P.M. @ Penn Museum, the popular summer outdoor concert series that brings great live music performances and laid back atmosphere to the museum lawns every Wednesday night, from 5 to 8 p.m., is returning June 19. This year, the concerts, which cost only $5 and also include admission to the museum galleries, will run through mid-September and feature a colorful blend of global music performances – from gentle Latin folk to raucous Turkish fusion, to rhythmic Afro-Cuban jazz. American-influenced music will be also well represented, with bluegrass, swing, and good, old-fashioned rock n’ roll performances. See the full line-up here and check out the Events Calendar for upcoming concerts.

The P.M. @ Penn Museum series is specifically aimed at those who want to unwind after a long day at work. This summer the museum’s outdoor Stoner Courtyard will offer a relaxed outdoor locale for the concerts and the Pepper Mill Cafe’s garden bar will serve drinks and light fare. Please note that in case of rain concerts move inside.

This Wednesday, Bill Koutsouros’ internationally acclaimed ensemble, Animus, kicks off the series, offering an exciting fusion of ancient and modern music with traditional elements of Greek, rock, Middle Eastern, blues, Indian, jazz, and African music. On June 26, P.M. @ Penn Museum is hosting Philadelphia-based, multi-ethnic group Barakka, which specializes in Turkish folk-rock with a mix of eastern and western instrumentation.

Animus will kick off the P.M. @ Penn Museum concert series on Wednesday, June 19. (Photos courtesy Penn Museum)

The development team for the 92-unit residential development project at 4224 Baltimore Ave has scheduled a second community meeting for Tuesday, June 18, at International House (37th and Chestnut), in the South American Room (2nd floor), from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The proposed design plan has drawn criticism from the community and the project developers are seeking residents’ input to help work out alternative designs. About 40 residents attended the first community meeting last month where they were broken into groups to discuss such issues as building design, retail spaces, unit types, and parking/transit.

At tomorrow’s meeting, the team will be presenting two or three design schemes for discussion and comment, according to an email message by Barry Grossbach, chair of the Spruce Hill Zoning Committee. “Undoubtedly, what comes out of this meeting will play a major role in shaping any final submission,” the message reads.

We’ll let you know about the third and final community meeting on this project as soon as we obtain more information.

Organizers of Make Music Philly, the inaugural free citywide music festival taking place June 21, have announced its first confirmed events and West Philly Local has the skinny on what’s going on in our neck of the woods.

So far, the following local venues are participating in the all-day music jubilee:

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South Street
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Sheena Grier (pop, R&B, soul)

XPN Free at Noon, 3025 Walnut Street
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.: Southside Johnny & The Poor Fools (rock)

World Café Life, 3025 Walnut Street
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: September Call-Up (indie-folk, indie-rock)
4 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.: Cult Choir (experimental, indie-folk, soul)
5 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.: Keepin’ the Family (bluegrass, folk, indie-folk)
6 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.: This Way to the Egress (cabaret, gypsy, roots)

University of Pennsylvania, Music Building, 201 S. 34^th Street
2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Wesley Skold (world, Bossa Nova)
3 p.m.-3:45 p.m.: Classical Revolution Family (classical, other)
3:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.: Matt Chylak (singer-songwriter)
4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.: The Chairman Dances (indie-rock, art rock)

The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street
8 p.m.: JACK Quartet (classical, experimental, other)

The Porch at 30^th Street Station, 2955 Market Street
7:50 am – 8:30 am: Scot Sax (singer-songwriter)
8:15 a.m.: Kyo Daiko (Japanese drum group)

People interested in checking out the different Make Music Philly events can search either a listing of city venues or a city map on the festival’s continually-updated website. There’s also still time for artists and venues to register as an official MMP event before it unveils next Friday.

As West Philly Local first reported in April, Make Music Philly is the city’s first entrance into Make Music Day, a global do-it-yourself music celebration that began in France in 1982 and made its way to the states in 2006. The June 21 festival will take place across Philly from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

–Annamarya Scaccia

Here’s a sampling of events you might want to check out. For more upcoming events visit our Events Calendar.

Fri, June 14

9 am – 5 pm – St. Francis de Sales, 47th & Windsor Ave – Donations to be sold at the St. Francis de Sales Flea Market are being accepted in the auditorium. You can bring almost anything, except books, clothing and large furniture.

6 – 9 pm – 40th Street Air Space, 4007 Chestnut St – 40th Street Artist-in-Residence Program is presenting The Past is Over, a solo exhibition of new work by 2012-2013 artist-in-residence Mike Harpring (pictured right). Please visit http://40streetair.blogspot.com/ for more information.

7 – 9 pm – 8 N. Preston St (40th & Preston) – Grand Opening of Inewsent Studio & Gallery – Many West Philadelphia artists are a part of tonight’s grand opening of Inewsent Studio & Gallery, located in the historic Bell Telephone Exchange building on 40th and Preston.

9:30 pm – City Tap House, 3925 Walnut St – Blue Grass Music in West Philly – The Brummy Brothers are back on the road again and this time they’re kicking it off in West Philly’s City Tap House. https://www.facebook.com/events/502534066468815/

Sat, June 15

9 am – 4 pm – St. Francis de Sales Auditorium, 47th & Windsor Ave – St. Francis de Sales is holding its annual flea market featuring bargains and homemade goodies. Lunch will be served. For more information call 215-222-2255 or 215-222-5819.

10 am – 1 pm – Church of the Holy Apostles and The Mediator, 51st & Spruce Sts – The Church of the Holy Apostles and the Mediator is partnering with ECOvanta to hold an electronic waste recycling event. In addition, Nexcut Shredding will be on site to provide secure document destruction for $1.00 per box.

