Shakespeare in Clark Park opened last night in front of its customary large crowd. This year the performance, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, is being staged on the south end of the bowl and includes window frames and chandeliers hanging in the trees, a high-spirited cast and lively jazz sextet.

Performances are every night through Sunday, July 31 beginning at 7 p.m. If it rains, the whole thing moves to University of the Sciences (Main Dining Hall, 600 S. 43rd St.).

(Photos by Mike Lyons/West Philly Local)

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Clark Park Thursday Farmers’ Market resumes today at 43rd and Baltimore, along with a new program that offers yoga classes at farmers’ markets throughout the city. Yoga at the Market kicks off tonight in Clark Park and will continue weekly through the month of September. Classes are from 6 – 7 p.m. and are suitable for all levels, ages and abilities.

Yoga at the Market is donation-based and has no set fee. The program is entirely supported by the students, and cash donation is greatly accepted to support the teachers, insurance costs, and the administration of the program. You can show up with your mat or practice on the grass! Beginners and families are most welcome.

This is a joint program of Yoga on the Banks, The Food Trust, Farm to City, and the parks’ Friends groups.

A West Philly yoga instructor, Erin Gautsche, will be teaching the class.

“I’ve lived in West Philly for 12 years, and am excited to bring donation-based, outdoor  yoga to the neighborhood!” she wrote us in an email.

Clark Park Thursday Farmers’ Market will be open from 3 – 7 p.m. every Thursday until Thanksgiving.

To wrap up Love Your Park week in Philadelphia, two West Philly parks will be holding celebrations this Friday and Saturday.

Cedar Park Neighbors are inviting neighborhood residents to have a Picnic in Cedar Park tonight (Friday, May 13) from 6 – 8 p.m. Please bring your blanket and a meal and enjoy the evening with your family, friends and neighbors. If you don’t feel like packing, pick up a dinner at one of great neighborhood businesses and head on over to the park.​​  Continue Reading

The annual Spruce Hill May Fair will be held on Saturday, May 7 in Clark Park. In addition to live music, food, book and plant sales, a raffle, and activities for kids, local artisans and craftspeople will showcase their creations and offer the public an opportunity to purchase their unique handcrafted wares. There will also be booths set up with information about local groups and causes seeking public support.

The Spruce Hill Community Association is hosting the event and is offering vending spots for interested individuals or organizations. Especially welcome are artists and crafters from West Philadelphia who would like to offer their works for sale, as well as any group or organization wanting to promote itself or a cause, event, or activity.  Continue Reading

Shakespeare in Clark Park (SCP), the immensely popular annual outdoor theater event, will return in July to the park’s “Bowl” near 45th and Chester. The company recently announced its new production for the Summer 2016 season and provided some other interesting details. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy, is set to run July 27 – 31 and will bring together Philadelphia’s finest actors.

The show is directed by Kathryn MacMillan, a Philadelphia-based theater director who has earned a reputation for directing classical and contemporary works with freshness and clarity and shaping great acting ensembles. She has directed over 25 productions in the Philadelphia area and is currently working on the development of a world premiere musical.  Continue Reading

There’s a chance to help your neighborhood park on the “Love Your Park” fall service day this Saturday (Nov. 14). Over 75 Philly parks need help, including many in West Philadelphia.

Friends of Clark Park is hosting a clean-up and beautification day in the park from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., and seeking community volunteers who can join them. Meeting is at 9 a.m. by the shed (45th and Regent). Please bring a trowel (if you have one).

If you live in Cedar Park, consider volunteering from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in your neighborhood park. Community members are invited to celebrate fall and spend the day working alongside friends and neighbors to help clean and green Cedar Park. Your work may include raking leaves, putting the gardens to bed, planting perennials and bulbs and doing general clean up. All ages are welcome, and tools will be supplied. To RSVP, please email contact@cedarparkneighbors.org  Continue Reading