Free, Live and Family-Friendly

The 2024 Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival promises to be the best one yet, as it returns to Saunders Park Greene (39th & Powelton) on Saturday, July 20 from Noon to 7 p.m. The Festival celebrates West Philadelphia and jazz musicians with spectacular live performances, local vendors, fun children’s activities, and delectable treats from food trucks.

The all-day event is free and open to the public, organized by HopePHL (formerly People’s Emergency Center and Youth Service, Inc.), The Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and a committee of community members, with technical assistance from Nu Millennium Media Productions.

“We are very excited about this year’s Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival,” said Bernadine Hawes, HopePHL Community Development Corporation Board Chair, “it’s guaranteed to be an enjoyable day out for anyone in or near West Philadelphia on July 20.”

This year’s headline act is Jamaaladeen Tacuma Quintet featuring Odean Pope. Other performers include Joe Block Quintet, Timothy Vaughan Inside Outside Ensemble, Mollie Ducoste, Deborah Smith, and returning audience favorite, Glenn Bryan & Friends.

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The Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival is keeping live music alive with a series of four pop-up events presented by HopePHL and partners leading up to the Festival later this month! HopePHL’s team will be at 4017 Lancaster Avenue on Friday, July 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event will feature a jazz performance by Justin Bowden. Everyone is welcome to listen and tap their feet to the music during the two-hour performance, curated by Leo Gadson at the Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia.

All are welcome to celebrate summer and jazz music – deeply rooted in West Philadelphia’s music scene –  at this free event, while talking to neighbors and making new friends. Other pop-up events this season featured performances by The Brent White Band, