International House Philadelphia (IHP), which has been serving scholars and the Philadelphia community for more than 100 years, is holding a couple of special events this month.

IHP’s Open House will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 3 – 7 p.m. Community members are invited to tour the House, including its residential facilities, conference center and theater, and learn more about the services and programming offered there. You can also meet staff and some of the current residents from all over the world. You can explore IHP’s history by attending a historical exhibit on Tuesday. Last but no least, learn more about language courses offered at IHP, meet the teachers, and even sign up for some classes. Admission is free, but if you’re planning to attend this event, please RSVP. You can read more about the Open House and RSVP here.

On Friday, Oct. 31, IHP is throwing a Night of the Philly Dead: Brews and Brains party. It is a new, annual event and IHP staff hope that you will join them at their inaugural celebration of the undead’s favorite day of the year. There will be a zombie themed dance-party paying homage to the cult-classic movies, scary-good catering provided by TV Chef Barbie Marshall, craft beer, and themed cocktails, all included in your cost of admission ($50). Costumes are encouraged and there will be a competition. 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. For more information and tickets, go to this page.

There will be many more fantastic events this Fall at IHP, including some great film screenings, exhibits, and cultural events. For more info, click here.

Neighbors are invited to the Walnut Hill Community Day celebration on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The celebration will take place on the 4700 block of Walnut Street in front of the old West Philly High School building. This is a great opportunity to meet other neighbors, get some valuable information about the neighborhood and its organizations, and to have fun!

The event will include a lot of family friendly activities: pony rides, face painting, moon bounce, and more. Also, there will be food and drinks, raffles, a farm stand and live entertainment.

The event is organized by the Walnut Hill Community Association (WHCA). The organization was found in 1961 by a group of neighbors, led by Charles Campbell, Sr., who “were concerned about the deterioration of their neighborhood.” WHCA, which is a volunteer organization, encourages neighbors to participate in community events and in other activities that help improve and strengthen the community. New volunteers are always welcome, too. Visit this page for more information on how you can help.

Journey2home public art project, dedicated to homeless youth, opens this Friday at 42nd and Lancaster. (Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program).

The Philadelphia Mural Arts program has dedicated their new public art project, journey2home, to homeless youth in the city. According to last year’s data by People’s Emergency Center, more than 5,000 kids in Philadelphia are homeless. The project includes two murals created by artists Ernel Martinez and Shira Walinsky at 42nd and Lancaster in the Mantua neighborhood. The opening celebration will take place on Friday, Oct. 10, 4 – 7 p.m.

Journey2home is a year-long, socially engaged project initiated by the Mural Arts program in collaboration with youth enrolled in the Mural Arts Art Education Program. At the apex of a green space at 42nd and Lancaster sits a transformed shipping container, a metaphor for home. It has a front porch, an information bulletin board, a resource area, storage, and a dining room with table, chairs and bookshelves.

The two-wall mural, titled Home Safe, is located across the street from the shipping container and represents the culmination of two years of work with homeless and housing-insecure youth in West Philadelphia.

Community members are invited this Friday to a pop-up outdoor gathering space at 42nd and Lancaster where the project opening celebration will be held. The celebration will include the dedication of the Home Safe murals, as well as other art and sound installations, film, music and food.

For more details on the project, images and videos, visit the journey2home blog.

Here’s a short film about the project:

Photo courtesy St. Mary’s Church.

This new event will help you relax during lunchtime by listening to music at a historic and remarkable sacred space. Starting today, St. Mary’s Church, Hamilton Village, located at 40th and Locust Walk on the Penn campus, invites residents to free lunchtime concerts every first Wednesday, from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.

The first in a series of First Wednesday Free Concerts at St. Mary’s will feature organist Wesley Parrott playing pieces by Foote, Vierne, and Bartholdy on the parish’s historic Aeolian-Skinner Organ. There are continued efforts to restore the church organ, so free will offering will be appreciated.

