Here’s some useful info for those who are celebrating Thanksgiving in the neighborhood. Also, if you’re looking for something to do today, there will be Holiday Tree Lighting with hot cocoa and live music in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art beginning at 5 p.m. On Friday morning, Nov. 27, special “Santa Express” trains will operate (see more details below).

• Public schools will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27.
• Post offices will be closed, and there will be no mail delivery on Thursday.
• Trash/recycling collections will be one day behind schedule starting Thursday for the rest of the week.
• Public libraries will close at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25 and remain closed through Thursday, Nov. 26.  Continue Reading

Clark Park Thursday Farmers’ Market will re-open at 43rd and Baltimore next week, on June 4, and here’s this year’s vendor lineup:

– Homestead Garden (vegetables and fruit from Ephrata PA)
– Quaff Meadows (vegetables and fruit from Christiana PA)
– Frecon Farms (fruit, baked goods, and hard cider from Boyertown PA)
– Fifth of a Farm Creations (locally sourced preserves and jams produced in Philly)
– Naturally Sweet Baked Goods (vegan, locally sourced sweets and desserts produced in Philly)
– Southwest Child Rebel Gardeners (locally made energy bars)

In addition to the vendors, there will be cooking demos about once an hour. They will be held every week through August.

Also a reminder that on June 4 Tangle Movements Arts will present their new, free aerial show, Intersections, in the park near the market, starting at 6 p.m. Some of the performers will be disguised as market shoppers!

Clark Park Thursday Farmers’ Market is open every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. and runs through the end of November. Check out the Food Trust’s website for more information.

If you want to get really fresh ingredients for that Thanksgiving feast, you should check out these pre-Thanksgiving farmers’ markets in West Philly. This will be the last weekday market of the season at Clark Park and 58th and Chester.

• Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore) – Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• 52nd and Haverford – Open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

• 58th and Chester – Open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information on local farmers’ markets visit The Food Trust website.

Here’s a reminder of what’s happening today around the hoods. And guess what? All of these events are free!

Night Market on Lancaster Ave @ 35th, 6 – 10 p.m. Update: West Philadelphia Orchestra will perform at the Night Market starting at 8 p.m.

Street Movies! at Malcolm X. Park (52nd and Pine), 7:45 p.m.

The Awesome Fest concludes at Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore) with the screening of Skanks. 9 p.m.

Also, the Clark Park Farmers’ Market is from 3 – 7 p.m.

Clark Park Farmers’ Market.

There will be a nice promotion at the Clark Park Farmers’ Market happening this Saturday. Chipotle Mexican Grill will be at the market giving away free $5 vouchers to the first 1,000 people who come to the market. The vouchers can be used for anything sold by official market vendors, including Weckerly’s Ice Cream, Triple Tree Flowers, and Tacos Don Memo. Chipotle will only have 1,000 vouchers with them, so once they run out, that’s it! No purchase is necessary to receive a voucher.

Chipotle has pledged to purchase 20 million pounds of locally-sourced produce in 2014 and has partnered with The Food Trust, who runs the market, to promote Philadelphia-area farmers’ markets during National Farmers’ Market week.

The vouchers are only valid at this Saturday’s Clark Park Farmers’ Market, and cannot be honored at any other location or on any other date. If you have any questions about the promotion or how can spend your voucher, stop by the market manager table (right next to the Friends of Clark Park table).

Photo courtesy Awesome Fest.

This summer, Clark Park is hosting some great arts events. The annual Shakespeare in Clark Park is returning on July 30 with epic performances of Henry IV (more info coming soon), and starting this Thursday, the park will welcome The Awesome Fest, also an annual event happening at various Philadelphia venues. The Awesome Fest was launched in 2010 and since then showcased over 200 Philadelphia premieres from the world’s most prestigious film festivals.

The fest opens tonight at 9 p.m. at Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore) with another Philadelphia premiere – Riot on the Dance Floor. Update: The remaining Awesome Fest movie screenings at Clark Park are: The Wizard Of Oz synced with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of the Moon (July 10), Death Metal Angola (July 17), Jingle Bell Rocks! (July 24), Phantom of The Paradise (Aug 7), and Skanks (Aug 14), all starting at 9 p.m.. Films are presented on a state-of-the-art, 30-foot outdoor screen, and are free to the public. For more Awesome Fest events, click here. The fest closes on August 17.

Clark Park Summer Film Series also kicks off this week, with the first film showing on Friday, June 27, at 8 p.m. in the Bowl (45th and Regent). Gasland Part II will be shown. This showing is also free. Don’t forget to bring your popcorn, blankets and chairs.

Clark Park Farmers’ Market.

Here’s also a quick update on the Clark Park Thursday market events and vendors:

Unfortunately, Tune Up Philly (Facebook page) have cancelled the rest of their dates at Clark Park Thursday, according to Food Trust Market Director Lisa Kelly. West Philly Local reported last week on The Food Trust’s plans to bring Paul Smith of Tune Up Philly and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra to the market every Thursday throughout June and July for interactive demonstrations on how to make musical instruments out of vegetables. There are no more details available at this time.

There is some good news about today’s market though. To coincide with the kickoff of The Awesome Fest at Clark Park, there will be a free canning demonstration from 4 – 6 p.m., led by local food writer Emily Teel. She will be sharing her knowledge on how to can produce from your favorite farmers’ market. Also, lots of information on home canning as well as recipes and other canning goodies will be offered at this event.

In addition, The Food Trust is bringing several new food trucks to the park today – Poi Dog, Curbside Creamery, Mom-Mom’s Polish Food Cart, Pie Stand (2014’s Vendy Award winners!), and Flavor Spot (a food truck spinoff of the popular Jamaican restaurant). The trucks will be on site for the market from 3 p.m. on through The Awesome Fest.

Please don’t forget that the usual market vendors will be there from 3 to 7 p.m. Quaff Meadows, Homestead Gardens, and Frecon Farms are bringing their fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and more to the market.