Photo from Woodlandsphila.org.

A near total (for us in Philly) solar eclipse is coming on Monday, April 8. Philly is not on the “path of totality,” but we will get a very respectable 89 percent coverage of the sun, according to NASA, which should be enough to plunge the city into mid-day darkness for a few minutes.

The moon will start moving in front of the sun at about 2:08 p.m. and peak eclipse will begin at 3:23 p.m. Hopefully it will be a clear day for maximum eclipse awesomeness. If so, you definitely want to check this one out because the next solar eclipse this good won’t be for another 20 years.

So where to go for peak eclipse viewing and astronomical camaraderie in West Philly? A good place to start is at The Woodlands, which is hosting an eclipse viewing get together on April 8 from 2-4:30 p.m. The Woodlands offers a lot of open sky to get a good look. Plus a librarian from the Walnut West Library will be organizing an eclipse-themed storytime complete with music and dancing.

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Each week in Music Together Mixed-Age Classes at Heather Gardner Studio, babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grownups who love them gather for 45 minutes of fun-filled family music time. Your teacher will lead you and the other families in music activities ranging from lullabies to full-on jam sessions (with child-friendly instruments, of course!). It’s so much fun you won’t realize how much learning is taking place!

You’ll take home the award-winning music used in class, along with an illustrated songbook and other resources. As you discover new ways to play with music all week long, you’ll be supporting your child’s music-learning and overall development—even if you don’t think of yourself as a great singer or dancer.

Want to try it out before you register? Come and visit us for a free Demo Class or drop in and visit one of our on-going classes!

Register here: https://back.office.heathergardnerstudio.com/dmn4981/demos.aspx

The annual Easter Egg Hunt organized by Renewal Presbyterian Church and scheduled to take place on March 23 at Clark Park, was cancelled due to persistent rain. But more egg hunts are planned in the neighborhood this and next weekend. Here are some of them. If you know of more community egg hunts, please post them in the comments below.

Easter Sunday, March 31:

St. Mary’s Church, Hamilton Village (3916 Locust Walk)

The annual BYOB (Bring Your Own Basket) egg hunt and potluck coffee hour will take place on Locust Walk right after the 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist. For more details, visit: https://www.stmarysatpenn.org.

Calvary Church (48th and Baltimore)

Calvary Church is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt from 10:15 – 10:45 a.m. outside the 48th St entrance (inside in case of inclement weather). Also, all are invited to Easter Sunday events at the church and at Cedar Park (50th and Baltimore). More info: https://www.allmeansall.org/holy-week.html

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Championship Matches Confirmed For Both Philadelphia Shows: Friday & Saturday, March 22-23

The new era of TNA Wrestling returns to Philadelphia for two-nights of high-energy pro wrestling at the prestigious 2300 Arena, a venue steeped in history dating back to ECW.

The TNA television trucks will be in Philadelphia to capture all the in-ring action both nights for upcoming episodes of the company’s flagship weekly TV show that airs at 8 p.m. EST every Thursday night (AXS TV in the U.S., Fight Network in Canada).

Tickets for both Philadelphia shows go on-sale at 10 a.m. ET, on Saturday, January 20, at TNAWrestling.com and 2300arena.com.

TNA Wrestling (formerly IMPACT Wrestling) will bring all the superstars to Philadelphia, including Frankie Kazarian, Brian Myers, KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Moose, Tommy Dreamer, Gisele Shaw and Jordynne Grace, among others.

Matches for the Philadelphia shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

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A community-based committee tasked with brainstorming ideas for the Saint Joseph’s University (formerly USciences) campus near the south end of Clark Park and other buildings scattered nearby presented initial ideas to the Spruce Hill Community Association last night.

St. Joe’s hopes to sell the entire campus, including stand-alone residential buildings dotting the nearby neighborhood, to a single developer in a process that will likely take years to complete. For nearby residents, that process began last fall, when the university agreed to fund a “community advisory committee” made up of representatives of local community groups – including Friends of Clark Park, neighborhood associations and residents from the West Shore neighborhood.

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You’re invited to celebrate St Mary’s 200 years, and counting! Please help us celebrate this amazing milestone and join us in our Bicentennial year, July 6, 2024 through July 5, 2025! We’re still in the planning stages and will announce our calendar of events this Spring. In the meantime, we’d like to invite people to share both your stories of how St. Mary’s has impacted your life.

Did you get baptized, confirmed, or married at St. Mary’s? Did you worship with us when you lived in the neighborhood or attended college in the area? Do you remember a meaningful concert or event? Did your children attend St Mary’s Nursery School? Please send us your favorite St. Marian stories, histories, memories, and pictures. You can email them to our Parish Administrator Brittany at administrator@stmarysatpenn.org, as we begin the planning for our 200th anniversary celebrations that will start on July 6, 2024 and end on July 5, 2025! @stmarysatpenn #stmarysatpenn #StMary200th