The present, expanded version of St. Mary’s, Hamilton Village was completed in 1876, but the church dates back to 1824, when the cornerstone for the original church was laid.

For more information about the church and more events please visit www.stmarysatpenn.org.

The Walnut Hill Community Association (WHCA) is holding a Community Day next weekend on the grounds of the old West Philadelphia High School and is organizing a cleanup this Saturday to prepare the area for the celebration. The cleanup will take place on Saturday, Oct 4, between 9 a.m. and 12 Noon and volunteer help will be greatly appreciated.

Volunteers are needed to pull weeds, do light gardening work, and sweep up leaves. All residents and friends are invited to join in and all ages are welcome. Light refreshments will be served and the following items and supplies will be provided: t-shirts, brooms, rakes, shovels, gloves, and more.

Here’s more information on volunteer sign up:

• All volunteers meet at 47th & Locust on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 9 a.m.
• Coffee & Bagels
• Registration/Sign-in
• Walnut Hill Community Association membership table
• Community Day 2014 volunteer sign up and flyers onsite

The Walnut Hill Community Day will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and will include lots of fun activities, raffles, live entertainment, food and drinks, a farm stand, and much more. More information is coming soon. Interested vendors (food truck vendors: $50 per space; craft tables: $25 per space) are asked to contact Tyson at 267-499-6492 or Amin at 267-975-1962.

Just a reminder that Walnut Hill boundaries are between 45th and 52nd Streets and between Market and Spruce Streets. Here’s contact information for WHCA:

Walnut Hill Community Association
4637 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19139
215-472-1381
walnuthillevents@gmail.com

Blessing of the Animals at St. Francis De Sales Church (Archive photo/West Philly Local).

September and October are usually months when a lot of cool events for pets and pet owners take place in the neighborhood. This weekend is filled with such events. Three events will be held on Saturday and one on Sunday (see more info below). Please note that the annual “Bark in the Park” event, with various contests and prizes for dogs, will be held on October 11 October 12 at Clark Park (43rd and Chester), starting at 2 p.m. No registration is necessary, just show up!

Saturday, Sept 27

Low-Cost Cat & Dog Vaccine Clinic/ Free Physical Exam at UPenn Alpha Psi (4002 Pine St), 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Bring your cat or dog to a low-cost vaccine clinic organized by Penn Vet students at their Alpha Psi fraternity house at 4002 Pine St. The following services will be available at the clinic:

• Rabies and Distemper Vaccines: $10 for both
• Deworming, flea and tick treatments, microchipping ($20)
• Free physical exam by vet students

Questions? Email: upennalphapsi@gmail.com

‘End of Summer’ Sidewalk Sale at Baltimore Pet Shoppe (4532 Baltimore Ave), 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Baltimore Pet Shoppe is holding its annual “End of Summer” Sidewalk Sale on Saturday. There will be huge discounts (30-75% off!) on pet toys, accessories and treats.

Doggie Strut and Photo Booth at Coffee Market (45th and Pine), Noon – 1 p.m. 

Sign up your dog for the annual “Doggie Strut” event taking place at Coffee Market (formerly Earth Cup Coffee) this Saturday. This free event includes nail clipping, ear cleaning and an info booth by Penn Vet students. There will be contests, awesome prizes and giveaways from Baltimore Pet Shoppe, and a photo booth (the expert judges will decide on 12 centerfolds for Coffee Market calendar). “Instead of specifying categories for the competition, this year the owners get to invent their category,” says Coffee Market owner Natasa Brkanin. Owners also get awarded with a coffee market gift certificate. Stop by Coffee Market or Baltimore Pet Shoppe (45th and Baltimore) to sign up. For more information, visit Coffee Market’s Facebook page.

Sunday, Sept 28

Blessing of the Animals at St. Francis De Sales Church (4625 Springfield Ave), 12 p.m.

Bring your little best friend(s) to be blessed in honor of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the friend of all of God’s creatures. The event starts at Noon. Enter through the school yard on Farragut St. Please keep dogs on a leash. For more information, call 215-222-2255.