Photo courtesy of Penn Museum

Philadelphia libraries and museums have closed their doors again due to the COVID-19 pandemic until at least January 1, 2021, but it doesn’t mean that all events and activities are cancelled. The Free Library of Philadelphia is offering many programs virtually and maintains digital resources – ebooks, audiobooks, movies, TV, music, and more – that you can access anywhere with your library card.

Several Free Library locations, including Walnut Street West Library, have also started offering contactless material pickups and returns. Please visit this page for more details.

Many museums, including the Penn Museum, continue to hold events online, many of them free, for adults and children alike. Check out the Penn Museum’s events calendar for upcoming virtual events and programs.  Continue Reading

If you haven’t had a chance to participate in Indie-Life’s holiday shopping campaign that supports small and minority businesses there’s still time to do it through this Sunday. Indie-Life, a West Philly based creative agency and co-working/event space, launched the 10-day campaign, called “Black Friday Is Cancelled” (BFIC) on November 27th.

“Our BFIC campaign is solidly built on three pillars: Shop small and buy local, invest in your community, and invest in yourself,” said Rasheed Abdellah, a local entrepreneur and Indie-Life founder.

The campaign has already garnered endorsements and praise from Philadelphia’s elected officials like State Senator Anthony Williams, State Representative Rick Krajewski, and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier among others.

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Christmas trees are back for sale in the neighborhood (check the locations here). And if you’re looking for a nice handmade holiday wreath, Bartram’s Garden (5400 Lindbergh Blvd.) is holding its annual sale this Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.. The sale will include a great selection of decorated and undecorated wreaths, centerpieces, and fresh evergreens.

There will also be a holiday marketplace with a variety of local vendors, free “make + take” workshops, music, children’s activities, a baking competition, and more!  Continue Reading

Books make excellent holiday gifts, but instead of going to Amazon to purchase them, consider visiting a local bookstore first. We have several great bookstores in our area that are still somehow holding on despite most folks shopping for books online these days. Some of these stores are having special holiday hours, events and offers this month:

• Bindlestiff Books (4530 Baltimore Ave)

Bindlestiff Books will be open daily through Sunday, Dec. 24, from Noon – 7 p.m., except on Sundays (Noon – 5 p.m.). Gift certificates are back in stock, and special orders received on or before Tuesday, Dec. 19 will be available by Friday, Dec. 22. Bindlestiff Books will also be tabling at an upcoming Benefit for Jewish-Muslim Solidarity Work on Sunday, Dec. 17, 4 – 7 p.m. at Kol Tzedek, Calvary United Methodist Church, 48th and Baltimore. Admission is on a sliding scale $5 to $25, but no one will be turned away. There will be latkes, a potluck dinner, a Bindlestiff book sale, a craft fair, candle lighting, blessings, desserts, a Klezmer concert by the Simcha Band, and dancing.  Continue Reading

Artwork by Laura Murdoch.

Need some holiday gifts with some Philly flavor? The annual Go West! Craft Fest holiday edition is this Sunday, Dec. 18 at The Rotunda (near 40th and Walnut) and will feature more than 100 artisan vendors selling handcrafted, locally made items.

Everything from hand-knitted winter clothing to locally made preserves to handmade toys will be available at The Rotunda. This thing has gotten so big over the years that it has now expanded into The Rotunda’s amazing Sanctuary space.

The Go West! Craft Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and here is a list of vendors.

Each holiday season, we encourage folks to do more of their gift shopping locally. You can buy some unique gifts here, from arts and crafts to clothing to jewelry to locally made food and drinks to gift cards from a variety of local businesses. We also want to remind that books make wonderful holiday gifts, and we have several great, independently-owned bookstores in the area that need your support.

This piece, written for West Philly Local by award-winning writer Emma Eisenberg almost four years ago, might persuade you to buy books at local stores instead of Amazon. Many stores have special holiday hours and are holding holiday sales this month, so when doing your holiday gift shopping please don’t forget to stop by and check them out:

• Penn Book Center (130 S. 34th St.) is offering 25% off selected Random House titles, including new fiction, biography, history, cookbooks and more. Become a frequent buyer and get a $10.00 credit every time you spent $100.00. Open Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

• Bindlestiff Books (4530 Baltimore Ave) is open daily, Noon until 7 p.m. (except Sundays when it closes at 5) through and Thursday, Dec. 24. The store will be receiving new shipments twice weekly (generally Tuesday and Friday), and special orders are welcome. Special orders received by the end of the day on Dec. 20 (Sunday) will be available for pick-up on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Feel free to call 215-662-5780.

• House of Our Own (3920 Spruce St) – Open Mon-Thu 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. E-mail: hooo@verizon.net or call 215-222-1576.

• The Last Word Book Shop (220 S. 40th St) – Open daily 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. For more info call 215-386-7750.  Continue Reading