On Saturday, Oct. 15, neighbors have a chance to make a difference in the life of a child and a public school community. An adults-only party — with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a silent auction — in support of Samuel Powel Elementary, a high-performing public school in Powelton Village, will be held at the Indigo Bleu Design & Culture Center (3870 Lancaster Ave), from 6 – 10 p.m.

Proceeds from the party will help fund essential programs at Powel including Playworks, a recess-based, community-building program that benefits 300 students at the school.

You can help (and have fun, too!) by attending or sponsoring this fantastic event. Tickets are $35 online in advance. The Guest Emcee list includes Councilwoman Helen Gym, State Rep. James Roebuck, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and Sheriff Jewell Williams.  Continue Reading

After several years’ hiatus, The Neighborhood to Neighborhood (N2N) street festival is returning to 50th and Baltimore. An all-day event, which has featured stars like Macey Gray, Chrissette Michele and Robin Thicke, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8, 12 – 8 p.m. This year, rapper Common will be headlining the festival, which will also feature live performances by national and local recording artists, including West Philly rapper Chill Moody. There will also be free food, vendors, a 76er’s Kids Zone, and tents with community resources.

The festivities will be held from 49th to 51st Streets and from Willows to Catharine. Check out the festival schedule here.

The festival is presented by State Sen. Anthony Williams, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, and Black Women in Sport Foundation (BWSF). The event is free and open to the public.

The festival began in 1989 as a barbeque, but was halted after 2010 due to budget cuts. Check out this story by Philly.com on the festival and its history.

Black Hound Clay Studio has recently opened near 50th and Baltimore and on Saturday, Oct. 15 all are invited to a Grand Opening Party. This is an opportunity to tour the studio and have fun – play pin the handle on the mug, drink some beer and eat s’mores toasted on the studio’s firepits.

The opening celebration begins at 5 and will be held on the studio’s large patio. It will also include live music by The West Philly Foot Tappers (starts at 8 p.m.). Suggested donation is $5 per person, and children are also welcome. You can find more information and RSVP on the event’s Facebook page.

West Philly clay artist Bethany Rusen is behind the studio, which offers classes and workshops, co-working space for ceramic artists and events throughout the year. The studio occupies a part of the spacious, former warehouse building at 711 South 50th Street (the other half is occupied by The Green Tambourine music studio). For more information, visit: www.blackhoundclay.com. (Photos courtesy of Black Hound Clay Studio)

The Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion will be hosting a number of cool events this month to help you get into the Halloween spirit. We have compiled the listings below. Also check out The Woodlands website (www.woodlandsphila.org) for more information. Note: The annual Woodlands Gobble Wobble Fun Run will take place November 12. Click here for more details.

HollyWoodlands Movie Night 

Saturday, Oct. 15, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

HollyWoodlands is back for a Double Feature evening: first watch the original Ghostbusters and then stick around for the Halloween classic, Poltergeist! In addition, enjoy snacks from PB & Jams and BYO smores supplies for The Woodlands’ firepits. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., film starts at 7 p.m. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Requested donation: $10 for adults, $2 for children under 12. You can register online here. Rain date: Sunday, Oct. 16.  Continue Reading

A great way to say “goodbye” to the summer is by visiting the historic Woodlands cemetery grounds for the fall edition of Go West! Craft Fest. The fest is scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 1 (rain date is Sunday, Oct. 2), from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and, as always, will feature handmade wares from about 100 local craftspeople, live music, and entertainment for the whole family. There will also be an opportunity to tour The Woodlands, sample delicious food from local eateries, and enjoy performances by Tangle’s tinycircus performers.

Here’s the schedule of performances:

11:00 – The Green Tambourine
12:00 – The River Bones
1:00 – West Philly Foot Tappers
2:00 – Brady And The Bear
3:00 – Tinycircus
4:00 – Christopher Davis-Shannon

For a sneak peek of what’s in store from the participating makers, go here. Also check out #gowestcraftfest on Instagram for more glimpses of Saturday’s offerings.

When community members came last spring to hear the University of the Sciences’ proposal to tear down the Alexander Wilson School and build a 6-floor student dorm complex, they had lots of questions and one big request: Could USciences host an event that would provide Wilson alumni, parents and employees a last chance to share their memories of the school, which has stood at the corner of 46th and Woodland for 100 years.

A mural at the Alexander Wilson School.

A celebration of Wilson’s history is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 2 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the school’s courtyard (see the schedule below).

The event will include the opening of a Wilson school time capsule from 1958 and a recording booth for alumni and teachers to share their memories about the school.

Wilson was shuttered during a controversial round of school closings in 2013 and then sold. The school is scheduled to be demolished within a couple of months.

USciences paid a reported $2 million for the 1.03-acre parcel that borders its campus and includes the three story school building. The purchase, which was approved at a School Reform Commission meeting last fall, followed a long bid process that included interest from West Philly based developers Orens Brothers.

The proposed new dorm complex, which will house about 400 students and replace residence facilities elsewhere on the campus, will be U-shaped with the open end of the U along Woodland. The university hopes to break ground for the building early next year and open it to new students in the fall of 2018.

Here’s the schedule for Sunday’s event:

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Music by the Brook Street Band and DJ Lonnie Love BBQ Lunch

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm PROGRAM REMARKS
Paul Katz, MD, President, University of the Sciences
Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, City of Philadelphia, District 3
PA State Senator Anthony H. Williams, 8th District
Joan Myers Brown, Founder, Executive Artistic Director, PHILADANCO, Former Wilson student
Reverend Martin Wright, 46th Street Baptist Church
Jane Golden, Founder & Executive Director, City of Philadelphia, Mural Arts Program
Dianne Settles, Former Wilson student
Richard Liuzzi, Former Director, Wilson Community School
Dr. Kathleen Cosby-Tabb, Former Wilson student

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM UNVEILING OF SCHOOL TIME CAPSULE

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Music by the Brook Street Band and DJ Lonnie Love Water Ice

ALL DAY Story Collection Booth – Collect video and audio stories and scan in photos.