UPDATE: The Holiday Craft Fest has been postponed until Sunday, Dec. 12.

West Holiday Craft Fest will return this Saturday Sunday after last year’s pandemic-related hiatus. This year, the popular arts and crafts festival will be held at a new, outdoor location in University City, since large gatherings are still limited at The Rotunda, where the fest was held in the past. The 2021 Holiday Craft Fest will be held at the LAWN and Pivot Park, located at 37th and Filbert Streets, just north of Market (see map).

VIX Emporium, the longtime organizer of the fest, has recently shared more details about the Fest, where folks are invited to shop for unique, handmade holiday gifts. Continue Reading

       One of SEPTA’s 2021 holiday buses.

Decorated SEPTA buses and “jolly trolleys” are coming to spread holiday cheer!

Folks are invited this Saturday, Dec. 11, to check out and tour the holiday buses at various West Philly locations. Here’s where and when you can find them:

40th St. Trolley Portal (40th and Baltimore Ave.)
10am – 4pm

Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore)
10am – 4pm

West Winter Craft Fest (37th and Market)
10am – 4pm Continue Reading

Booker’s outdoor dining space on Baltimore Ave. in December 2020 (Facebook photo)

Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed new legislation giving permission for permanent outdoor dining in some city areas, including West Philadelphia.

Businesses whose outdoor dining structures, aka “streeteries,” comply with city requirements for design and placement will not have to reapply for an outdoor dining permit, something they had to do every year in the past.

Restaurants would normally have to get such a permit from Department Licenses and Inspections before the start of the spring-summer season to provide additional seating for their customers during warmer months. However, outdoor dining quickly became a necessity when the city imposed a ban on indoor dining in 2020 due to the pandemic. Some West Philly restaurants, like Booker’s Restaurant & Bar, weatherized their outdoor seating areas last fall and continued operating in colder weather. Although, the ban on indoor dining was eventually lifted, outdoor dining still remains a safer option for many people. Continue Reading

The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), in partnership with PIDC’s Navy Yards Skills Initiative (NYSI), have launched a new job training program with Tasty Baking Company, one of Philadelphia’s most iconic food companies. The maker of Tastykake, the company is headquartered at the Navy Yard.

The program recruits and trains unemployed Philadelphians for training and job opportunities as Production Associates.

WPSI and NYSI custom designed the Production Associate Program for Tasty Baking Company (now owned by Flowers Foods, Inc.) to connect participants to the tools and support needed to build a meaningful career in the advanced manufacturing food production industry. The production associate role is a part-time position earning $14.60/hour, and associates can submit a request for extra hours creating a full-time schedule. Typically, production associates transition to full-time employment in less than a year and earn $17.00/hour in addition to becoming members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers’ (BCTGM) International Union. Continue Reading

Winter holidays are approaching fast, so here’s our little guide to where you can celebrate and buy locally-made gifts. These past two years have been very hard for small businesses, so please remember to support them this holiday season.

Also, please check out the 3rd District Holiday Shopping Guide recently released by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s Office and the West Philly Favorites campaign organized by the University City District. More information is below.

Handmade Holidays

When: Saturday, Dec. 4, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Where: Bartram’s Garden (54th and Lindbergh)

Bartram’s Garden is inviting families to celebrate Handmade Holidays with them this Saturday. Some of the planned events and activities include: a local vendor marketplace, pie-making contest, winter tree ID workshop, a Faulkner demo, wreath and holiday greens sale, campfires and seasonal refreshments. Please note that Bartram’s signature wreaths were for pre-sale only and all sold out, but there will be a wreath making workshop where attendees can make their own wreath. Some holiday greens and plants (poinsettias, Christmas cactus and houseplants) will be available for sale on Saturday. Masks are required for this event. Click here for more details. Continue Reading

After a very challenging couple of years, it’s important to remember about all the hard work done in the community by local not-for-profit organizations. There’s a chance to support them today, on #GivingTuesday. Today, we’ll be posting messages from local non-profits so that you can support them with your donation or volunteer work. Also, please check our Civic Life page for the list of local organizations. Continue Reading