We hope that most of you have emerged from your Thanksgiving food coma now and are getting excited for more upcoming holiday events. You better be because we have a lot of things to tell you about this month. This weekend alone, there are tons of exciting things going on in the area, including holiday gift shopping opportunities, a visit with Santa, book sale, and music, art and theater events for children and adults alike. Here’s our roundup and check our Events Calendar for more upcoming events.

Thursday, Dec. 5

Photo by Kyle Cassidy.

8 p.m. – Curio Theatre’s World Premiere of Gender Comedy: A Less Stupid Twelfth Night Gay Fantasia – Preview shows: Dec. 5, 6, 7 & 12; Opening night: Dec. 13; Closing night: Jan. 4.

Curio Theatre Company continues its season with a “very low-brow look at a rather high-brow play.” The show is written by company member Harry Slack, who set out to “turn Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night tale on its head” and make it more absurd, “more fun to watch.” The approximately one-hour play contains people struggling with gender identity, sexual identity, and the complications of love. All performances run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. This show will be performed in Curio’s Black Box space at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community at 4740 Baltimore Avenue. Tickets are $15-25 and are available online at www.curiotheatre.org.  Continue Reading

Halloween week is here and we compiled a list of spooky and fun happenings in our area, for kids and adults alike, in the next few days. If you know of any other events that are not included in the list please email: editor@westphillylocal.com or use the comment section below.

Tuesday, October 29

Bat House Building Workshop – Mariposa Food Coop (49th & Baltimore) – 7 p.m. – A special Halloween week workshop exploring the funny flying nocturnal creatures and what you can do to help restore their often threatened habitat. You can learn how to build your own bat house, where to put it, and what to do when a colony moves in. Free admission. Please RSVP to education@mariposa.coop.

Thursday, October 31

Peanut Butter and Jams Halloween with Charlie Hope – World Cafe Live (30th & Walnut) – 10:30 a.m. – Come sing along with 2012 Juno Award Winner Charlie Hope. Charlie will sing some well-known songs as well as her originals that will get children and parents moving and singing along. Audience participation is encouraged, so be sure to bring your singing voices and dancing shoes! Costumes are welcome. Tickets ($10) are available here.

Halloween at The Woodlands – 40th & Woodland – noon – 4 p.m. – Bring your kids for some treats at the mansion before the tot parade in Spruce Hill.

Stories to Make you Shriek! – Kingsessing Library (1201 South 51st Street) – 4 p.m. – A spooky story time presented by Ms. Kim for brave kids.

Spruce Hill Halloween Tot Parade – 45th & Baltimore – 4 p.m. – This is a fun Halloween tradition in the Spruce Hill neighborhood. The parade will start gathering after 4 p.m. on 45th St. just north of Baltimore Ave. (next to Milk and Honey). The kick-off time is 4:30 p.m. To read more about the parade, click here.

Town Watch Haunted Gym – St. Francis de Sales School (47th & Windsor) – 5-7 p.m. – This year, St. Francis de Sales School has agreed to host the annual Haunted House & Garden event, in their already scary Basement-Gym-Basketball Court. Springfield Avenue will remain open this year, but the 900 and 1000 blocks of Farragut  and the 900 block of 47^th Street, from Springfield to the north side of Warrington, will be closed to auto traffic. For more info and if you want to volunteer at this event, check out this page.  Continue Reading

Here’s an assortment of events taking place in the area this weekend. We hope that the rainy weather will not dampen your fun. For more upcoming events or if you want to submit an event, visit the Events Calendar.

Friday, Oct 11

• Second Fridays on Lancaster – various locations on Lancaster Avenue between 35th and 39th Sts (see flyer) – 5:30 – 10:00 p.m. – Join your neighbors and celebrate the arts on Lancaster Avenue. The event will feature art openings, African artifacts, vintage jewelry, clothing and accessories, handmade candles and cards, garden-fresh vegetables, live music, cafe, and outdoor grilled jerk chicken! More information is available on the event’s Facebook page.

• Jump ‘N Funk – Penn Museum (3260 South St) – 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. – Penn Museum invites young professionals for a night of music, dance, and networking at this late-night event. DJ Rich Medina and partner Mark Hines take center stage for the evening (8:00 pm to 12:00 am) introducing guests to dance, music, and visual display inspired by late African musical icon Fela Anikulapo Kuti. A pre-event Professionals Garden Party in the Museum’s Warden Garden off the Kamin Entrance runs from 6:00 to 8:00 pm (cash bar). Guests are also invited to wander the Museum galleries and take in special exhibitions, including the critically acclaimed Black Bodies in Propaganda: The Art of the War Poster. Admission to  Jump ‘n Funk, including Penn Museum admission, is just $10. Buying tickets in advance is recommended. Click here for more info.

• Romeo and Juliet opens at Curio Theatre – 4740 Baltimore Ave – 8:00 p.m. – This Friday, there’s an opening night of the widely discussed Curio Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Even The New York Times did a story on it. We hear that the opening night is sold out but there are 10 more nights remaining. The shows are every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Oct 11 – Nov 2. To buy tickets and for more information, visit this page.

