Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN) has kicked off its annual Holiday Baskets campaign. In collaboration with area churches and other nonprofit organizations, CPN will prepare and distribute food baskets for neighborhood residents in need during the holiday season. As always, to make this campaign successful, CPN is asking for community support.

This year, a suggested donation is $50, which will help feed two families, but any amount is appreciated. Please use this link to submit your donation: https://donorbox.org/cpnholidaybaskets

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The 2025 Philadelphia Marathon events will be held this weekend, with races on Saturday, Nov. 22 (half marathon) and Sunday, Nov. 23 (marathon). Both of these events will begin at 6:55 a.m.

As always during this annual event, many roads will be closed to accommodate runners. Streets will be closed in many parts of the city from Friday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 23. The closures will be implemented on a rolling basis. Traffic delays can be expected, and motorists are advised to use alternate routes and allow for extra driving time.

The streets and roads impacted by closures in West Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 22 include:

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A great West Philly tradition is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The 25th Annual Peoplehood Parade & Pageant, Spiral Q’s hand-made people-powered celebration of solidarity, creativity, and courage, is on Saturday, Nov. 8. It’s a day of participatory theater, live music, giant puppets, and a celebration that reminds us of our collective power and the importance of joining together.

Peoplehood starts with a parade that marches from the Paul Robeson House to Clark Park where the day culminates in a Pageant performance that celebrates the city’s vibrant communities, and collective vision for a more just and joyful Philadelphia. Peoplehood isn’t just a single Parade day, but a month-long art-making and community building process that takes hundreds of artists, organizers, families and students to create.

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Halloween is in two days and if you’re planning to walk around the neighborhood with your kids, family or friends, check out the first-ever West Philly Fright Registry created by a West Philly resident, Dyresha Harris.

Dozens of West Philly residents and some organizations have registered their address for various spooky season happenings or activities since our first post about it in early October. You can browse the database or use the map (see the screenshot above), just enter your zip code in the search window, to find out what your neighbors are up to on Halloween – from giving out candy, to decorations, to events.

More information on how to use the Registry is available here. And to find out how Dyresha came up with this “spooktacular” idea, click here.

Also, don’t forget about the annual Spruce Hill Halloween Tot Parade (more info is here).

West Philadelphia is known for celebrating creative people – musicians, performers, visual artists, craftspeople and more. As the fall season settles in, there is an exciting opportunity to bring neighborhoods together with the 10th Annual Halloween-themed House, Block and Business decoration contest organized by the HopePHL Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC). This fun, community-wide activity offers more than just a chance for creativity and a few frights—it has fostered a sense of unity, safety, and holiday spirit among residents.

HopePHL’s NAC uses the annual contest to promote their services, supported by funding from the City of Philadelphia Division of Housing and Community Development. The NAC assists community members with delinquent property taxes, mortgage Foreclosure Prevention and Tangled Title deed issues. The NAC also connects residents to many city services like 311 and City ID and assistance with utility costs.

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The 2024 Spruce Hill Halloween Tot Parade (Photo by West Philly Local)

The annual Spruce Hill Halloween Parade is back on October 31 (for the 27th time!) and we can’t wait to see our little neighbors showing off their creative spooky/funny/cute costumes. If you haven’t participated in this event before or need a reminder, here are some details:

The gathering for the parade begins at 45th and Larchwood at 4 p.m. The parade will kick off at 4:30 p.m. and head east on Larchwood. The parade concludes with a party at “Little Osage” (42nd and Osage) where participants are treated with cider and baked goods provided by local businesses and neighbors.

The long-time organizer, the Spruce Hill Community Association, is inviting “little tots” (6 and under) and their parents or guardians to join them at the parade and party. This year’s event is supported by such local businesses as Lil’ Pop Shop, Dotties Donuts, Loco Pez, Cleo Bagels, Knockbox Cafe, and more.

After the event, if you’re taking your kids trick-or-treating or looking for some entertainment for yourself, check out the West Philly Fright Registry created by a local Halloween enthusiast.