It looks like it will be a perfect night for some stargazing. Tonight from 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. two West Philly locations, the Woodlands Cemetery and the University of the Sciences, are inviting neighbors for Astronomy Night where you can check out the night skies and meet Philly-area astronomers. At the Woodlands (40th & Woodland), stargazing will be in the Center Circle, the highest point in the cemetery. You are also welcome to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic with your friends and family.

Stargazing at the University of the Sciences will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Quad area on Woodland Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd Streets.

On Saturday, families are invited for Discovery Day at Clark Park that begins at 11 a.m. Kids can meet local scientists and science students, explore the park and its inhabitants and enjoy hands-on activities, such as sun gazing and creepy-crawly creatures.

Both events are part of the Philadelphia Science Festival.

Photo courtesy ThePennRelays.com

The nation’s oldest and largest track and field event, the Penn Relays, kicks off tomorrow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field (233 S. 33rd St.) and there are a couple things West Philadelphia residents should know about the event.

First, traffic near Franklin Field will increase significantly as a result of the Relays, which run through Saturday. Penn security officials said 33rd Street from Walnut to South will be closed for about an hour on Saturday, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Those planning to attend the event, which attracts some 15,000 athletes ranging from high school students to Olympians, should expect much tighter security than in the past due to the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon. Security will be tight at every entrance to Franklin Field and everyone will be checked with metal detectors. Bomb-sniffing dogs and bomb disposal teams will also be on hand.

Here are the rules:

• Backpacks and large bags (gym bags etc.) will not be permitted into Franklin Field or the Relay Carnival Village.

• Participants (athletes, coaches, team medical personnel) will be permitted to bring in backpacks. These bags will be thoroughly checked and will only be allowed in via the designated participant entrances.

• All bags containing food must be smaller than 12x12x6 (inches) and in clear plastic bags. Sealed plastic water bottles and cardboard juice boxes are permitted inside the clear plastic bags.

• Coolers, glass bottles and cans will not be permitted.

For more info, including ticket information and schedule of events, go to the Penn Relays website.

The primary elections are on May 21 and here’s an opportunity to meet a candidate for Judge of Common Pleas. Timika Lane, who is a West Philadelphia local and chief legal counsel to State Senator and Democratic Whip Anthony H. Williams, will be at the University of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, April 24 for a meet-and-greet.

Timika is an advocate for people of color, women, children and low-income communities (her campaign video is available here) and has experience serving as an attorney in the Philadelphia court system (see another video here).

The event, which will be held at the LGBT Center at Penn (3907 Spruce St) beginning at 5:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome to bring their questions and discuss local issues. You can RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/326682774121772/

The Cedar Park Neighbors community association is holding its annual membership meeting tonight at Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th & Baltimore) and community members are welcome to attend. The annual Board of Directors election for current CPN members will also take place (voting will be from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.) The general program will start at 7:00 p.m.

The meeting will include the following agenda:

•  Introduction of nominees and standing Board Members
• Update on the AVI Townhall meeting
• Update on “Future of the Neighborhood” survey
• Featured Speaker: Iola Harper, Enterprise Center Senior Director of the Acceleration Group
• Community announcements
• Representative from Police District will speak
• Recognition of long dedication to CPN by Karen Allen, Dorothy Berlind, Laurie Friedman, Victoria Iannotta, and Joanne Pham
• Announcements of new Board Members (polls close at 7:30 pm)

For more information on the candidates running for the board election, including their bios, please visit the Cedar Park Neighbors website.

On June 21, Philly will join over 500 cities world-wide as a landscape for live music—and West Philly needs to get in on the action.

Dubbed “Make Music Philly,” the free multicultural festival is the city’s inaugural entrance into Make Music Day, a global carnival of melodies that started in France in 1982 and came to the states as National Music Day in 2006. Make Music Philly, which will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., will be an experiment in do-it-yourself ingenuity, with artists and venues city-wide taking the helm in planning casual gigs and formal concerts.

Musicians of all calibers, ages, and genres, and venues of all types are invited to participate. So whether you’re an amateur ukulele player, local post-psych outfit, established folk singer-songwriter, or high school drumline, Make Music Philly has a space for you. And anywhere in West Philly can serve as a stage—from the Clark Park Dog Bowl and the basement of the Calvary to street corners, sidewalks, and your best friend’s backyard.

To be considered an official MMP event, all venues, artists, and volunteers must register for free through the official website. Participants can either register already-curated events or use MMP’s matchmaking software to connect with other venues and artists to organize performances.

WXPN is MMP’s lead organizer in partnership with the City of Philadelphia, and METRO Philly is the official print partner.

For more information, visit makemusicphilly.org or check out MMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

– Annamarya Scaccia
 

One of the most popular events in the ‘hood, the Go West! Craft Fest, is returning this weekend with a large group of talented folks who will be showcasing beautiful, handmade gifts and wares. We hear that this will be the biggest and best Go West! yet with over 100 Philly region’s finest artists and craftspeople participating. The festival will take place at the beautiful historic Woodlands mansion and cemetery (40th & Woodland) on Saturday, Apr. 20, 11 a.m. -5 p.m. (rain date: Sunday, Apr. 21).

If you’re looking for a unique gift check out Go West! where you can find jewelry, art prints & originals, paper goods, clothing, bath & body products, candles, home wares, children’s items and more (see the full vendor list here).

The festival will also feature great performers, like the well-known Tinycircus by Tangle Movement Arts, presenting artful acrobatics, music by Cassendre Xavier and Sour Mash and songs and entertainment for children by Jay Sand of All Around This World, Ann from the Green Tambourine, juggling throughout the day and free face painting (for the full line-up of entertainers go here).

For your palate there will be various food options provided by local eateries, including the debut of Taco Angeleno, West Philly’s new mobile taqueria serving LA-style Mexican cuisine.

Tinycircus performing at Go West! Craft Fest.