Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (center) celebrating the reopening of the upgraded 48th and Woodland sprayground with local families. (Photo by Wendi Wu)

Here’s some great news for West Philly and Southwest Philly youth and their families who have been battling the heat. The 48th & Woodland sprayground has reopened after some new renovations and upgrades. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Tuesday.

The playground site at 48th and Woodland was updated with new water play equipment that is tied to the theme of learning. One of the main goals of this renovation project was to create a sprayground where children can combine learning and fun. Other new amenities include a shade structure and new seating (see more photos below).

The project was a $700,000 investment by the City in this important local community space.

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Photo courtesy of Arts Without Boundaries

Arts Without Boundaries Youth Community Theater, in partnership with Compassion CDC, has announced the overwhelming success of its original musical production, “The Journey in Oz,” which premiered to two packed-out audiences on June 29th.

The event celebrated the exceptional talents of West Philadelphia’s Black and Brown youth, combining creativity, community, and cultural pride in the performance. Both shows were packed, showcasing tremendous community support and enthusiasm for the production.

The event took place at the Church of Christian Compassion (6121 Cedar Ave.) and was co-sponsored by Compassion CDC, an outgrowth of the church founded in 1981. The non-profit organization was created to implement the vast number of holistic programs and initiatives to improve the quality of life and promote community development and neighborhood pride.

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Malcolm X Park will be hosting several community events this summer. Here are a couple coming up soon.

The Garden Court Community Association is inviting families with young children to a new event series – Children’s Read Aloud! The series will be held every other Thursday at 5 p.m., from June 20 to September 12, and feature books by local authors – a different author each week! Families will get an opportunity to get free books (while supplies last) and/or purchase books from Hakim’s Bookstore. See the flyer below for more details.

Thursday, June 20 is also a kick-off day for the popular Jazz Heritage Series, featuring free shows performed by some of the best local musicians. This event is also held every other Thursday from June through September, at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the upcoming performances and other updates, follow the Friends of Malcolm X Park on Instagram.

Stay tuned for more events later this summer, including the beloved Theatre in the X performances.

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Easter in March snuck up on the Friends of the Walnut West Library this year, too late to hold our annual Egg Hunt last week – but after so many dreary days of rain this week – what better way to spend this Saturday afternoon outside with the kids!

And the Easter bunny has cordially agreed to stick around one more week! (bring your camera)

Note: Due to scheduling conflicts, we’re holding the event in the afternoon this year.

The Egg Hunt for very young children begins at 2 p.m. And at 3:15 p.m. for not quite so little children (to age 10).

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West Philly parents and guardians: here’s a chance for you to exchange unwanted children’s clothes and shoes for more desirable items. The 4th Annual Spring Clothing Swap for Babies and Kids is scheduled for next Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.. The event will again take place on the 4200 block of Regent Square, the side street across from Clark Park on the east side.

Porches on the block will be labeled by size/age. Drop off your clothes on the corresponding porch starting at 9:30 a.m. Please note that only clothing and shoes in good condition (no stains or rips) will be accepted. Accepted sizes are 0-3M through 8Y.

For more information, visit the Facebook Event page or email: clarkparkclothingswap@gmail.com

The annual Easter Egg Hunt organized by Renewal Presbyterian Church and scheduled to take place on March 23 at Clark Park, was cancelled due to persistent rain. But more egg hunts are planned in the neighborhood this and next weekend. Here are some of them. If you know of more community egg hunts, please post them in the comments below.

Easter Sunday, March 31:

St. Mary’s Church, Hamilton Village (3916 Locust Walk)

The annual BYOB (Bring Your Own Basket) egg hunt and potluck coffee hour will take place on Locust Walk right after the 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist. For more details, visit: https://www.stmarysatpenn.org.

Calvary Church (48th and Baltimore)

Calvary Church is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt from 10:15 – 10:45 a.m. outside the 48th St entrance (inside in case of inclement weather). Also, all are invited to Easter Sunday events at the church and at Cedar Park (50th and Baltimore). More info: https://www.allmeansall.org/holy-week.html

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