Saturday, Oct 12

• Octoberfest, 6th Annual Community Festival – on 60th Street between Chestnut and Locust – 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Residents are invited to the 6^th Annual Community Festival called Octoberfest. The festival, which takes place on 60^th Street between Walnut to Locust, will have something for people of all ages. From bounce houses and face painting for the kids, to blood pressure and dental screens for adults, table games, zumba, line dancing, and musical performances throughout the day. The event is co-sponsored by the 60^th Street West Market Business Association. See the flyer for more information.

• From “Farm to Ford” Garden Court Neighborhood Tour – Lea Elementary School Courtyard (47th & Spruce) – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Historical tours of West Philly’s Garden Court neighborhood continue. The tour is only $5! For more information and to RSVP, visit the event’s Facebook page.

• Philly Zine Fest 2013 – The Rotunda (40th & Walnut) – Noon – 11:00 p.m. – From The Rotunda website: “The Fest showcases local artists and zinesters, as well as zine distros, bringing DIY, radical, whimsical, and artistic small press publications to the public. Ranging from bike repair to poetry to crafts, the Zine Fest is a great place to go to learn new things, connect with local writers, and get involved with creating new forms of accessible media.” Check this page for more information on the festival events or go to: http://phillyzinefest.com/.

Sunday, Oct 13

• Second Sunday Culture Film: Maestra (2011) – Penn Museum – 2:00 p.m. – The Second Sunday Culture Films series kicks off with Maestra, a 2011 documentary about volunteer female teachers who joined the Cuban Literacy Campaign. This year’s series focuses on individual stories of resistance to cultural change, often in the face of imminent threats of violence. Information about the full series is available online.

A bunch of exciting events and happenings are taking place in our neck of the woods this upcoming weekend and here are some highlights. For more upcoming events, or if you want to submit an event, visit the Events Calendar.

Thursday, Sept 26

• Harvest Moon Social – 6:00 p.m. – The Woodlands (40th & Woodland) – UC Green, a non-profit organization that plants trees an maintains public gardens in West Philly, is celebrating 15 years of serving the community. Harvest Moon Social is a cocktail reception and a dinner fundraiser. Tickets are still available. For more information and to purchase tickets ($75), visit the event’s Facebook page.

• PSA-feat. Dead Prez – 9:00 p.m. – The Blockley (38th & Chestnut) – Hip-hop duo Dead Prez is visiting West Philly this Thursday to be part of the PSA, a continuing branded series of events at The Blockley. The concerts are intended to double as a social awareness effort, dedicated to educating people on the problems and plight of U.S.-held political prisoners, mass incarceration and solitary confinement. Tickets ($25) can be purchased here.

Friday, Sept 27

• Curio Benefit Night – 8:00 p.m. – St. Francis De Sales School Banquet Room (917 S. 47th St) – This Friday you can support Curio Theatre and enjoy a wonderful night of fun and entertainment. Admission ($50 per person) includes food, drinks (wine, beer and a special Wild West cocktail, live music, raffle and prizes. One of the benefit show highlights is the Best of the West (Philly) Talent Smackdown. To buy tickets, visit: http://www.curiotheatre.org/2013-benefit-night.html  Continue Reading

There’s no doubt that there are tons of talented folks in West Philly. Curio Theatre would like to hear from you.

On Friday, Sept. 13, auditions will be held for Curio’s Talent Show, which is part of the annual Curio Theatre Benefit Night. The Talent Show, dubbed “The Best of the West (Philly) Talent Smackdown!,” will have everything: judges, voting, and the proverbial “Fat Lady” to sing you off the stage if your act is losing steam. Contestants will be competing for a grand prize of $200, a goody bag, and they all get free entrance to the Gala event.

So don’t be shy and show your neighbors what you’re good at. To apply, call 215-525-1350, or email: company@curiotheatre.org to set up an audition time.

The Talent Show and Benefit will be held on Friday, Sept. 27, in St.Francis De Sales School banquet room located at 917 S. 47th St. More information can be found at www.curiotheatre.org. If you want to buy tickets ($50), click here.

Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local

Last night, Curio Theatre opened its 2013-2014 season with its free production of Washington Irving’s classic 19th century short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” at the “Bowl” in Clark Park on 43rd Street and Chester Avenue. A full crowd of mostly families hunkered down on the grass as they listened to the story of Ichabod Crane (played by company member Josh Hitchens, who adapted “Sleepy Hollow” for stage) and his fateful encounter with the headless horseman.

During the 45-minute show, Hitchens and his fellow actors, Rachel Gluck as Crane’s love interest Katrina Van Tassel and Chris Braak as his rival Brom Van Brunt, moved around the simplistic set with quiet intensity as several torches and a small crackling campfire illuminated the scene. Sound effects, provided by Eli Halpern (who played The Musician), filled the atmosphere as Crane’s story unfolded.

Make sure to catch “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” at Clark Park before it closes on September 8. The remaining shows are on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 7:30 p.m.