Halloween in West Philly (Photo by West Philly Local)

The spooky season is here and here’s a great new community resource, created by a local Halloween enthusiast, that will help folks submit and find events.

Dyresha Harris, has created a free West Philly Fright Registry, a Google form where community members from approximately 45th to 60th Streets and Market to Baltimore (it’s not a hard boundary) can register their house or public space to let folks know what spooky thing they’ll be up to during the Halloween season (from giving out candy, to decorations, to events). The resulting Google map would help families and other Halloween revelers know where to go on and leading up to the holiday.

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Come celebrate new and old friends at the uCity Square community block party on Friday, Sept. 26, 2-8 p.m. at 37th and Cuthbert! Featuring local food, live music & comedy (see the line up below), games, and activities for the whole family. Free chair massages and a sound bath experience for the ultimate self-care.

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Philly Bike Action, the non-profit organization advocating for safer bike lanes in the city, is planning a group ride through the neighborhood to celebrate the new protected bike lane on South 47th Street, according to the group’s announcement. The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who worked on the 47th Street redesign project with community members and organizations, is expected to participate in the event as well.

The ride is expected to begin at 9:20 a.m. at Clark Park (gathering starts at 9:00) and the approximately 4-mile long route will include the 47th, 48th, Walnut and Chestnut bike lanes. If you want to join in, RSVP here.

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This Saturday, Sept. 13, the Painted Bride Art Center is hosting a celebratory community event, Relish & Remember, at the Paul Robeson House (4949 Walnut St). The event, which will be held from 3-5 p.m., is honoring the foodways of 52nd Street and the people who have shaped them.

“Most would agree that food and memory are inseparable. Unique tastes, smells, and textures can transport us back through time, returning us to kitchens, corner tables, and community gatherings where laughter and stories were shared,” reads the event description.

The event, led by Painted Bride’s Voices of 52nd Street project director Pamela Hooks, features a Memory Potluck with dishes from local restaurants and community cooks, wine and cheese tastings, live poetry, and more.

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Image courtesy of University City District

The Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, is returning Thursday, Sept. 4. The year’s second and final edition of the Stroll (the first one was held in June) is 5-8 p.m. between 40th and 51st streets and will feature dozens of local businesses and community vendors. As always, this event is a great opportunity to enjoy special one-night-only deals for $1, $3, or $5 from your favorite businesses, check out new local businesses and vendors, and finally, enjoy live performances while strolling along this vibrant commercial corridor.

Check out the map above featuring all the deals and participating business/vendor locations. And here’s the list of live performances and activities:

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The West Philly-based Black theatre company, Theatre in the X, is returning to Malcolm X Park with its summer production of Fraternity, a thought-provoking drama by acclaimed playwright Jeff Stetson.

With performances running August 21 – 24, Fraternity brings together a dynamic cast featuring titans of Philadelphia stage and screen, including Brian Anthony Wilson, and rising young talent. The show examines urgent questions about power, legacy, and what it means to be a Black man in America.

“At a time when divisions seem sharper than ever, Fraternity challenges us to confront the tensions within our own communities — and to imagine what real unity might require,” said director and Theatre in the X leader Eric Carter. “Theatre in the X is proud to bring this urgent, thought-provoking work to life in the heart of West Philly, where Black stories deserve to be seen, heard, and wrestled with in public space.”
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