The annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival promises to be the best one yet, as it returns to Saunders Park Greene (39th & Powelton) on Saturday, July 15 from Noon to 7 p.m. The Festival celebrates West Philadelphia and jazz musicians with spectacular live performances, local vendors, fun children’s activities, and delectable treats from food trucks.

The all-day event is free and open to the public, organized by HopePHL (formerly People’s Emergency Center and Youth Service, Inc.), The Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and a committee of community members, with technical assistance from Nu Millennium Media Productions. The Festival is a “rain or shine” event.

Continue Reading

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (right) had her hand traced on a mural by camper, Syrena McCoy, 8, during a celebration of the first week of camp at Caring People Alliance West Philadelphia Boys & Girls Club’s new camp.

Caring People Alliance West Philadelphia Boys & Girls Club (5843-55 Catherine St.), in Cobbs Creek, announced the opening of its new, 10-week summer camp, offering a wide range of engaging activities and educational experiences for children in the community ages 2-18.

The Caring People Alliance celebrated the first week of camp with a community-wide block party last Thursday. Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier joined campers and staff, as a mural made by the campers was unveiled to commemorate the occasion. The mural showcased the handprints of all the children already enrolled in the camp and contained each camper’s aspirations for the summer. Councilwoman Gauthier added her handprint to the mural.

Continue Reading

While gun violence and other incidents involving youth remain a serious problem in Philadelphia, the nonprofit Philly Truce is bringing back its Peace Patrol to city neighborhoods, including West Philly. Beginning at 2 p.m. this Thursday, Philly Truce will deploy its first patrol of the season from Charles Durham Library at the corner 34th & Haverford Avenue in Mantua. The launch coincides with the 84th birthday of the late Herman Wrice, a community organizer who resided and worked for decades in the same section of West Philly.

Philly Truce and partner Life Outside the Streets have unveiled its community outreach and visible deterrence schedule for what they are calling Safe City Summer. It’s robust. Beginning on Thursday the group will tour 10 neighborhoods using Free Library branches as bases. Three days per week they will hold space for communities across the city to be trained and join a peace patrol on the spot.

Continue Reading

The Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting dozens of summer camp programs for children ages 6 to 12 across the city this summer. The office of Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) has compiled a list of camps located at West Philly rec centers and playgrounds. These day camps offer a variety of activities, including arts & crafts, sports, educational activities, games, field trips, and more.

Parents and guardians are invited to contact the camp sites in their area directly. Please note that fees vary by site and scholarships are available upon request.

See the flyer below with the list of West Philly Parks & Rec camp sites and their contact details. Also, check out our Summer Camps listings here if you’re still looking for a camp for your child.

Continue Reading

SEPTA Trolley Tunnel, which connects West Philadelphia with Center City, will be closed for the annual maintenance from July 7 through July 24 for the annual “Trolley Tunnel Blitz.”

The tunnel closure will impact trolley routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36, all of which will temporarily divert to 40th and Market, where riders can transfer to/from the Market-Frankford Line to continue their travel.

A temporary shelter will be set up for riders switching to/from the Market-Frankford Line. The trolley diversion map is available here.

Continue Reading

The Drexel Business Inclusion Center (BIC), which develops strategies and assists businesses in building a diverse and inclusive workforce, is hosting an Aramark hiring event on Tuesday, June 27 for individuals on the autism spectrum and with other disabilities. The event will take place at Drexel’s Handschumacher Dining Center (3210 Chestnut St) between 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Candidates will be interviewed for a variety of positions and receive on-the-spot job offers for positions, many starting in August and September 2023.

Job seekers who arrive before 2 p.m. will be guaranteed an interview and have access to:

Continue Reading