This Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day, and here are a couple of West Philly events where you can celebrate it.

Kimberly McGlonn outside the new store.

• Grand opening celebration for Grant Blvd’s new flagship store will be held from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Shop Penn Retail District on Earth Day. The sustainable clothing brand will use the new space on 140 S. 34th Street to create jobs making items like zero waste shirting and men and women’s work wear pieces. The store in University City will also provide both pricing and fabric story transparency for garments, so shoppers can understand the cost of the items.

Created in 2017, Grant Blvd is one of the largest female Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia and North America’s first Black-owned B Corp in the fashion industry. For more information about the business and its founder and CEO Kimberly McGlonn, read our story here. Continue Reading

Voted Metro Philly’s Best Annual Festival, the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival is kicking off Earth Day Weekend this Friday (April 21) with the first of six Community Pop-Ups. The festival organizer, HopePHL’s team will be at The Porch at 30th Street Station from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. with Dylan Band. All are invited to enjoy the food vendors, meet other jazz enthusiasts, and swing on the big swings!

Save the date for the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival, Saturday, July 15, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Saunders Park Greene (39th St. and Powelton Ave.). Visit the HopePHL website for all of the upcoming events.

Many local folks have hosted music shows on their porches since West Philly Porchfest, the DIY music festival, launched in 2016. And now there is an opportunity to connect with local artists and host an art show. The West Philly Porch Art Show will be held in June in conjunction with the 2023 West Philly Porchfest, and the organizers, the West Philadelphia Community Art Alliance (WPCAA), are looking for folks who would like to share their porch with an artist as part of this exciting community event.

“This is a totally free, inclusive event that celebrates everyone in our neighborhood,” reads their Instagram post. “BIPOC and Queer artists are strongly supported and encouraged to participate in the event.”

Both events will take place on June 3 from 12-6 p.m., and more details will be available by next month. If you would like to host an art show, please fill out this form or email: westphillycaa@gmail.com.

If you want to host a music show on your porch, check out the West Philly Porchfest website for more details.

University City Garden Club plants are available for sale.

Spring is here and the time to shop for outdoor plants, herbs and veggie starters has begun.

This year, there are not as many options to buy outdoor plants in the West Philly area, after Greensgrow closing. But many spring plant sale events have been scheduled in the area this and next month. Here are some spots where you can buy plants and also participate in workshops, tours, and other activities.

• The University City Garden Club Spring Plant Sale is taking place online through April 19, with an order pick-up event scheduled for May 6 at 517 Woodland Terrace. This is a great opportunity for University City residents to shop for plants. To shop for plants, click here. UCGC members will also be at the May Fair at Clark Park (43rd and Chester) on May 13 with more items for sale and some fun plant related activities from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. In addition, UCGC will host a Mother’s Day Pop-up Plant Sale on Sunday, May 14, 12 – 6 p.m., at 519 Woodland Terrace near 40th and Woodland. For more information, visit: https://ucgcshop.square.site/. Continue Reading

Some exciting things are happening at The Woodlands this spring but first, here’s an important message from the staff: The Woodlands Cemetery grounds will be closed to all visitors on Monday, April 10 for tree maintenance. More than 1,000 trees are growing at The Woodlands, and it’s time for a much-needed refresh of the aging tree canopy. The mature trees at the cemetery make this place very special. If you would like to contribute to The Woodlands Tree Fund to help care for them, please click here.

Here’s a list of events happening this and next month. Please note that the Spring edition of the West Craft Fest will not be held this year due to some scheduling conflicts. The Fest will be back in September. Continue Reading

BalletX returns to The Mann Center with a world premiere by Amy Hall Garner, the return of Justin Peck’s Become a Mountain (2021) with LIVE music by recording artist Dan Deacon, and Trey McIntyre’s Big Ones (2016) set to the music of Amy Winehouse.

Pre-show performances and festivities begin at 6 p.m. Picnics are welcomed for this performance, as a part of the Mann’s Picnic Series. Outside food and drinks are permitted!

Click here for more info and to purchase tickets. Also, check out this video: Continue Reading