Mayor Jim Kenney will be a guest at the 9th Annual Festival at ParkWest Town Center. He will join more than 2,000 friends, neighbors and businesses to celebrate the West Philadelphia community on Saturday, June 4.

Photo via goldenbergdevelopment.com

Kenney will recognize high school seniors Charnae McCoy and Christopher Rivers at 1 p.m. for their commitment to improve the West Philadelphia community and award them each a $2,500 ParkWest Town Center scholarship.

The festival will feature live performances by Kriss Mincey, the Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble, and Zumba dancing. Also, there will be raffles, senior bingo and giveaways.

Kids will be treated to face painting, pony rides, arts & crafts, Lowe’s Builder Workshop, Ree Ree the Clown and Parrot Show, and a stilt walker and a juggler.

Also, presenting sponsor WURD’s Health Pavilion will provide cooking demonstrations, health screenings, chair massages, reflexology, financial fitness and a live broadcast.  Continue Reading

Photo © Jacques-Jean Tiziou / www.jjtiziou.net

UPDATE: Tonight’s performance by the Bernard Samuels Trio has been cancelled due to wet weather. Progressive Movement is scheduled to perform next Friday, June 10.

This is a reminder that Cedar Park Neighbors will be holding two of their biggest annual events this weekend.

Cedar Park Jazz Nights will kick off this Friday at 6 p.m. with a performance by Bernard Samuels Trio. This is a free weekly event, happening every Friday from 6 -8 p.m. at Cedar park (49th and Baltimore). Please bring your blanket or chair and enjoy live music by Philly’s best jazz musicians and guests. More information and performance lineup through July 29, read this post.

On Sunday, June 5, neighbors are invited to support local youth who are heading out to college this fall at the Annual Gary Bronson Scholarship Fundraiser, which will be held from 4-6 p.m. at St. Francis De Sales Parrish School Auditorium (917 S. 47th St.). There will be live music, food, drink and an opportunity to meet your community.

The Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship Fund is named in honor of the visionary Cedar Park resident who founded the CPN Scholarship Committee in 1988. This scholarship fund supports young adults living in Cedar Park who are committed to pursuing higher education. The scholarship provides them with both mentorship and financial support to help them be successful in their post-secondary endeavors. You can purchase tickets for the event ($40; free for children under 12) or make donations to the fund here. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Summer brings many cool events to West Philly neighborhoods, including street festivals, outdoor music, art and movies, farmers’ and flea markets, and food-centered events, so we’ll be posting this information as it becomes available. Today’s post is dedicated to a popular summer event in the area – jazz in local parks.

We’re happy to report that two West Philly parks, Cedar Park and Malcolm X Park, will once again be hosting jazz nights featuring well-known local musicians and guests throughout the summer.

Friday Night Jazz in Cedar Park (49th and Baltimore) will kick off on Friday, June 3, with a performance by Bernard Samuels Trio. Performances will be held every Friday, 6 – 8 p.m.. Here’s the lineup through July 29 (additional performances may be announced later):

June 3 – Bernard Samuels Trio
June 10 – Progressive Movement
June 17 – Gretchen Elise & Friends
June 24 – Jazz Lab Project
July 1 – Rich Tucker & Friends
July 8 – Dendê Mercado/Brazilian artist
July 15 – Bobby Zankel & The Warriors of the Wonderful Sound IV
July 22 – Clef Club Youth Ensemble
July 29 – Philadelphia Clef Club/ Tribute to Donald “Chappy” Washington Band & Friends

Cedar Park Jazz is hosted by Cedar Park Neighbors and is made possible thanks to donations from local organizations, businesses and individuals. If you would like to support this event and help bring more performances to the park, click here.

West Philadelphia Jazz Heritage Series are held at Malcolm X Park (52nd and Pine) every other Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m. The series is hosted by Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and Friends of Malcolm X Park. Here’s the lineup through Sept. 15:

June 9 – The Jazz Lab Project
June 23 – Vocalist: The Barbara Walker Story
July 7 – Bassist: Bill Booker & Trio
July 21 – Vocalist: Shirley Lites
Aug. 4 – Budesa Brothers
Aug. 18 – Perfect Solution
Sept. 1 – Napoleon Redeemer & The 61st St Band
Sept. 15 – Angel Baby Music  Continue Reading

We’re happy to pass along information on two local causes that support community education.

Metropolitan owner Jim Lily and PIC executive director Debbie Green (photo courtesy PIC).

The Parent Infant Center (PIC) at 42nd and Locust recently received a generous and heartfelt gift from a local business. Metropolitan Bakery & Café’s owner Jim Lily sent a touching letter to PIC’s Executive Director Debbie Green and presented a $600 donation for PIC’s Cindy Fund. In his letter, Lily wrote about his close relationship with PIC (his daughter participated in the after-school program there) and about his friendship with former executive director Cindy Roberts who passed away in February. Roberts and Lily were also neighbors; they lived across the street from each other.

University City’s Metropolitan celebrated its 12th anniversary on April 26, and a portion of sales on that day made up this donation. Read more about this wonderful gesture on the PIC website.

The Cindy Fund was established in memory of Roberts, who was passionate about children and families and believed in equal access to quality preschool for all families, regardless of income. To learn more about the Cindy Fund, go here.  Continue Reading

We always knew that Cedar Park is one of the best neighborhoods in West Philadelphia, and next Friday (June 3), it will be featured on Fox 29’s Good Day Philadelphia! Fox’s TV crew, including Alex Holley, Bob Kelly, Sue Serio, and Quincy Harris, will be broadcasting live from the neighborhood from 7 to 10 a.m.. There will be music, food, special guests, and a chance to be on live TV!

Local community organizations or businesses are invited to set up a table at 49th and Baltimore to be featured in the show. If you’re interested to participate, email Berlinda at Berlinda.garnett@foxtv.com by 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, and let her know your organization or business name and what you would feature/do on the show.  Continue Reading

If you live in West Philly, chances are you or someone you know has a porch where you’ve spent time drinking your beverage of choice on a warm summer day. Porch sitting is a neighborhood activity that people have engaged in as a way of exchanging ideas and bonding with neighbors for years, and the organizers of West Philly Porchfest (WPPF), which will be held on Saturday, June 4, would like to harness that energy to build stronger connections within the West Philly music scene.

“Porchfest is something that the neighborhood can do for itself that really breaks down all sorts of barriers [between music and fans]. Varying skill levels, genres, people who are on tour, people who have never played music before, people whose friends didn’t know they played guitar can play music. It opens up the opportunity for people who have never been invited to house shows in the past to appreciate this music,” explained Owen Lyman-Schmidt, of the West Philly Porchfest Coordinating Committee.

No one is sure of where the first Porchfest took place, but WPPF is modeling its event after Somerville Porchfest. The idea is simple: The West Philly Porchfest coordinating committee of five people will compile a list of participating porches and performers, each porch will be responsible for donating its own sound, electricity and performers. A sense of independent “Do It Yourself” will guide event participants, but Lyman-Schmidt says he hopes to also cultivate a sense of “Do it Together” where porches will collaborate with one another to make the festival a reality.  Continue Reading