The annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz Festival returns on Saturday, July 16 to Powelton Village. This year’s festival, which runs from noon to 7 p.m. in Penn Presbyterian Saunders Park Greene (39th and Powelton), celebrates women in jazz and features a mix of dynamite artists.

A renowned pianist and composer with Philadelphia roots, Sumi Tonooka, will headline the festival and will also present a master class performance with local youth on Friday (see more info below). Also performing on the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival stage are saxophonist Nzinga Banks, poet and vocalist Pheralyn Dove, vocalist Laurin Talese, trumpeter Dr. Diane Lyle-Smith, guitarist Monnette Sudler, 12 year old Alesandra Pollack, a vocal artist and pianist, and the popular jazz, R&B and soul-spirited Charlene Holloway Band. The Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble will also be back by popular demand.

Sumi Tonooka

The Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival is a FREE family-friendly event showcasing the best of Philadelphia: it features some of the best musicians, a diverse gathering of people, a view of the city and a chance to enjoy a neighborhood that is rich in arts and culture. The festival has grown from a few hundred attendees to more than 3,000!

Artisans and vendors along with a variety of specialty food trucks will be on site. Activities such as a moon bounce, face painting, community resources and digital pop-up computer lab will be available for everyone’s enjoyment. Free parking is available one block away at Penn Presbyterian’s lot at Powelton Avenue and State Street.  Continue Reading

We’re sad to report that Robyn Biv, co-owner of Black Orchid Foods (Facebook page), the West Philly vegetarian and vegan catering service, was recently hurt in a house fire.

A fire erupted in her home near 51st and Kingsessing that destroyed her kitchen – where her business is based. Robyn suffered burns and was hospitalized. She has made a huge impact on the Kingsessing area by feeding many people for free or using a “sliding scale” with dietary restrictions always in mind. Some of you may have also tried the food served by Black Orchid at the most recent edition of Go West! Craft Fest.

While Robyn is recovering in the hospital from burns to her face, eyes, arms and hands, her friends set up a GoFundMe page to help her with some expenses.

Please follow this link if you would like to donate and support Robyn with your messages: https://www.gofundme.com/2dw1lek

Neighbors are reporting an early morning hit and run crash at 45th and Spruce that caused some heavy damage to cars parked along Spruce Street:

“I heard a huge crash at about 3:30 this am – it set off a car alarm across the street! I went to see what happened, and it looks like someone smashed up two cars with their own car/truck (possibly carrying sand or building materials, as there were lots of chunks of random sandy dirt in the intersection) and drove off.”

The photo above was taken shortly after 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning near the intersection of 45th and Spruce.

Check out this DNC Donkey at The Porch at 30th Street Station (Photo West Philly Local).

As Philadelphia is preparing for the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC), here’s some useful info for the locals. Approximately 50,000 participants among delegates, media, and other attendees, are expected at the event, which will be held at the Wells Fargo Center on July 25-28. By the way, many guests will be staying in University City hotels. Also, The Daily Show will be at the Annenberg Center (3680 Walnut St) from July 26-29 (in total, four episodes will be filmed there!). Unfortunately, general public tickets have already been sold out.

All city services are expected to operate as scheduled during the event, and Philadelphia Police, Fire and EMS services will not be impacted by the DNC. The City has created a special DNC web page with the Convention news and official information, city service updates and changes, and things to see and do.  Continue Reading

The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) is conducting a tap water lead testing program and is seeking participants.

The program will run from July to December 2016, in advance of PWD’s regular water testing for lead under EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule, which is scheduled for 2017.

The 2016 lead testing program will check a minimum of 50 homes from what is categorized as Tier 1 (homes considered more likely to have lead in the plumbing). PWD is making efforts to increase the number of sampling sites to provide more data for assessment under this program, and residents interested in learning more about PWD’s programs should go to www.phila.gov/water/lead for additional information.  Continue Reading

          Photos via japanesehouse.org

Parks on Tap is a cool new program by Philadelphia Parks & Rec and Fairmount Park Conservancy that brings a traveling beer garden from park to park for 14 weeks, including a stop at Clark Park during Shakespeare in Park.

From July 8 to July 10, the program will make a stop at the beautiful Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in West Fairmount Park at Landsdowne and Horticultural Drives. Guests can enjoy craft beer, delicious food, and family-friendly activities all weekend long. There will also be FREE admission to the garden and a special $5 admission price into the house.

Parks on Tap will also offer Maha Yoga on Saturday and coincide with Family Tanabata weekend and Japanese Tea ceremonies on Sunday. The Tea Ceremony is an additional $30 and requires a reservation. Hours of operation are Friday and Saturday 1 to 11 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 10 p.m.  Continue Reading