Here’s another opportunity to shop local for the holidays. The University City Arts League (4226 Spruce Street) is opening its annual Holiday Craft Show and Sale on Friday, Dec. 2.

Over 30 artists and crafts people will be selling their work, including jewelry, hand-painted silk scarves, pottery, hand-made gift cards, small paintings and prints. All work is hand-made and reasonably priced.

The artisans at the Arts League Crafts Show include Kelly Ann Mifflin (jewelry, pictured), Ken Beidler, Priscilla Sepe, Art Cohen, Dave (Fatman) Fowler (pottery), and Aubrey Levinthal (paintings).

The show is running December 2 through December 15 with the following hours: Dec. 2 & 3: 6 – 9 p.m., daily hours: 3 – 9 p.m., weekend hours: noon – 6 p.m.

60 percent of the proceeds will go to the artists and the remainder to support community arts programs provided by the Arts League.

Wake Up Yoga (4916 Baltimore Ave.) and teacher Vishnu are inviting folks who get affected by the change in season to attend a seasonal blues workshop this Saturday, Dec. 3, from 1 – 4 p.m. The workshop will help you understand and manage anxiety and depression according to Ayurveda, the science of life.

The workshop will teach you how to understand some of the underlying root causes of your seasonal blues, and how to cope with them using diet and lifestyle management tools.

The workshop contribution is $54 and you can register online or by calling 215-235-1228. Pre-registration is required.

Don’t miss the Big Holiday Book Sale at the Walnut West Library (201 S 40th St.) this Saturday, Dec. 3. All books are in excellent, gift-giving condition. There will be a great selection of cookbooks, children’s books, quality non-fiction and coffee-table books. The sale will be held in the library’s community room from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

December is almost here and we will be paying a lot of attention to holiday events in the neighborhood. Please share any information on upcoming holiday events and volunteer opportunities in our area. Email us at: editor[at]westphillylocal.com.

The Porch, a recently opened public space near the 30th Street Station, already has a busy schedule of music, entertainment and recreational events until the end of this year. French swing accordion music by Dallas Vietty is at lunchtime on Tuesdays. There’s a Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays and traditional and original Eastern European and Balkan music by West Philadelphia Orchestra on Thursdays.

Apart from music, West Philly residents and visitors are invited to participate in fitness sessions organized by Drexel University’s Recreational Athletics staff. On Fridays, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16, from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. there will be a lunchtime boot camp featuring an intense 60-minute session of cardio, strength and agility drills. On Dec. 2 and 9 don’t miss cardio kickboxing workouts accompanied by high energy music (think about going back to work re-energized after those).

What about kids? There is something for them to do too. The Give and Take Jugglers and their Little Circus are there on Fridays from 4 – 6 p.m.

Finally, this Saturday, Nov. 19 don’t miss the Fall Festival from 11:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. There will be live music by West Philly’s Citywide Specials, a cooking demonstration and honey, food and apple cider tasting with Milk & Honey, Urban Apiaries, The Restaurant School and Bartram’s Garden, street puppetry from Geppetta, circus performances, and a homespun merry-go-round. The first 100 people will get free S’More’s kits! For more information go here.

On Thursday, Nov. 17, a large rally is planned to start at 4 p.m. near City Hall followed by a march at 4:30 p.m. The march is going to cross the Market Street Bridge next to 30th Street Station. The purpose of the rally, organized by Fight for Philly, is to draw attention to the poor state of many Philadelphia bridges (including the Market Street Bridge). The protesters will demand more jobs by calling for structurally deficient bridges to be rebuilt.

If you want to help make banners and signs for tomorrow’s protest you can do it from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Calvary Church (48th & Baltimore). Both talented and not so talented folks are needed. For more information call 610-931-2615 or email: PEACE[at]peoplesmail.net.

The annual meeting of the Spruce Hill Community Association will take place Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Spruce Hill Christian School (42nd and Baltimore Ave.). All are welcome.

Dr. Lisa Bell-Chiles, the principal of Lea Elementary School, is the featured speaker. You will also hear an update from the parents group Advocates for Great Elementary Education (AGREE), which is dealing with the enrollment cap issue at Penn Alexander.

There also will be reports on the Association’s activities and finances for the year, and election of new officers and 10 board members (all are running unopposed). Ed Halligan will be the new president, succeeding Mark Wagenveld.