10 am – 4 pm – Clark Park, 43rd & Baltimore Ave – All-Army Reunion – The city’s first All-Army Reunion is also a chance to mark the birthday of the US Army for all US Army veterans in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. An estimated 200-300 veterans will attend the event that’s also open to their families and the public. There will be contests, live music, guest emcees, food and refreshments and more. Tickets are $5 per individual and $10 per a family up to six. Tickets can be purchased online or at the event. For more information, visit: http://vetscomforthouse.org/

11 am – 4 pm – Porch at 30th Street Station – VIX Emporium and the University City District are bringing more than 50 local crafters to The Porch at 30th Street Station for the 2nd 30th Street Craft Market. There will be three of Philly’s finest food trucks too – savory slow-cooked barbecue by Vernalicious, gourmet Italian sandwiches by Lil Dan’s, and Mac Mart’s macaroni & cheese specialties. For more info, go to: http://www.vixemporium.com/craft-shows/30th-street-craft-market/

12:00 – 8:30 pm – 55th & Chester – Stop the Violence Kickback Block Party – Mont Brown, the Southwest Philadelphia Ambassador for the “Stop the Violence” movement, will kick-off the Block Party in this region of the city and hopes to deliver positive alternatives by promoting education, the arts and small business development. There will be free food, live performances by 30 artists and 10 DJ’s, as well as a host of local vendors selling merchandise.

Sunday, June 16

12 – 5 pm – Firehouse Bicycles, 50th & Baltimore Ave – Party on the Porch – Firehouse Bicycles has new Sunday hours this summer and is inviting neighbors to a party that will include Danophonic spinning records, free food on the grill, and deals on bikes. For more information, visit: http://www.firehousebicycles.com/blog/events

Photos by Dylan Moore.

UPDATE (6/12/2013): The Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll has been postponed until July, 2013 due to heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast for this Thursday, according to an announcement on the University City District’s Facebook page posted this evening. We’ll post more information about the new date as soon as we have it.

The Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, the highly-anticipated annual event celebrating local businesses where most things are just a buck, is returning this Thursday, June 13. The stroll begins at 5:30 p.m. (it is always a good idea to get there early to avoid the crowds) and a record-setting 35 businesses will offer $1 deals along Baltimore Avenue, between 43rd and 50th Streets.

Besides the long-time participants, like Milk & Honey, Dock Street Brewery and Firehouse Bicycles, there will be some newcomers who recently opened shops in the area, including Little Baby’s Ice Cream and The Green Tambourine. This Dollar Stroll also showcases new parklets at Fu-Wah and Little Baby’s Ice Cream and the new pedestrian plaza at 48th and Baltimore.

In addition to storefront businesses, food trucks and vendors such as Jimmies Cupcake Co., Sunflower Truck Stop and Lil Dan’s will also be selling $1 items along the avenue. Also, don’t miss live music and entertainment: XPN favorite, The Fleeting Ends will perform live at 46^th and Baltimore, along with fire artists and street performers such as the Give & Take Jugglers. There will be also giveaways, face painting and balloon artists.

If you can’t make it this week there will be only one more stroll this year, on September 12.

Check out the flyer below for more details on what businesses are taking part in Thursday’s Stroll and what they are offering. For more information about this event, visit: http://universitycity.org/baltimore-ave-dollar-stroll

Click to enlarge.

The future site of Dunkin’ Donuts on 41st and Chester (Photo: Annamarya Scaccia/West Philly Local)

A sixth Dunkin’ Donuts will call West Philly home this fall when the franchise opens its doors at 4116 Chester Avenue, just a block north of fellow coffee chain Starbucks.

The new location, which was proposed in February, is taking over the vacant warehouse space on the ground floor of 4100 Chester Avenue, a multi-tenant building housing offices for the University of the Sciences and Veteran Affairs. Once open, Dunkin’ Donuts will operate on the relatively quiet residential block Sunday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“We feel that this stable use will provide a great amenity to the office staff and students in the building, as well as to our neighbors and the community,” said David Hess, vice president of acquisitions for Posel Management Company, which owns and manages the property on 41^st Street and Chester Avenue. “More importantly, it will add ‘eyes on the street’ and pedestrian activity to a block that can be lonely at night.”

The Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee approved the Dunkin’ Donuts site after the franchisee and their associates met with immediate neighbors on Apr. 9 to hear concerns, per SHCA’s request. According to Zoning Committee Chair Barry Grossbach, those concerns were then turned into a proviso, attached to the approval agreement, that the owner and property management must adhere to once Dunkin’ Donuts is operating. Among the issues to address: trash removal and pick up, exterior accessory signs, litter maintenance, security, and hours of operation.

Zoning-wise, the space, which has been empty for at least 10 years, was already zoned for a coffee shop, said Grossbach. The only matter the Zoning Board of Adjustment had to tackle was whether it would grant a special exception for a takeout restaurant, which the ZBA did on April 17.

Although the construction of the new Dunkin’ Donuts location has been met with little fanfare, some West Philly residents have taken to the UCNeighbors forum to express their opinions. One poster, Valerie, wrote “from an environmental and traffic point of view, as well as how it affects the residential quality of our neighborhood, Dunkin’ Donuts is not a good idea,” while another, Jon, counters: “Having been in this neighborhood when there was actual blight, such as abandoned housing on many blocks, I think we can handle a Dunkin’ Donuts. Baltimore Avenue seems to have survived the introduction of a Subway, for its part.”

-Annamarya Scaccia