Photo courtesy of Penn Museum.

Penn Museum is bringing back its popular summer concert series this week. P.M. at Penn Museum concerts will kick off in the outdoor Stoner Courtyard on Wednesday, June 17, with a performance by Harrisburg Mandolin Ensemble. Penn Museum’s summer night concerts, which are held every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. through early September, offer a great opportunity to relax after a long workday in the museum’s green space and enjoy live music from around the globe.

In addition to the concerts, guests can enjoy non-alcoholic beverages and regionally themed light fare available for purchase at the Pepper Mill Café. Tickets are $10 and include museum admission (free for children under 6). Concerts are held indoors during inclement weather. Here’s the line-up for this month, from the Penn Museum’s website:

June 17

Harrisburg Mandolin Ensemble
This Pennsylvania-based group returns to kick off the summer series. Inspired by the early 20th-century tradition of the community mandolin concert, the group lays down original tunes and arrangements, as well as selections of jazz, swing, bluegrass, old-time, folk, and world music.

June 24

Xande Cruz
With a sound as rich and diverse as his native São Paulo, Xande Cruz adeptly blends urban and traditional, colors and sounds, together in a soulful way like none other. His music defies genres by combining Afro-Brazilian rhythms with samples, funk guitars, bass, drums, horns, and vocals.

A large water main break on North 52nd Street near Wyalusing caused flooding and evacuations of several homes, according to various media reports. A 36-inch water main on the 500 block of North 52nd Street burst at around 5 a.m., causing massive flooding on the street. About a dozen of vehicles parked on the street were partially submerged and many homes were evacuated.

Massive flooding due to a water main break at 52nd & Wyalusing. Reports of people trapped. @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/zbbfwyaW1y

— Andrew Adamson (@AndrewDAdamson) June 14, 2015

Philadelphia Water Department crews were able to shut down the flow of the water by 7 a.m. and by 9 a.m. most of the water receded. Police, firefighters and utility crews continue working on the scene. Continue Reading

Two popular annual community events are happening this Saturday and Sunday in West and Southwest Philly. Details are below. Please check our Events Calendar for more events.

West Park Arts Fest – Saturday, June 13

Kyo Daiko performs at West Park Arts Fest (photo courtesy of West Park Arts).

West Park Arts Fest, a fun day of free performances and activities for the whole family, will take place on Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., on the School of the Future grounds (4021 Parkside Ave). The festival celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Philadelphia. Outdoor Mainstage performers include: Gretchen Elise, Kyo Daiko, Gegisom MLK Choir, Ceo Black, and more. Universal Dance and Drum Ensemble, Kun-Yang Lin, Lady Hoofers, and other artists will perform on the Dance stage. Children’s Pavilion activities include: a drawing workshop, Treehouse Books giveaway, reading out loud and bookmark making, activities with Franklin Institute and Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia Zoo animals and artifacts, storytelling with Kala Jojo, and more! Also, there will be many wonderful vendors and free historic trolley tours of Fairmount Park Centennial District at 12:00, 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. (sign up here). More information about the fest is available here.

River Fest & Tidal Schuylkill Boat Parade – Sunday, June 14  

On Sunday, June 14, families are invited to spend the day at the beautiful Bartram’s Garden (54th and Lindbergh). The annual River Fest will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include tons of great stuff: free boat, pony and hay rides, Youth Bicycle Rodeo, Philly’s oldest tugboat, free food (hot dogs, pretzels and snacks), Ice Cream on the River (free ice cream for those who paddle out to the floating ice cream parlor), a petting zoo, live music performances, and more. Plus, the Tidal Schuylkill Boat Parade, which starts at noon. Check out the Bartram’s Garden website for more information.

Indego has installed a bike share station in Clark Park – at the southwest corner of 43rd and Chester. The station has capacity for 19 bikes. As a reminder, Indego, Philly’s first bike share program, was launched on April 23 across the city. Twelve docking stations are now open west of the Schuylkill (see map).

A reader reports that her car was vandalized earlier today near 50th and Hazel. Someone threw a broken piece of cement through the windshield (see photo below) when the car was parked on 50th Street between Cedar and Hazel. The time of the incident is unknown. Witnesses are asked to contact the police. Police said they will also check surveillance cameras in the area.

Photo from Drexel.edu.

Two West Philly schools received a hefty financial boost this week.

The Exelon Foundation and PECO are donating $500,000 to Drexel University, which will use the funds to develop new STEAM (science, technology, art, engineering, and math) courses at two neighborhood schools – Samuel Powel and Morton McMichael.

The PECO and Drexel partnership to create new educational opportunities for local students began in 2011 with a $1 million grant for the University Assisted Schools (UAS) Initiative, which focuses on the unique needs of Powel and McMichael schools. Since its inception “the program to improve educational options and learning opportunities for students in the Mantua and Powelton communities ha[s] been incredibly successful,” Drexel President John A. Fry said in a statement.

The program provides universal screening of all students’ literacy and math skills, development of a unique schedule for academic enrichment and intervention, development of a customized education plan for every student, and more. Also, K-8 students at McMichael and K-4 students at Powel have been visiting or received instruction from representatives of the University City Science Center, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Zoo, and the Mural Arts Program.

More information about the grant and the program is available here.