Click to enlarge. (Courtesy of UCD)

As we reported last week, one of the most popular local events of the year, the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, returns this Thursday and brings $1 specials from over 30 local businesses. There will be only one Dollar Stroll this year, so get ready for huge crowds in the area.

The stroll will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. along Baltimore Avenue between 43rd and 51st streets. Check out the map for more information on the participants and their offers.

Just a reminder that there also will be a book sale to benefit the Kingsessing Library branch during the stroll. The sale will be held at three locations – 4740 Baltimore Ave, 50th and Baltimore (near VIX Emporium) and 45th and Baltimore (near Milk & Honey).

Also this Thursday, families are invited to stop by the Clark Park Farmers’ Market at 43rd and Baltimore for a free family activity. The Food Trust will be hosting Paul Smith of Tune Up Philly and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (Facebook page) at the market from 3 to 7 p.m. He’ll be doing interactive demonstrations on how to create musical instruments out of carrots! Every Thursday throughout June and July, Tune Up Philly will be at the market looking to grow their Vegetable Orchestra. This is the first week for this engaging musical experience which also nurtures awareness about healthy and local foods.

For an example of carrot instruments in action, here is a cool video of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra making instruments and playing them.

The Food Trust is planning many events at the Clark Park Thursday farmers’ market this summer in an “attempt to revitalize the market and make it a fun destination for families on Thursday afternoons,” according to Food Trust Market Director Lisa Kelly. “We’re bringing in a few new vendors and food trucks as well as planning several free events over the course of the market season,” Kelly told West Philly Local by e-mail. Stay tuned for more details and also regularly check our Events Calendar.

Elissa Sklaroff meeting a young lady named Chloe.

If you have been to Clark Park recently and paid attention to its bulletin board kiosks, you probably noticed clusters of photographs stapled to them. Over the past year, neighbors Elissa Sklaroff and James Klasen have been documenting events at Clark Park capturing images of the diverse people “who bring the magical park to life.” Now they found a great way to share the photos with their “models” and the rest of the community.

We asked Elissa and James to tell us more about their project.

“We are gradually affixing our photos to bulletin board kiosks in the park hopefully creating a “photo garden” for all to enjoy,” Elissa wrote in an email. “This is our thank you to Clark Park and the wonderful people who gather there.”

James and Elissa are not professional photographers; actually, both of them are mental health professionals. In addition, they are music partners and sing as a duo at a coffeehouse in the Fairmount neighborhood where Elissa runs a Sunday music showcase.

“In good weather, we frequently visit Clark Park to rehearse our music,” writes Elissa. “We have met so many wonderful people and have been enchanted by the rich colors and the textures of their diversity. We felt the magic of the park so strongly and differently each time we visited, that we were compelled to do something to document this. We are ardent non-professional photographers drawn to the urban experience.”

James Klasen stapling a photo to Clark Park’s bulletin board kiosk.

At the end of the summer, Elissa and James intend to install a collage of all the photos they posted. The collage will be installed in several parts of the park. Elissa says that there are so many images they would like to post. In addition to the bulletin boards, they also would like to use metal poles in the park, but they’re still waiting for permission to do that (when they tried to post photos on metal poles, they were taken down). In the meantime, everyone is welcome to check out and enjoy the images on bulletin boards.

James and Elissa also encourage neighbors’ comments and hope all their “models” will be surprised and happy to see themselves.

(Photos courtesy of Elissa Sklaroff and James Klasen)

UPDATE (5/16/14): The spring picnic in Cedar Park has been cancelled due to rain.

The “Love Your Park” week is coming to an end, but there are a couple of events left that we think you might love. Two great traditions started last year at Cedar Park and Clark Park. This weekend, both events are back and organizers are inviting community members to spend some quality time with their neighbors and friends, enjoy live music and try some food and drinks from local restaurants and breweries.

Friday, May 16

Spring Picnic in Cedar Park (49th & Baltimore)

The 2nd annual Picnic in Cedar Park will take place this Friday, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., so come out and say hello to your neighbors. BYO blanket and picnic or pick up a “picnic special” from one of participating local businesses: Gold Standard Café, Dock Street, Mariposa, Hibiscus Café, Taco Angeleno, and more! The event is organized by Cedar Park Neighbors. Check out the event’s Facebook page for more information.

Saturday, May 17

Party in Clark Park (43rd & Baltimore)

Also in its second year is the Party in Clark Park, which includes food trucks, live music, $1,000 in raffle prizes from local businesses, games for all ages and a Dock Street beer garden.  The party runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and admission is free. The food trucks on hand will include Foolish Waffles and Dapper Dog and the entertainment will include Disco Hootenanny (about 6 p.m.), Flat Mary Road, and Nicole Gauthier’s Temple University Dancers.

New and renewing members of the Friends of Clark Park get a free beer at the beer garden. The party will go down rain or shine, organizers say.

Do you love Clark Park and want to help tidy it up for the summer? Here’s a fun opportunity for volunteering on Saturday, April 19, from 12 – 3 p.m.. The Fairmount Park Conservancy will be conducting a spring clean-up at the park in honor of Earth Day and volunteer help will be greatly appreciated. Help is needed with such activities as leaf raking, branch collecting, flower and tree planting, mulching, trash and debris removal, weeding, and sweeping.

But here’s the fun part: The first 30 volunteers at the clean-up event will receive gifts such as a daypack, aluminum water bottle, locally-sourced bandana and – for those aged 21 or over – three wooden nickel tokens, each good for a pint at the after-party. The party will be held at Local 44, a neighborhood pub specializing in craft beer, and will include free samples of Local 44’s comfort food. The after-party is sponsored by Great Lakes Brewing Company.

If all this sounds pretty good to you, go here to sign up.

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 worldwide.

UPDATE (4/16/2014): There has been a great response to this volunteer opportunity and there are no more “free beer” spots available, according to the Great Lakes Brewing Co. Earth Day website. But all volunteer help is appreciated.

Do you need a new recycling bin? Stop by Clark Park “A” on Saturday, April 5 to get one and also to drop off your old or unwanted electronics. The recycling bin giveaway event will be hosted by neighborhood Girl Scout troops: the 34th Woodland Ranger Otter Scouts (B-PSA) and Daisy Troop 91569 (GS-USA) in support of the 7th Annual Philly Spring Cleanup.

Electronics recycling is organized by eForce Compliance (big thanks to them for doing it again in the hood!). Please note that the following items will NOT be accepted: light bulbs, batteries, smoke detectors, TVs, or monitors.

The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.. Clark Park “A” is located on Baltimore Ave between 43rd and 44th streets.

If you have questions or want to help out, contact Amy Kwasnicki at: kwaszilla@gmail.com

We love Fall in West Philly! Check out this photo by reader Eva Jacobs.