Several Easter Egg Hunts will be held in the neighborhood this Saturday and Sunday. If you know of more egg hunts, please email us at: editor@westphillylocal.com or leave a comment below.

Saturday, April 15

• Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Clark Park

43rd and Chester, 11:00 a.m.

Renewal Presbyterian Church will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt at Clark Park, next to the toddler playground, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Ages 1 – 8 are welcome. The event will also include crafts and a raffle basket giveaway, including items from local West Philly businesses. Registration for the Egg Hunt is from 10:45 – 11:15 a.m. For more information, please email: office@renewalchurch.org or call 267.564.5105.

• Friends of Walnut West Library Easter Egg Hunt

Walnut St. West Library (upstairs), 40th and Walnut, 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

The Friends of Walnut West Library will have two Easter Egg Hunts – at 10:30 a.m. for pre-school children (ages 3 – 5), and at 12:30 p.m. for ages 6 to 12.

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The Artist Pitch and Participate event was held on March 30 at the United Bank building (Photos courtesy of LoLa 38).

Ten local artists have been selected to help produce a series of public art installations on Lancaster Avenue.

LoLa 38, a Creative Placemaking project based in West Philadelphia, invited over 20 local artists and artist collaboratives to pitch their ideas for two public art projects in Powelton Village – at the former United Bank building (3750 Lancaster Ave) and the construction fence on the site of the former University City High School.

Ellen Tiberino (left) and audience member.

In brief presentations, each of them no more than five minutes, held on March 30 artists were asked to answer one of the following questions: How does progress feel? Which walls are invisible? Is there a good rate of change? The audience–a crowd of over 30 community members–judged and placed their votes based on the following criteria: excellence, community connection, curiosity, capacity, and wild card.

Ellen Tiberino, Brian “BCASSO” Bazemore, Melanie Booth, Gabrielle Patterson, Lucy Pistilli will be working on the construction fence of the former University City High School.

Tiberino, who comes from the renowned Philadelphia family of artists, is an artist with deep connections to the neighborhood. She shared her memories of a flowered walkway near University City High School during her presentation. You may recall Bazemore’s work, inspired by Black Lives Matter, from his contribution to the Neighborhood Time Exchange in Fall 2015; Pistilli also contributed her own artwork to the same installation. Patterson is a recent graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and freelance animator.  Continue Reading

The Wiota Street Community Garden (from Google Street View).

The Redevelopment Authority voted to save the Wiota Street Community Garden yesterday, rejecting a sale of the land to a developer who planned to build residences on the property on the 4000 block of Powelton Avenue.

The land has been owned for decades by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, which heard a proposal yesterday to sell the land to AJR Endeavors LLC. Several residents attended the monthly authority meeting on Wednesday to speak in favor of the garden. Despite Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s support of the sale, the Authority unanimously voted against it, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Community members have been lobbying for years to keep the property a garden. A community meeting in December 2014 drew a pledge from Blackwell, who was present at the meeting, to help preserve the garden when developers expressed interest in the property.  Continue Reading

The “Broken Chains” mural at 52nd and Larchwood will be removed due to a new construction project.

Murals are an important part of Philadelphia history and cultural legacy, so it’s a big deal for many residents to hear that a mural in their neighborhood has to be removed. We learned that the “Broken Chains” mural at 52nd and Larchwood can’t be saved due to a new construction project. Understanding the mural’s importance to the community, the project developer, West Philly-based real estate and development firm Spak Group, has offered to fund a new mural at the same location after the construction project is completed.

The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and artists KC White and Gabe Tiberino have been engaged to work on the new mural, and community members are invited this Thursday (April 13) to join the conversation and help inform the design of the mural that will celebrate Black History and empowerment. The meeting will take place at Philadelphia Student Union (501 S. 52nd St.), beginning at 6:30 p.m., and light refreshments will be served.  Continue Reading

After months of rumors, we can confirm that Acme will run the grocery store at 40th and Walnut Streets currently operated by Fresh Grocer. In their Monday’s joint press release, the University of Pennsylvania and Acme Markets have announced the signing of a lease to develop a new supermarket at 40th and Walnut that will include a wine and beer shop and a Starbucks.

According to the press release, the new store will “offer an expansive variety of the freshest produce, top quality meats and seafood, and a large selection of natural, gluten‐free, organic, and local products” and will include indoor and outdoor seating. The University City ACME will also “feature a sushi and noodle bar, a guacamole station, a Starbucks, and a beer and wine shop.”  Continue Reading

Holy Week services and events at St. Francis de Sales Parish (4625 Springfield Ave.) kick off on Tuesday, April 11 with Tenebrae – a prayer in shadows.

The Latin word for “shadows” or “darkness,” tenebrae is the name given to the Church’s celebration of the Hours of Matins and Lauds for Holy Week. Nowadays, it’s often used as a “choral preparation” or meditation on the themes of the Passion. Psalms and hymns of lament are read and sung, and a great number of composers have written some beautiful meditative pieces for this rite.

All are welcome to join the Choir of St. Francis de Sales for this solemn and ancient choral meditation with the music of Palestrina, Garau, Byrd, and other composers in preparation for the Good Friday.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. and no collection will be taken or donations asked. For more information, go here. For information on other Holy Week events and services at St. Francis de Sales Church and some other local churches, visit our Events page.