It’s hard to imagine West Philly without the Peoplehood Parade. And this year is no exception – the fall tradition of marching with giant puppets along West Philly streets followed by a celebration in Clark Park will return this Saturday (Oct. 21).

Peoplehood Parade map (click to enlarge)

The 18th annual Peoplehood Parade, hosted by West Philly’s Spiral Q theater and arts organization, will kick off at 1 p.m. outside of the Paul Robeson House (4951 Walnut St). The event celebrates diversity in the city and is also a creative way to express your civic concerns. The event is kid friendly, so bring your children to march with you.

Besides the giant puppets, Peoplehood includes flags, costumes and banners. Everyone is invited to bring their own artwork or carry Spiral Q puppets. The parade is followed by participatory performances and art-making activities in the Clark Park “bowl” around 2 p.m.

Check out the Spiral Q website for more information or if you want to volunteer.

Though its Friday celebration will include a life-sized West Philly-themed board game, the People’s Emergency Center (PEC) knows their work is dead serious. Created 25 years ago, the group’s Community Development Corporation (CDC) has worked to ensure that the neighborhood’s ongoing transformation creates far more beneficiaries than victims. Now, at an outdoor party on 4050 Haverford Avenue, the CDC will mark what it believes has been a successful quarter-century.

“The history… It’s tremendous. It’s not easy doing this work,” said James Wright, PEC’s Director of Community Economic and Real Estate Development.

Wright says that PEC has helped catalyze an economic turnaround in the five neighborhoods it focuses on: Saunders Park, West Powelton, Belmont, Mantua, and Mill Creek. Vacancy has plummeted while incomes and high-school graduation rates have risen, and the group said home values quadrupled between 2000 and 2013. PEC has contributed to this upswing by converting vacant lots into housing; eliminating vacancy tends to increase surrounding home values.  Continue Reading

With rapid development in Cedar Park, what steps can be taken to protect historic buildings? Community members are invited to learn more about building preservation issues in the Cedar Park area on Monday, Oct. 16 at a Neighborhood Preservation workshop presented by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. The workshop will feature an overview of historic preservation policies and the current extent of preservation protections in the neighborhood.

At the end of the workshop there will be an opportunity to share thoughts and concerns about preservation and development in the neighborhood.

The workshop will be held at the Calvary Center (in the chapel, 801 S. 48th St), beginning at 7 p.m. and will be followed by the Cedar Park Neighbors monthly board meeting.

Bartram’s Garden is hosting a double feature on Sunday, Oct. 15. The annual Harvest Festival will take place at the Farm from 12 – 3 p.m. The festival’s program is packed with fun for the whole family: there will be hayrides, cider pressing, cooking and canning workshops, games of chance and skill, yoga, boating, and much more! All events are free. The event schedule can be found here.

Bartram’s Garden is also hosting a free outdoor concert, John Bartram Jawn, as part of the Harvest Fest, featuring musicians and performers with deep connections to Southwest Philadelphia, including Freeway, Recohavoc, and more. The concert is from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Free shuttle bus rides will be provided to and from Bartram’s Garden for Southwest Philly residents. Click here for more information and shuttle times.

Bartram’s Garden is located at 54th and Lindbergh Blvd. and is accessible by Trolley Route 36. You can also bike to the Garden. There’s a free parking lot with bike racks.

Everyone is invited to a free, 7-hour long community festival, Soul Farm, this Saturday (Oct. 14) to celebrate “the rich arts, culture, and community along Lancaster Avenue and throughout West Philadelphia.” The festival is a closing celebration of LoLa 38, a creative placemaking collaboration that has been encouraging civic conversation through art installations and community gatherings throughout the year.

Thanks to LoLa 38, two Lower Lancaster Avenue properties undergoing transformation – the former United Bank building and the site of the former University City High School building – were adorned with art pieces created by local artists from May to September.

The festival will take place from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 225 N. 38th St. (LAZ Parking Lot) and will feature local food, art, and music and dance performances.  Continue Reading

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A community walk will take place in West Philadelphia to bring attention to the issue and provide resources to community members who need help. The Walk for Domestic Violence Awareness is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon. It will start at New Birthing Worship Center, 5949 Spruce St., and end at Malcolm X Park, 52nd and Pine streets. State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown will co-host and participate in the walk.

“Far too often do we see on the news about victims being attacked by their spouse and even killed,” Brown said in a statement. “Enough is enough, and I’m calling on the community to join me in rising above these hateful acts of violence.”  Continue Reading