An assistant to the French-Tunisian artist eL Seed puts the finishing touches on a new mural at the corner of Preston and Market (Photos by Mike Lyons, West Philly Local)

If you’ve been up around 40th and Market in the past few days, you may have noticed a lot of activity near the corner of Market and Preston. The French-Tunisian “calligraffiti” artist el Seed is painting a mural.

eL Seed and two assistants have been working on the mural day and night since Monday and, despite the theft of their paint earlier in the week, the mural will be unveiled officially tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 18) at 11 a.m. Mural Arts Philadelphia and Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture co-sponsored the piece.  Continue Reading

The 2017 Philadelphia Marathon will take place on Sunday, Nov. 19, and the half-marathon on Saturday, Nov. 18. Here’s some important information on road closures, bus detours, and cheer zones.

Marathon Races, Activities, Cheer Zones

Here you can find information on the marathon and here on the half-marathon. Other activities include the  Rothman 8K Run and Kids Fun Run on Saturday. And if you want to cheer on the runners, here’s information on the cheer zones.  Continue Reading

From left to right: Rachel Gluck as Lenny, Tessa Kuhn as Babe and Colleen Hughes as Meg (Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas)

Curio Theatre opened its 13th season in September with free outdoor performances of “I, Peaseblossom” at The Woodlands. Beginning Friday, Nov. 17, the award-winning theater invites the public to its principal location at 48th and Baltimore to witness Crimes of the Heart, a Pulitzer prize winning play by Beth Henley.

The Magrath sisters, Lenny, Meg, and Babe, are reunited at their family home in Hazlehurst Mississippi after Babe shoots her husband. Each one is facing down her own demons, past and present. Lenny cares for the grandfather who raised her, as he approaches the end of his life. Meg grapples with dreams that didn’t come true, and Babe squares off against her husband. It’s a portrait of a dysfunctional family, but Beth Henley play finds laughter within tragedy.  Continue Reading

The Woodlands third annual Gobble Wobble 5K Fun Run is back!

This individual or team relay 5K wobble takes you through the historic grounds of William Hamilton’s 18th century estate, 19th century cemetery and modern day urban oasis. Outrun the West Philly Turkey and support the neighborhood’s best running spot. Compete to win the first prize, a Thanksgiving turkey or tofurkey from Mariposa Food Co-Op! The 5K takes place on the paved road within The Woodlands Cemetery, with the start and finish line near the Hamilton Mansion.

Team Relay Entries: Each team member registers individually. Make sure to put down your team name. Each team member will run 1/3 of the 5K, so get your relay baton ready!

Register early, because the first 150 people signed up will receive a limited edition Gobble Wobble pint glass that you can fill with beer at the finish line, generously donated by Clarkville. All proceeds will go towards improving runner amenities at The Woodlands.  Continue Reading

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