UPDATE: Due to rain in the forecast for Saturday, West Craft Fest has been postponed to Sunday, April 27.

Here are some details on the annual spring edition of the popular West Craft Fest, which will be held this Sunday, April 27, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at The Woodlands (40th and Woodland).

Over 100 local artists and makers are expected to participate in this year’s Fest and to showcase their unique handmade wares, including jewelry, ceramics, home wares, accessories, original art, prints, stationery, clothing, candles, soaps, stickers, and much more! The list of the vendors is available here.

The Fest is also a great opportunity to spend time outdoors at a beautiful historic setting, which is in full spring bloom right now, enjoying live music and aerial dance performances by Tangle Movement Arts (see photo below). If you get hungry, there are some great food truck choices this year (see more here). Just bring your picnic blanket or chair! Children are invited to take part in art & craft activities.

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We’re sad to report that West Philly’s Curio Theatre Company has cancelled the final show of their 20th anniversary season due to unfortunate circumstances. The new production, A Funeral Farce, was scheduled to run from April 30 to May 17, but has been postponed indefinitely after a few key staff and family members were diagnosed with serious illnesses, according to an announcement posted on social media.

“After many hours of talks and weighing many options we must, with heavy hearts, cancel our last production of Season 20,” the announcement reads. “We have quite unexpectedly been hit with multiple serious family illnesses. Three of us who are deeply involved in many aspects of the show have been profoundly affected by cancer.”

The show is co-written by Jared Reed and Curio’s artistic director Paul Kuhn and directed by Curio’s managing director Gay Carducci-Kuhn. Curio members hope to do this show in the future, “hopefully with the same cast and crew.”

Purchased tickets will be reimbursed, but in its continuous effort to never turn away a child for financial reasons, Curio is asking to consider donating your purchased ticket to Curio’s Spotlight Fund which gives scholarships to children who cannot afford to attend Saturday classes and camp.

Power Street Theater (PST), a celebrated organization known for showcasing multicultural artistic talent and hosting free community events, has announced a diverse roster of 2025 free programming in partnership with Esperanza Health Center, Two Locals Brewing, Theatre Philadelphia, Theatre Horizon, Izlas Latin Cuisine, Souletri, and more.

From their popular bilingual “Land and Body” adult theatre classes to their Souletri Open Mics and a brand new contemporary play reading series, PST has something for everyone. Their work brings accessible performing arts to Philadelphia neighborhoods and creates opportunities for connection, play, and healing.

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Curio Theatre Company will be visited by an American icon this February. For one night only, the company is presenting Shirley Chisholm: Unbossed & Unbowed, a one-woman show by Ingrid Griffith.

Chisholm, a Brooklyn-born daughter of Caribbean immigrants, was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress and to run for President.

Griffith, the creator and performer of “Unbossed and Unbowed”, plays Chisholm and inhabits 15 other characters in this 75-minute solo performance with no intermission. The stage play dramatizes how Chisholm’s race and gender were supposed to determine how far she would go in life and how her Caribbean parents’ immigrant determination and personal willpower pushed her to overcome that fate and rise.

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Ceramic Concept, a locally-owned shop located at 5015 Baltimore Avenue, is closing its doors at this location after four years of operation, according to an announcement by owner and curator Stefani Threet.

The shop may reopen at a new location in the fall. This Saturday, Jan. 18, everyone is invited to celebrate the store’s 4th anniversary and shop at this location for the last time. Everything in the store, which offers handmade pottery/ceramics and jewelry made by artists of color and women artists, will be 20 percent off. Plus, there will be food and wine and other items available for sale, like candles, local honey, and more.

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A great West Philly tradition, the Peoplehood Parade & Pageant, is returning on Saturday, Nov. 9. The family-friendly event, featuring giant puppets created by Spiral Q as well as drumlines and banners, will kick off at 1 p.m. at the Paul Robeson House (4951 Walnut St). The line-up begins at 12 p.m.

The parade will proceed to Clark Park at 45th and Kingsessing, where performances will take place, starting approximately at 2:15 p.m.

The annual event, which has been held since the 1990s, promotes diversity, civic engagement and creativity. The longtime organizer is the West Philly-based arts organization, Spiral Q, which works with artists, activists and community members and groups to create the giant puppets and banners for the event.

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