Warrington Community Garden (photo from ngtrust.org).

June 20th is the second annual Community Gardens Day in Philadelphia. The celebration is sponsored by the Neighborhood Gardens Trust (NGT), an organization that helps preserve community gardens. Thanks to NGT’s work, Community Gardens Day was recently officially recognized by the city.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, 45 community gardens throughout the city will host free activities, such as tours, demos, work days, family activities, and other special programs. This is a great chance to visit your neighborhood garden, show your support and participate in activities (click here to find a community garden near you).

A celebration will also be happening tomorrow at Warrington Garden at 4731 Warrington Ave. Guests are welcome to explore this green oasis and take part in the following activities: tours of the garden, scavenger hunt for children, photo display from the garden’s archives, herb identification, medicinal plant walkthrough (at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.), and an art project organized by the University City Arts League (from 1 to 3 p.m.). Light refreshments will be served.

Here are a few chances to visit Curio Theatre before it closes its doors until the next season. The local theater company will present a series of free performances this weekend and on Monday, June 22.

CuriosiTeens! (Photo courtesy of Curio Theatre Company)

Curio’s young company, CuriosiTeens! will present three performances of Bang Bang You’re Dead, a powerful drama written by William Mastrosimone in the wake of the school shootings of the late 1990s. The goal of this production is to search out and answer a very complex question: “Why?”. The first performance is tonight at 7 p.m., and there will be two shows tomorrow (Saturday, June 20) – at 2 and 7 p.m. All shows are on Curio’s Main Stage (48th and Baltimore). Please call 215-525-1350 or email steven@curiotheatre.org to reserve your tickets.

On Monday, Curio’s 2015 New Play reading series concludes with Antagonyms written by Rachel Gluck. “When a man returns to his home city after fifteen years of running, four people must struggle to maintain control over their lives, and keep the past in the past.” The play is directed by Jack Tamburri. The cast features Isa St. Clair, Trevor Fayle, Colleen Hughes and Andrew J. Carroll. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. on Curio’s Corner Stage, 48th and Baltimore Ave.

Two popular annual community events are happening this Saturday and Sunday in West and Southwest Philly. Details are below. Please check our Events Calendar for more events.

West Park Arts Fest – Saturday, June 13

Kyo Daiko performs at West Park Arts Fest (photo courtesy of West Park Arts).

West Park Arts Fest, a fun day of free performances and activities for the whole family, will take place on Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., on the School of the Future grounds (4021 Parkside Ave). The festival celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Philadelphia. Outdoor Mainstage performers include: Gretchen Elise, Kyo Daiko, Gegisom MLK Choir, Ceo Black, and more. Universal Dance and Drum Ensemble, Kun-Yang Lin, Lady Hoofers, and other artists will perform on the Dance stage. Children’s Pavilion activities include: a drawing workshop, Treehouse Books giveaway, reading out loud and bookmark making, activities with Franklin Institute and Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia Zoo animals and artifacts, storytelling with Kala Jojo, and more! Also, there will be many wonderful vendors and free historic trolley tours of Fairmount Park Centennial District at 12:00, 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. (sign up here). More information about the fest is available here.

River Fest & Tidal Schuylkill Boat Parade – Sunday, June 14  

On Sunday, June 14, families are invited to spend the day at the beautiful Bartram’s Garden (54th and Lindbergh). The annual River Fest will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include tons of great stuff: free boat, pony and hay rides, Youth Bicycle Rodeo, Philly’s oldest tugboat, free food (hot dogs, pretzels and snacks), Ice Cream on the River (free ice cream for those who paddle out to the floating ice cream parlor), a petting zoo, live music performances, and more. Plus, the Tidal Schuylkill Boat Parade, which starts at noon. Check out the Bartram’s Garden website for more information.

A popular summer event series will return to The Woodlands Cemetery grounds starting this Thursday. People of all ages are invited to spend the evening inside The Woodlands searching for amazing little creatures – fireflies! The Firefly Night will take place from 6 to 9 p.m., and is absolutely free. Here’s more information from The Woodlands:

“Learn about the amazing ways that animals (including fireflies) communicate and attract mates with educators from The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Fancy feathers, crazy calls, and delightful dances make life pretty “colorful” for all kinds of animals during the quest to meet the perfect mate. Investigate how many creatures use special displays and signals to attract the right partner. Dig deeper, and get creative to learn other ways that fireflies and other animals are cool, and make a craft you can take home!”

In addition to fireflies, Mister Softee will be on site this Thursday to offer frozen treats to the visitors. Guests are also welcome to pack a picnic. And don’t forget to bring your flashlight!

Two more Nature Nights will be held at The Woodlands this summer: Bat Night on July 23 and Moth Night on August 20, both from 6 – 9 p.m.  Please visit The Woodlands website for more information.

Click to enlarge.

The Thursday Farmers’ Market returned to Clark Park on June 4, bringing a bunch of great local vendors and new programs, including cooking demonstrations. This Thursday (June 11), The Food Trust, the nonprofit that manages the Clark Park Farmers’ Market, will introduce another new program for local residents – Thursday Market Tours. The tours are a great opportunity to learn more about the market, its vendors and programs and also allow for local residents to participate in a discussion about healthy eating, wellness, and how that ties with local community development.

Clark Park Thursday Farmers’ Market tours are absolutely free and open to the public, but individuals and groups are asked to sign up beforehand.

The tours will take place every Thursday, from June 11 and August 27, at 4 and 6 p.m., but only if at least five people sign up for them. If you are interested to take part in one of these tours, please click here to sign up and select a date and time when you want to participate.

If you have questions, feel free to email The Food Trust’s Community Outreach Associate Kalie Wertz at: kwertz@thefoodtrust.org

This weekend, two cool events are happening in the area: one is for beer and music fans and the other one is a family-friendly ice cream tasting event. More details are below and please check our Events Calendar for more upcoming events.

Photo courtesy of Dock Street Brewery.

Dock Street Brewery is hosting its 7th annual Beer Week Music Fest on Sunday, June 7, from 3:30 – 8 p.m. The event is a celebration of local beer, food and music and includes a free outdoor concert and a scavenger run. The run, where you can put to use your knowledge of the City of Brotherly Love, kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Participation is $25 and gets you a beer ticket, a t-shirt and the chance to win beer prizes for the hunters with the fastest times. Click here to sign up for the run or email Sasha at: dockstreetfunrun@gmail.com

The concert starts at 4 p.m., and here’s the lineup:

4 p.m. – Flightschool
5 p.m. – Honey Radar
5:45 p.m. – Pushin’ It 2 the Limit
6:30 p.m. – The Women’s Revolutionary Vagime
7 p.m. – Rosemary Fiki

Photo from ucartsleague.org.

Also on Sunday, from 1 – 4 p.m., University City Arts League (4226 Spruce St), is holding a delicious fundraiser, Ice Cream Bowl, where you can enjoy ice cream from the following local makers and businesses: Bassett’s, Little Baby’s, Shake Shack, Lil’ Pop Shop, More Than Just Ice Cream, Milk and Honey, and even Mister Softee! Just like UCAL’s popular Chili Bowl fundraiser held every winter or early spring, this summertime event supports their pottery studio. For only $10 you get a beautiful hand-made ceramic bowl filled with all the ice cream you can eat. There will also be some fun activities for families: face painting, music, and a raffle. Check the UCAL website for more information.