Beginning Monday, June 2, The Woodlands will be closed to visitors until 4 p.m. through June 5 due to tree maintenance. The closure is necessary to keep visitors and workers safe as high-risk trees are removed from high-traffic areas.

Due to this critical work, the Woodlands gates will open at 4 p.m. daily and close at dusk from Monday, June 2 through Thursday, June 5.

Storms and insects, such as the emerald ash borer, have taken their toll on many Woodlands’ trees in recent years. To mitigate risk to visitors and make room for replacement plantings, 20 high-risk trees will be removed next week, and three more will be pruned and preserved as wildlife snags.

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The annual West Philly Community Yard Sale event, which debuted last year, is returning on Sunday, June 1!

Over 120 yard sales are expected to take place in the area, mostly between 43rd St. and 52nd St. and Woodland Ave. to Market St., with some sales taking place outside of that area as well, according to the event organizer Max Lovitz-Wolfson. It is a free event, with no fees for vendors, “organized simply for the love of yard sales and the community.”

Here is the link to the interactive map with all the sales: https://tinyurl.com/545va425 and here you can download the list of sales with their descriptions.

Anyone interested is invited to join the “West Philly VIRTUAL Yard Sales” group on Facebook for updates and more details about the event.

The West Philly Community Yard Sale will be held on Sunday, June 1, the day after the annual West Philly Porchfest. The rain date is Saturday, June 7.

West Philly Porchfest, the annual DIY music festival, is returning this Saturday, May 31. Dozens of free shows featuring a variety of music genres will take place from Noon-6 p.m. The festival keeps growing and adding new porches every year since it started in 2016.

You can check out the interactive map and list of the performers here and follow @westphillyporchfest on Instagram for updates.

Original paper cutting artwork by Sue Gettlin (Courtesy of The Woodlands).

The Woodlands Annual Benefit will be held on Thursday, June 12 and will be dedicated to the 10th Anniversary of the Grave Gardeners program. The benefit will feature food and drinks from local vendors and a silent auction, with the cemetery’s late spring beauty as the backdrop.

Often seen tending the “cradle graves” at The Woodlands, the Grave Gardeners are dedicated contributors to the historic cemetery and green space. Ten years ago, The Woodlands put out a call to help them garden some untended graves, and they were flooded with volunteers. The group became The Woodlands Grave Gardeners. Today, the program has grown to 160 volunteers gardening 250 adopted cradle graves, adding life and color to the grounds. The program has inspired historic cemeteries around the world.

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Home prices, rents, commercial construction and salaries in the neighborhoods that comprise the University City District (UCD) continue to outpace the rest of the city, according to the annual “State of University City” report issued late last week amid increased concerns about federal policies that could slow down the growth of “Eds and Meds.”

Median home prices in the neighborhoods (including Cedar Park, Spruce Hill, Powelton Village and Walnut Hill), were down slightly in 2024, settling at about $375,000, but the number of home sales was up slightly. Median home prices in Cedar Park jumped about 35 percent compared to 2023 and Spruce Hill continued to have the highest home value at about $550,000.

The median home sale price in Philadelphia was about $200,000 last year.

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Film still from Rashaad Newsome’s Assembly, the Closing Night feature film of Under the Stars 2025. Courtesy of The Film Collaborative.

UPDATE: The opening night has been postponed to Saturday, May 24 and changed location. It will take place indoors at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (801 S. 48th St), beginning at 6:30 p.m. Follow cinéSPEAK on Instagram for updates.

The 5th annual independent film festival, Under the Stars at Clark Park, is returning to 43rd and Chester this Friday, May 23. Every Friday through June 13, cinéSPEAK will present city premieres of independent films from around the world, live music from local artists, viral food pop-ups (including Manna Bakery and Darnel’s Cakes), and more.

This year’s program includes six Philadelphia premieres and a special repertory screening of legendary Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman’s It Must Be Heaven, which makes one of its first U.S. appearances since its festival tour in 2019, and live musical performances in honor of West Philly Porchfest 2025. This year’s themes include Palestinian cultural preservation, Indigeneity and environmental stewardship, and Black and queer liberatory futures.

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