Here’s a chance to meet your neighbors and have some food. Cedar Park Neighbors is hosting its second community potluck of the year on Friday, March 11 at People’s Baptist Church (5039 Baltimore Ave.)

Photo from Cedar Park Neighbors Facebook page.

The potluck will include some community announcements, but the main purpose is just to meet your neighbors over dinner. “Basic healthy food” will be provided, but everyone is welcome to bring something to share. The dinner runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

They need to know how much to cook though, so be sure to RSVP by email, calling or texting Cedar Park Neighbors at 267-BALT-AVE or go to the Facebook event page.

If you can’t make it to Friday’s dinner, there will be another chance in May. Check out cedarparkneighbors.org for updates.

Neighbors are invited to a fun and free community event this Friday (Jan. 15) in Cedar Park. Free Community Dinner/ Potluck Cabaret is hosted by Cedar Park Neighbors and will take place from 6-8 p.m. at People’s Baptist Church (5039 Baltimore Ave.).

Here’s some more information from the CPN website:

“You’re invited to share a meal with your neighbors!

Please join Cedar Park Neighbors for our first Community Dinner of 2016! Basic healthy food will be provided. You are welcome to bring something to share!

We’ll have a brief moment of community announcements, as well as some boards for resource sharing, but the main purpose of this event is simply to create a neighborly space to share a meal with friends old and new who live in Cedar Park.”

If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP by email (contact@cedarparkneighbors.org), calling or texting CPN at 267-BALT-AVE or through the Facebook event page.

If you’d like to help with setup or cleanup, please email JJ Tizou, CPN Board Member & Dinner Organizer, at jj@jjtiziou.net or leave him a voicemail at 267-702-5464.

Every year, the Cedar Park Neighbors community association packs and distributes holiday food baskets for neighborhood families in need. The annual event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 19, and Cedar Park Neighbors needs your help. The baskets will be packed between 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. at Renewal Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of 47th and Cedar Ave. A few strong hands are also needed to assist with unloading the poultry truck at 7:30 a.m. Please email Michelle Lewis at mlewis1071-at-gmail.com if you are available to help out.

To donate to the food drive, click here or send payment to: Cedar Park Neighbors Holiday Baskets, Calvary Community Center, 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143. Please make checks payable to “Cedar Park Neighbors.” A suggested donation of $36.00 will help feed two families.

If you are interested in donating bulk items or if you have questions, please also contact Michelle Lewis (mlewis1071-at-gmail.com).  Continue Reading

Snapdragon Flowers & Gifts will soon be the newest business to join the Baltimore Ave shopping area in West Philly.

Owner Tolani Lightfoot resides in the Cedar Park neighborhood, where she settled and bought a house when she relocated from Portland, Oregon eight years ago. “I feel like West Philly is one of those wonderful neighborhoods where you have to live there and understand the neighborhood before opening a business,” she said.

Tolani, who has worked in the industry for 10 years, says she realized that there was a need for a florist shop with her creative vision after she was told that “she was too creative” at her former workplace at a traditional florist shop. The shop will offer a wide range of botanically inspired products, including ready-made floral arrangements. Snapdragon Flowers & Gifts will offer arrangements both for people and events. Some niche market arrangements will include small-scale urban gardens, living arrangements for the home, vertical gardens, Victorian inspired indoor gardens and terrariums along with drought-resistant plants.  Continue Reading

Here’s a reminder about a couple of great youth recreation programs held at local parks.

Soccer Shots is starting its fall season of soccer instructions for preschool age kids at Cedar Park (50th and Baltimore) on Saturday, Sept. 12, and there is still room available for children ages 2-5 to participate in the program. Class times are: 9 a.m. – ages 3-4; 9:45 a.m. – age 2; 10:20 a.m. – ages 4-5. Register online here or contact Thomas Rockett for more information: philly@soccershots.org or 267-630-1557.

Clark Park Youth Soccer League‘s fall season begins on Saturday, Oct. 3 (a week later due to the papal visit). This volunteer-run program provides soccer instruction and intramural games for children ages 5-11 on Saturdays at Clark Park (45th and Chester). The program emphasizes enjoying the game of soccer while learning soccer skills. Each 90-minute session includes both skills training and a game. Children are assigned to teams by age: Mornings (10:30-noon): ages 5 to 6.5 and ages 6.5 to 7; afternoons (noon-1:30 pm): ages 8 to 9 and ages 10 to 11. More information and forms are available here. Online registration is coming soon. If you would like to volunteer as a coach, assistant coach or to help with administrative work, please email: clarkparksoccer@yahoo.com.

Friday night jazz at Cedar Park. Photo from Twitter feed of @DrStephenDavis.

Great news for local jazz fans and anyone who enjoys outdoor music and hanging with neighbors. The popular Cedar Park Jazz series, which runs every summer in the park at 49th and Baltimore, has been extended until August 14.

The Broke and Blue Band will perform this Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The two added dates – August 7 and 14 – will feature Dr. Ketchup (Aug. 7) and Clint Washington and Friends (Aug. 14). Side By Soul will take the stage next Friday.

And as if that isn’t enough live jazz … Jake’s Sandwich Board, a restaurant in that new building on 40th Street near Sansom, has announced (Facebook page) that there will be live music every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the World’s Largest Parklet (on 40th Street across from Fresh Grocer). Yes, jazz at the parklet is now a thing. Don’t forget that while the parklet fronts a bunch of businesses, you don’t necessarily have to patronize one to sit there. It’s a park, just like any other park.