Reed’s Coffee and Tea House at 38th and Lancaster is hosting a Democratic Convention Watch Party tomorrow, from 6 to 9 p.m. and all neighbors are invited. President Barack Obama is expected to accept the party’s nomination tomorrow evening. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Thanks to our reader Tony D. for this info: The 32nd Annual Hamilton Street Porch Sale, a four-block long sidewalk sale, will be held in Powelton Village this Saturday (Sept. 8). The sale began as a small yard sale and has grown over the years to a four-block long sale with over 100 vendors, a mix of long time residents and local vendors.

There will be a wide variety of items for sale, including: housewares, bookcases, furniture, pottery, clothes, family treasures, books, antiques, plants, food, jewelry, musical instruments, electronics, and more.

The sale will take place all along Hamilton Street from 34th Street to 38th Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date: Sunday, Sept. 9).

The Walnut Street West Library is hosting a Back to School Party (Facebook page) tomorrow from 4-6 p.m. Library staff will talk about the children and teen programs offered this school year, including LEAP Afterschool, Chess Club, Spanish, Robotics, Teen Book Club, Teen Movie Club and other fun stuff.

Supplies will be available for back-to-schoolers to make their own boomarks.

Free book bags with school supplies will also be available on first-come-first-serve basis. Rumor has it that there will also be free food and drinks.

Kareem Drayton, who is accused of raping a local resident during gunpoint robbery in the Fall 2011 and a few other robberies, will be back in court on Friday, Sept. 7. Drayton initially confessed to the rape, but has since fired his lawyer and asked to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial at his last court appearance, according to court records. The judge will consider Drayton’s request at Friday’s hearing.

Some members of the 48th Street Neighbors town watch group, which was created as a result of the Fall 2011 rape and robberies, were present at the previous hearing and are planning to attend Friday’s hearing to show their support for the victims.

The hearing will be in room 802, at the Criminal Justice Center (13th and Filbert), beginning at approximately 9:30 a.m.

Drayton’s alleged accomplice, 19-year-old Tyshanek Presley, was sentenced on August 13. About a half-dozen residents were in the courtroom for the sentencing, along with about 20 members of Presley’s family.

The 34 Trolley is back! SEPTA completed the 34 track renewal project that lasted all summer and during which trolleys were substituted by shuttle buses. The trolley was back running all the way to the end of the line on 61st Street yesterday.

During the project SEPTA excavated, renewed and paved approximately 7,500 track feet eastbound and westbound.

Update: The event has been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8 due to rain.

Chester Avenue Community Garden (4715 Chester Ave) is hosting a plant/seed swap, bake sale, and an overwintering workshop from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Community members are invited to participate. This is a fundraising event for a new front gate and kiwi tree supports. Here’s what you can bring to trade at the plant swap:

-Winter hardy vegetable starts
-Fast-growing cold season seeds
-Heirloom garlic
-Berry bushes
-Perennials including flowers and bulbs

You can also purchase plants available for sale at the garden. Suggested entry donation for this event is $5. For more information visit the event’s Facebook page.