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.

Here’s some exciting news and events at Clark Park, one of West Philly’s most beloved community spaces.

The installation of the permanent public restroom, Philly Phlush, which began in August, is complete (see photo). The installation of this modular ADA-accessible bathroom was part of the Friends of Clark Park fundraising campaign and was included in the current Clark Park Plan, the outline for park development and investments approved by the city in 2023. A grand opening for Clark Park’s Philly Phlush is expected to be announced soon, pending an L & I inspection, which may take a couple of weeks. UPDATE (10/29/25): Clark Park’s Philly Phlush officially opened on Monday, Oct. 27. Check out this Instagram post.

One of the ways to support Clark Park and the Friends of Clark Park projects is to participate in Parktoberfest. The family-friendly event will take place this Saturday, Oct. 18, from 2-8 p.m. at 43rd and Baltimore and will include music from local bands, food, craft beers from neighborhood breweries, and a silent auction. $5 suggested donation at the event helps support park programs and upkeep. Friends of Clark Park members (21+) get a free beer. If you can’t make it to this event please consider making a donation on the Friends of Clark Park website. For more details about this event, follow the Friends of Clark Park on Instagram.

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Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas Photography

Just in time for the spooky season, Curio Theatre Company is kicking off its 21st season in West Philadelphia with a “Bram-new” production. From October 15 through November 1, the theatre company located at 48th and Baltimore will present “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.” The new show is a 90-minute, gender-bending, quick-changing, laugh-out-loud reimagining of the timeless gothic classic.

The show is filled with clever wordplay and unexpected pop culture references and features.

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