. Both workshops are free and open to the public. In addition, workshop participants will be entered into a drawing to win a free basket of dog or cat supplies and toys.

The workshops will be held in the School Building, Room S108. For more information, call (267) 463-2329 or email: education@pspca.org

For 10 months, selected local and international artists have worked in a newly-renovated storefront space at 4017 Lancaster Avenue as part of the “Neighborhood Time Exchange” Artists-in-Residence Program. This Friday, the artists along with the Mural Arts Program, The People’s Emergency Center, Broken City Lab, and The City of Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy will present their culminating exhibition, Reciprocity: Exhibiting Moments and Momentum from Neighborhood Time Exchange.

Three cohorts of artists participated in residencies between January and September 2015 and worked for one to three months: The first cohort of residencies, which took place between January and March, included artists Ian Sampson, Betty Leacraft, Kandis Friesen, and Philippe Leonard. The second cohort, between April and June, included Macon Reed, Camae Dennis and Rasheedah Phillips, Matt Neff, and Sasha Phyars-Burgess. The third included Pato Hebert, Lucy Pistilli and Brian Bazemore, John Phillips, Mark Clare, and Meredith Degyanski.  Continue Reading

If you want to learn more about Pennsylvania’s state budget and its impact on the community, come to the Walnut Hill Community meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 6 – 8 p.m. State Rep. James R. Roebuck Jr. and State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown will be at the meeting to talk about the budget. They will also answer questions and address any concerns from community members.

The final draft of Walnut Hill 2015 Neighborhood Plan will also be presented at the meeting (7-8 p.m.).

The meeting will take place at The Enterprise Center (4548 Market Street).

UPDATE (11/10/2015): Curio Theatre’s Benefit scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14 has been postponed to a later date. Stay tuned for more announcements.

Two local arts organizations, University City Arts League (UCAL) and Curio Theatre, are holding delicious and fun events soon, which will help them raise some cash.

The annual Chili Bowl fundraiser supports the Arts League’s pottery studio. (Photo courtesy UCAL)

• UCAL’s annual Chili Bowl event will be held this Sunday (Nov. 8), from 1 – 4 p.m. at 4226 Spruce Street. Everyone is invited to purchase a hand-crafted bowl for $20 and fill it with chili (kids eat free with a bowl-purchasing adult).

The chili, including vegetarian and vegan, is donated by local restaurants: Corner Bakery, Tortas Frontera, City Tap House, Rx the Farmacy, Harvest, Renata’s Kitchen, Milk and Honey Market, Qdoba, Distrito, The Restaurant School, and the Green Line Cafe. After guests stuff themselves with chili they can vote for their favorite.

All of the proceeds from the Chili Bowl supports UCAL and its beloved ceramic studio. Guests are encouraged to get to the Arts League early to insure that they get a ceramic bowl. Each bowl is individually crafted, a unique piece created by a potter, and they are in limited supply. For more information about the event, visit the UCAL website.  Continue Reading