Martin Luther King Jr. Day is this Monday (Jan. 16). Here’s a list of events and Day of Service opportunities for local residents. Some events are being held starting this weekend and will go on until Feb. 2. More MLK Day of Service community projects can be found here.

Friday, Jan. 13

• MLK Weekend of Service at Repair the World: Philadelphia  – Jan. 13-16

Repair the World: Philadelphia will honor the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. all weekend long through offering a variety of volunteer opportunities and chances to engage with other community members. Click here to register.

Sunday, Jan. 15

• Annual Symposium on Social Change Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. at the University of Pennsylvania – Jan. 15-Feb. 2, 2017

The University of Pennsylvania will honor the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with film screenings, lectures, workshops, panel discussions and musical performances. All events are free and open to the public. Click here for more information.  Continue Reading

If you’re not sure what to do for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, check out some happenings below. For more events, go here. Happy New Year!

New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the Waterfront

There will be not one but two New Year’s Eve fireworks on the Delaware River waterfront. The first one is scheduled for 6 p.m. (good time for kids), and the other one will be at midnight. This is a free event. Here you can find best spots where you can watch the fireworks.

New Year’s Eve Parties/Concerts

• J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral (38th and Chestnut), 4 – 8 p.m.

Choral Arts Philadelphia and the Bach Festival of Philadelphia, led by Artistic Director Matthew Glandorf, will offer a rare performance of J.S. Bach’s complete Christmas Oratorio BWV 248. The concert will include an extended intermission, food and drink concessions. For more information and tickets ($15-$45), click here.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Kol Tzedek.

West Philly’s reconstructionist synagogue, Kol Tzedek, located at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore), is hosting holiday services on Saturday, Dec. 24 and inviting community members to join them. Two holiday events will be held – a sufganiyot (fried doughnut) party and a Joint Service of Light with the Calvary Methodist Church and West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, both on the first night of Hannukah/Christmas Eve.

The Sufganiyot Party to celebrate the first night of Hannukah will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. This event will be followed by a potluck from 6-7 p.m. for those who are staying for the Joint Service of Light. Please bring a dish to share and reusable plates.

The Joint Service of Light will be held from 7 – 8 p.m.

For more information, visit the Kol Tzedek website.

Spruce Hill and Powelton Village residents have a chance this Sunday, Dec. 18 to show their Christmas carol singing prowess and help light and decorate community trees.

Friends of Clark Park will be hosting the annual Christmas Caroling in the park. The event begins at 5 p.m. at the Community Christmas Tree atop the maintenance house, near 45th and Regent Streets. This wonderful, longstanding event draws many neighbors each year as a hushed winter night falls. Everyone is welcome to come sing traditional Christmas favorites by candlelight with your neighbors, and then enjoy hot cider and cookies.

Also on Sunday, a tree lighting celebration will take place in Powelton, at 3750 Lancaster Avenue (United Bank building). Neighbors are invited to help light the tree and make decorations and memories together. This event will take place from 5 – 7:30 p.m.

Artwork by Laura Murdoch.

Need some holiday gifts with some Philly flavor? The annual Go West! Craft Fest holiday edition is this Sunday, Dec. 18 at The Rotunda (near 40th and Walnut) and will feature more than 100 artisan vendors selling handcrafted, locally made items.

Everything from hand-knitted winter clothing to locally made preserves to handmade toys will be available at The Rotunda. This thing has gotten so big over the years that it has now expanded into The Rotunda’s amazing Sanctuary space.

The Go West! Craft Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and here is a list of vendors.

Community members are invited to St. Francis de Sales Church (47th and Springfield) for a candlelight Christmas concert under the dome this Wednesday (Dec. 14). The church’s choir will preview pieces from their annual Midnight Mass carol service, and their lineup this year will showcase pieces by Vaughan-Williams, Victoria, Franck, Garau and others, as well as feature a carol sing-along.

The concert is free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged. All proceeds go toward restoration projects in the church building, which dates to 1907.

“Since the departure of the old pastor, there are a number of cultural and community events that SFDS is looking to relaunch,” writes SFDS sexton Michael Nevadomski. “Most of them are pretty Catholic, but we’re looking to start doing more regular concerts, the first of which is a candlelight Christmas concert by our very talented choir and organist on December 14.”  Continue Reading