This weekend there’s an opportunity to show your love for your local parks as many events are scheduled in the area as part of the “Love Your Park” week held citywide. Here are some details:

The Porch Beer Garden (The Porch at 30th Street Station)

Thursday & Friday (May 16 & 17), 3 – 8 p.m.

The Porch at 30th Street Station is hosting a two-day beer garden this Thursday and Friday. There will be live music by Perseverance Jazz Band (May 16), The Red Hot Ramblers (May 16), and Polkadelphia (May 17). Beer will be served by Bridgewater’s Pub and the following gourmet food trucks will show up at the event: The Cow and The Curd (battered fried cheese curds), Local 215 (locally sourced seasonal foods), and Sum Pig (gourmet comfort food). For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Picnic in Cedar Park (50th & Baltimore)

Friday, May 17, 6 – 8 p.m.

Cedar Park is celebrating “Love Your Park” week with a community picnic. You can bring your own food or pick up a coupon for a “picnic special” you can redeem at Cedar Park area businesses, including The Gold Standard Cafe, Dock Street Brewery, Hibiscus Cafe, Little Baby’s Ice Cream and more. Click here for more details.

Barkan Park Clean-up (50th & Spruce)

Saturday, May 18, 2 – 4 p.m.

Show your love for Barkan Park this Saturday and help with clean-up, weeding, and planting. Tools and refreshments will be provided. For more information call Mark at 215-476-2983.

Party in Clark Park (43rd & Baltimore)

Saturday, May 18, 4 – 8 p.m.
The Friends of Clark Park are hosting a party in Clark Park in observance of “Love Your Park” week and everyone is invited. This free community event will include food, music, games and the park’s first Beer Garden. At the party enjoy performances by West Philly based Pakistani musician Umer Piracha, The Philadelphia Women’s Slavic Ensemble and On The Water. And here are the food vendors at the party: MiniTrini (gourmet Trinidadian food), The Cow and the Curd, Taco Angeleno (new West Philly based taco truck), and Lil’ Pop Shop. Beer will be served by Dock Street and actually will cost $5, but if you join The Friends of Clark Park at the event you will receive a free beer ticket and can buy the next beers for $3.

By the way, also on Saturday Clark Park “B” at 43rd and Chester will be hosting Uhuru Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so you can spend the whole day at the park, especially since the weather is expected to be nice and sunny.

One of the biggest Clark Park events of the year is almost here and we wanted to share details on what will be in store at this all-day celebration of spring and the community.

Just like in previous years, the Saturday, May 11 event will have games for kids, such as an obstacle course and a bounce tent, and a raffle with great prizes from University Pinball and other local businesses. The grand prize this year is an iPad 4, with 10 runner-ups worth 100 tokens each for games at the University Pinball Family Fun Center at 40th and Spruce. Raffle tickets are $5 for six chances.

Many West Philly-based artists and craftspeople will be selling their handmade unique stuff (jewelry, pottery, fabrics, and more.) Church groups will be helping kids make craft presents for Mother’s Day, and the West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools will be selling “LEA-monade” in support of the project to “green” the Lea School playground. Among other things to check out at the fair is a huge book sale, with many new and used books selling for $1 or less and the annual University City Garden Club plant sale. The plant sale will be at the UCGC’s booth near 43rd and Regent.

And of course, there will be a lot to choose from for your palate: some of the best food trucks in the area will be offering food, including Caribbean soul food, specialty pizzas, hamburgers and grilled meats, vegan and vegetarian dishes, and desserts.

Finally, here’s the line-up of the music performers at this year’s May Fair:

10:30 a.m. – Laura Szklarski (guitarist and singer)
11:30 a.m. – Sour Mash (high-energy bluegrass)
1:30 p.m. – Belleville Quartet (acoustic jazz ensemble)

NOTE: 43rd Street between Chester Ave and Regent Square will be closed for the fair, so residents are urged not to park there overnight on Friday night, or along the south side of Chester Avenue.

Spruce Hill May Fair
Clark Park (43rd & Chester)
Saturday, May 11
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Here’s some exciting news: Clark Park is hosting two big events in May – the annual Spruce Hill’s May Fair on Saturday, May 11 and Clark Park Party on May 18. Both events will be packed with fun activities for adults and children alike, music, food and vendors. We’ll let you know more about the details a little later, but for now here are a couple important messages from the event organizers.

Vendors at Spruce Hill May Fair. (Archive photo)

Mark Wagenveld of the Spruce Hill Community Association, who coordinates vendors at the May Fair, sent a note that there are still some slots available for vendors. Especially welcome are artists and crafts persons from West Philadelphia who are making unusual things. Also, groups that want to promote their cause, and businesses, especially unusual start-ups. Tables are $35 for those selling, $25 for non-profits. SHCA provides a table and chair for the day. The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Interested persons or businesses should e-mail Mark by May 1 at: ma.wa@verizon.net

Michael Munson of The Thrive Fitness and Wellness, who’s in charge of field day events this year during the Clark Park Party, is seeking volunteers for the following  events and activities:  the 3 legged race, potato sack races, some fun fitness games, exercises and much more including face painting. Ideas and suggestions are welcome, too. If anyone has kids who would like to join in the fun (young or old) please let Michael know. Also needed: face paint, potato sacks, a rope for tug-o- war and maybe more. If you would like to volunteer, donate or for more information, please email Michael at: thrivefitnessandwellness@gmail.com

Here are a couple of shots from the neighborhood featuring volunteers cleaning up Cedar Park and wonderful spring blossoms.

A New York-based property developer is hoping to build a 92-unit residential building on the large vacant lot at the corner of 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue (pictured), across from Clark Park.

The property owner, Clarkmore LP, is associated with Thylan Associates Inc., whose properties include the University of Pennsylvania-run independent housing complex for the elderly, LIFE UPenn, at 4508 Chestnut St., the Bailey Building at 1218 Chestnut St. and the Biddle Building at 1217 Sansom St. The company also owns upscale condos at 1111 Locust St. and the Heid Building, 325 N. 13th St., which houses lofts.

The conditional zoning permit, granted on March 11, confirms that the developer meets some basic requirements for construction, but does not give a green light for construction.

A 17,600 square-foot structure and the plot, which is a little over an acre, was purchased by Thylan in 2008 for $3.5 million. The building was demolished soon after. The building had most recently housed a women’s shelter. In the past it had served as a nursing home and before that a private boarding school.

The proposed project will also include 36 “bicycle spaces” and 6 parking spaces.

Anyone who opposes the permit for the project can file an appeal to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. For instruction, call them at 215-686-2429.

Farmer’s market, soccer and Shakespeare … now get ready for some cold beer!

Hey, you heard it here first (unless you read about it on the Friends of Clark Park website over the weekend): Clark Park will be home to its very own (if only temporary) beer garden this Spring as part of the citywide “Spring into Your Park” event on May 18. Apart from the beer, the event will include food, music, games and other activities for adults and children alike (we’ll have more info about this later). The goal is “to promote the well-being of West Philly’s beloved green ‘town commons’ together.”

In order to make this neighborhood celebration a success Friends of Clark Park is seeking volunteers who can contribute in the following areas:

Advance work: graphic designers, sponsors, raffle-prize donors.

Event-day work: licensed bartender, decoration setup crew, security staff, acoustic musicians, membership-table workers.

If you’d like to volunteer, please email Anthony West (anthony.abbott.west@gmail.com) and let him know how you can help.