We have compiled some exciting news and updates from local restaurants and coffee shops.

Renata’s Kitchen Now Offers Catering

Renata’s Kitchen

Renata’s Kitchen has been serving brunch and dinner at 46th and Baltimore since Fall 2015, and this fall, the popular restaurant has released a new, “organized” catering menu. The restaurant has done some catering in the past, but the new menu serves the purpose of bringing this additional service to the front, especially around the holiday time.

“… our catering menu is just the start, we’re happy to accommodate special requests, or themed parties,” writes Renata’s co-owner Katie Aiq. “We did an order recently for a client specializing in Chilean food – possibly my favorite day at work ever. Don’t be shy, even if you’ve never seen us do anything like it before, we can probably work something out.”  Continue Reading

Photo by Andrew Ford

Every Monday night in the Suzuki Piano Studio on South 47th Street, David Ford tries to create a hivemind.

As his “Sonic Sandbox” begins, a circle of half a dozen or so people start to make whatever noise comes to mind; gradually, a haphazard ensemble of instruments comes in, and some structure appears. People copy each other. By the end of it, it’s hard to tell who’s copying who, and that’s exactly the point.

“It’s like being a kid again, I guess,” said Ford, who founded Sonic Sandbox.  Continue Reading

It’s hard to imagine West Philly without the Peoplehood Parade. And this year is no exception – the fall tradition of marching with giant puppets along West Philly streets followed by a celebration in Clark Park will return this Saturday (Oct. 21).

Peoplehood Parade map (click to enlarge)

The 18th annual Peoplehood Parade, hosted by West Philly’s Spiral Q theater and arts organization, will kick off at 1 p.m. outside of the Paul Robeson House (4951 Walnut St). The event celebrates diversity in the city and is also a creative way to express your civic concerns. The event is kid friendly, so bring your children to march with you.

Besides the giant puppets, Peoplehood includes flags, costumes and banners. Everyone is invited to bring their own artwork or carry Spiral Q puppets. The parade is followed by participatory performances and art-making activities in the Clark Park “bowl” around 2 p.m.

Check out the Spiral Q website for more information or if you want to volunteer.

The Philly Wheel Community, a group made up of “sisters and sibs” from the neighborhood, is hosting a Secret Cafe Dinner Extravaganza in West Philly on Saturday, Oct. 28. The proceeds from this event will go to support members of the In Sacred Balance Wheel, a year-long program in feminist earth-based practice for women and non-binary individuals. A portion of the proceeds will go to “The Adalah Initiative,” which supports women and girls from Muslim-majority countries while seeking to end gender-based violence, and “Sacred Justice”, a new project that seeks to build dialogue between LGBTQ individuals of diverse faith backgrounds.

Here’s how the Secret Cafe Dinner works: While the location of the dinner has been revealed – it will be at Children’s Community School, 1212 S. 47th St. – the menu will be a surprise. Tickets are prix fixe. You can purchase a meat or vegan option, and all meals are gluten free. Drinks are a la carte, and the bar will be available throughout the night as a separate space to lounge.  Continue Reading

Here’s a reminder that the annual Halloween Tot Parade will be held in Spruce Hill on Tuesday, Oct. 31. As always, the parade will begin at 45th and Baltimore and end on the 4200 block of Osage Avenue (“Little Osage”). The parade is a great opportunity for families with young children to showcase their Halloween costumes (many parents are into it just as much as kids and some folks get really creative – check out photos from previous parades).

Gathering will begin at 4 p.m. outside of Milk and Honey on 45th Street and the parade will kick off at 4:30 sharp.

After the parade, Little Osage (4200 block) residents and local businesses will throw a Halloween block party with cider and baked goods.

For more Halloween events, check out our Events page. If you’re hosting an event, feel free to submit it here.

With rapid development in Cedar Park, what steps can be taken to protect historic buildings? Community members are invited to learn more about building preservation issues in the Cedar Park area on Monday, Oct. 16 at a Neighborhood Preservation workshop presented by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. The workshop will feature an overview of historic preservation policies and the current extent of preservation protections in the neighborhood.

At the end of the workshop there will be an opportunity to share thoughts and concerns about preservation and development in the neighborhood.

The workshop will be held at the Calvary Center (in the chapel, 801 S. 48th St), beginning at 7 p.m. and will be followed by the Cedar Park Neighbors monthly board meeting.