Voted Metro Philly’s Best Annual Festival, the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival is kicking off Earth Day Weekend this Friday (April 21) with the first of six Community Pop-Ups. The festival organizer, HopePHL’s team will be at The Porch at 30th Street Station from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. with Dylan Band. All are invited to enjoy the food vendors, meet other jazz enthusiasts, and swing on the big swings!

Save the date for the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival, Saturday, July 15, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Saunders Park Greene (39th St. and Powelton Ave.). Visit the HopePHL website for all of the upcoming events.

The Portland Loo (portlandloo.com).

How many of you had to run from Clark Park to the Green Line Cafe across the street to use their bathroom? Well, soon you won’t have to anymore as the city is planning to install a permanent public restroom at the park, according to reports.

Philadelphia’s first Portland Loo, the public ADA-accessible modular toilet designed and first-installed in its namesake city in Oregon, is currently being installed in Center City at 15th and Arch. The second Loo is expected to arrive in Clark Park later this year, in the summer or fall, according to a report in Billy Penn.

The City is working with the Friends of Clark Park on this project. As you may know, FCP has been working on the new Master Plan for the park since last year. Public restroom installation is an important part of this plan since it was the most requested amenity by local residents, according to the Master Plan survey results. Continue Reading

UPDATE (4/13/2023): Here’s a short update on the new Apple TV show, Catamount, filming in Philadelphia, including some West Philly neighborhoods. The show was filmed in Clark Park this past Tuesday, according to Amy Johnson, the unit publicist for the show. The next episode starts filming on Monday, April 17, and filming is not expected to take place in West Philly at this time. Overall, filming of Catamount is expected to continue through May 4, 2023.

(4/3/2023): Filming of a new Apple TV show, Catamount, continues in West Philly, and has expanded to new locations. This Tuesday, the filming crew will be working on Pine Street, from 48th to 51st. “No Parking” signs were posted over the weekend along the street, and cars were being towed today from these blocks in preparation for filming, which is expected to take place up until 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4.

Filming predominantly took place in the area of 44th/45th and Spruce since February, but is expected to expand as far west as 57th and Market. We’ll post more details when they are available.

Many local folks have hosted music shows on their porches since West Philly Porchfest, the DIY music festival, launched in 2016. And now there is an opportunity to connect with local artists and host an art show. The West Philly Porch Art Show will be held in June in conjunction with the 2023 West Philly Porchfest, and the organizers, the West Philadelphia Community Art Alliance (WPCAA), are looking for folks who would like to share their porch with an artist as part of this exciting community event.

“This is a totally free, inclusive event that celebrates everyone in our neighborhood,” reads their Instagram post. “BIPOC and Queer artists are strongly supported and encouraged to participate in the event.”

Both events will take place on June 3 from 12-6 p.m., and more details will be available by next month. If you would like to host an art show, please fill out this form or email: westphillycaa@gmail.com.

If you want to host a music show on your porch, check out the West Philly Porchfest website for more details.

University City Garden Club plants are available for sale.

Spring is here and the time to shop for outdoor plants, herbs and veggie starters has begun.

This year, there are not as many options to buy outdoor plants in the West Philly area, after Greensgrow closing. But many spring plant sale events have been scheduled in the area this and next month. Here are some spots where you can buy plants and also participate in workshops, tours, and other activities.

• The University City Garden Club Spring Plant Sale is taking place online through April 19, with an order pick-up event scheduled for May 6 at 517 Woodland Terrace. This is a great opportunity for University City residents to shop for plants. To shop for plants, click here. UCGC members will also be at the May Fair at Clark Park (43rd and Chester) on May 13 with more items for sale and some fun plant related activities from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. In addition, UCGC will host a Mother’s Day Pop-up Plant Sale on Sunday, May 14, 12 – 6 p.m., at 519 Woodland Terrace near 40th and Woodland. For more information, visit: https://ucgcshop.square.site/. Continue Reading

Some exciting things are happening at The Woodlands this spring but first, here’s an important message from the staff: The Woodlands Cemetery grounds will be closed to all visitors on Monday, April 10 for tree maintenance. More than 1,000 trees are growing at The Woodlands, and it’s time for a much-needed refresh of the aging tree canopy. The mature trees at the cemetery make this place very special. If you would like to contribute to The Woodlands Tree Fund to help care for them, please click here.

Here’s a list of events happening this and next month. Please note that the Spring edition of the West Craft Fest will not be held this year due to some scheduling conflicts. The Fest will be back in September. Continue Reading