Free, Live and Family-Friendly

The 2024 Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival promises to be the best one yet, as it returns to Saunders Park Greene (39th & Powelton) on Saturday, July 20 from Noon to 7 p.m. The Festival celebrates West Philadelphia and jazz musicians with spectacular live performances, local vendors, fun children’s activities, and delectable treats from food trucks.

The all-day event is free and open to the public, organized by HopePHL (formerly People’s Emergency Center and Youth Service, Inc.), The Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and a committee of community members, with technical assistance from Nu Millennium Media Productions.

“We are very excited about this year’s Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival,” said Bernadine Hawes, HopePHL Community Development Corporation Board Chair, “it’s guaranteed to be an enjoyable day out for anyone in or near West Philadelphia on July 20.”

This year’s headline act is Jamaaladeen Tacuma Quintet featuring Odean Pope. Other performers include Joe Block Quintet, Timothy Vaughan Inside Outside Ensemble, Mollie Ducoste, Deborah Smith, and returning audience favorite, Glenn Bryan & Friends.

Continue Reading

The Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival is keeping live music alive with a series of four pop-up events presented by HopePHL and partners leading up to the Festival later this month! HopePHL’s team will be at 4017 Lancaster Avenue on Friday, July 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event will feature a jazz performance by Justin Bowden. Everyone is welcome to listen and tap their feet to the music during the two-hour performance, curated by Leo Gadson at the Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia.

All are welcome to celebrate summer and jazz music – deeply rooted in West Philadelphia’s music scene –  at this free event, while talking to neighbors and making new friends. Other pop-up events this season featured performances by The Brent White Band, Wayne Smith Jr. Quartet, and Mervin Toussaint Quartet (pictured).

The Community pop-up series precedes the Lancaster Avenue Jazz  & Arts Festival on Saturday, July 20 from 12 p.m.-7 p.m. at Saunders Park Greene, 39th & Powelton Avenue. The Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival has been nominated for Metro Philly’s Best Annual Event/Festival and HopePHL has been nominated in the Best Not For Profit category.

You can vote once a day until August 9th. Vote daily in each category and share!

Sign up for newsletters to stay up to date on all HopePHL events and services at the bottom of www.hopephl.org or follow hopephlorg on Facebook and hopephl_cdc on Instagram.

Photo courtesy of University City District

July is here, which means one of the most favorite annual events, University City Dining Days, will return soon. This year’s event, organized by University City District (UCD), will be held from July 18th through the 28th with over 30 local restaurants participating. During these 11 days, guests can enjoy three-course meals for lunch or dinner for the set prices of $20, $30, or $40.

Dining Days offers a great opportunity to sample University City’s diverse restaurant scene at reduced prices while boosting business for eateries during the slower summer months. Participants this year include returning favorites Han Dynasty, Sabrina’s Cafe, and Board and Brew along with first-time participants Blaze Pizza, Crate & Press Cafe, Sichaun Mathai, and Tataki Ramen & Sushi.

Please note that all the reservations should be made directly at a restaurant of your choice. See the full list of participating restaurants and their contact info, plus Dining Days menus by visiting ucdiningdays.com.

Penn Museum’s popular outdoor music concert series, Garden Jams, kicks off Wednesday, July 10, with a live performance from the West Philadelphia Orchestra. Garden Jams at the Penn Museum begin at 5 p.m. every Wednesday in July (except July 3) and feature live music and happy hour with cocktails and food trucks in historic Stoner Courtyard, along with after-hours access to the Museum’s galleries and exhibitions, including Ancient Food & Flavor, until 8 p.m.

Founded in 2006, the West Philadelphia Orchestra (WPO) plays original tunes written by its own band members. Percussionist and WPO Founder Gregg Mervine says the band was inspired by the “fanfares” of Eastern Europe and many other sources.

“Balkan brass bands are the most prominent influence, and we always mix in a few classic tunes from that repertoire,” Mervine explains. “We’ve had a lot of fun in the past—weaving in and out of the gardens and fountains, parading around with kids, and creating a wide-open, free-flowing environment at Garden Jams.”

Other performers in this year’s Garden Jams line-up include:

Continue Reading

From left to right: Jason Lindner as Duke Frederick/Amiens, Tariq Kanu as Orlando, Cheyenne Parks as Rosalind, and Felicity Mundy as Celia (Photo credit: Shamus).

Shakespeare in Clark Park is returning next month with outdoor performances of “As You Like It,” July 24-28 at the Bowl in Clark Park. The production features contemporary and creative innovations, including input from participants in a series of community poetry workshops (see more info below).

A celebration of poetry and community is the focus of this show, directed by Ontaria Kim Wilson. Professional Philadelphia actors take the stage along with community performers, and an original anthem has been created by local composer and community music leader, Pax Ressler. Wilson was born and raised in Philadelphia and lived through the ongoing shifts and displacement of community, a theme that is central to her interpretation of “As You Like It,” which is often simplified to a love story. Wilson’s  experience is essential to  the production, in the bodies we see onstage, and how the lead character, Rosalind, actively hides her identity to survive in a world where she was once celebrated.

Continue Reading

Malcolm X Park will be hosting several community events this summer. Here are a couple coming up soon.

The Garden Court Community Association is inviting families with young children to a new event series – Children’s Read Aloud! The series will be held every other Thursday at 5 p.m., from June 20 to September 12, and feature books by local authors – a different author each week! Families will get an opportunity to get free books (while supplies last) and/or purchase books from Hakim’s Bookstore. See the flyer below for more details.

Thursday, June 20 is also a kick-off day for the popular Jazz Heritage Series, featuring free shows performed by some of the best local musicians. This event is also held every other Thursday from June through September, at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the upcoming performances and other updates, follow the Friends of Malcolm X Park on Instagram.

Stay tuned for more events later this summer, including the beloved Theatre in the X performances.

Continue Reading