The annual West Philly Community Yard Sale event, which debuted last year, is returning on Sunday, June 1!

Over 120 yard sales are expected to take place in the area, mostly between 43rd St. and 52nd St. and Woodland Ave. to Market St., with some sales taking place outside of that area as well, according to the event organizer Max Lovitz-Wolfson. It is a free event, with no fees for vendors, “organized simply for the love of yard sales and the community.”

Here is the link to the interactive map with all the sales: https://tinyurl.com/545va425 and here you can download the list of sales with their descriptions.

Anyone interested is invited to join the “West Philly VIRTUAL Yard Sales” group on Facebook for updates and more details about the event.

The West Philly Community Yard Sale will be held on Sunday, June 1, the day after the annual West Philly Porchfest. The rain date is Saturday, June 7.

A petting zoo will return to Clark Park on May 10 as part of the Spruce Hill May Fair (archive photo).

A beloved Spruce Hill tradition is returning this Saturday. The 67th Annual Spruce Hill May Fair, hosted by the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA), will take place on May 10, from 12 to 6 p.m. in Clark Park (43rd and Chester Ave). This free, family-friendly celebration is one of West Philadelphia’s longest-running community festivals and a highlight of the spring season.

This year’s May Fair will once again transform Clark Park into a lively hub of local culture, family fun, and community spirit. Attendees can enjoy:

• Live music all day from local performers

• A petting zoo, inflatable slide, face painting, and outdoor games

• A wide variety of food vendors offering tasty local eats

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Photo by Berri Wilmore for UCD

On Monday, local stakeholders, elected officials, and neighbors gathered at 47th and Sansom to celebrate an official groundbreaking for improvements coming to the Walnut Hill Playground.

The improvements are the result of a collaborative effort between University City District’s Green City Works landscaping team, the Walnut Hill Community Association, and local non-profit Do Moore Good to secure a $75,000 investment from the Target Foundation.

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The Kingsessing Library is officially open after a major renovation. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Thursday afternoon and included City officials, Rebuild Philadelphia, The Free Library of Philadelphia, and community members.

The celebration marked the completion of the newly renovated library, an $8 million project made possible by the City’s Rebuild initiative, a historic investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in neighborhood parks, recreation centers, and libraries across Philadelphia.

The century-old Kingsessing Library has been updated with:

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The Human Rights Coalition of Philadelphia will hold a Town Hall in West Philly to discuss Community Solar projects this Saturday, April 26. The event is part of the organization’s campaign to raise Philadelphians’ climate consciousness and promote energy democracy.

Community Solar projects enable people to invest in clean solar energy and receive a credit for the resulting savings on their monthly electricity bills. Such projects are of particular value to renters, who today make up nearly half of all City residents. Projects can be organized by churches, civil organizations, or private companies, and they can be located in vacant lots, fields, or on warehouses roofs. While laws authorizing Community Solar have been enacted in 22 states and the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania is lagging behind this trend. However, a Community Solar bill (HB 1155, Schweyer) has been introduced in the PA State House.

The Town Hall will feature Elowyn Corby of the Our Solar Now Coalition as keynote speaker. State Rep. Rick Krajewski, a cosponsor of HB 1155, has been invited to join the discussion. The Town Hall will be held at 316 N. 42nd Street, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. Lunch will be provided.

– Elaine Fultz

The Kingsessing Library has a new teen and child reading area.

Here’s some great news for Southwest Philly residents. After being closed for a major renovation for more than two years, the Free Library of Philadelphia Kingsessing Branch, located at 1201 S. 51st St., has reopened this week and is welcoming visitors and patrons.

The century-old building (built in 1919) closed its doors in October 2022 to prepare for construction, which began the following winter.

Some of the upgrades and renovations at the library include:

• New teen and child reading area
• New roof, doors and windows which bring more light into the space
• Refurbished masonry
• New elevator
• New furniture, fixtures and finishes
• New lighting improvements on the exterior and interior
• HVAC improvements

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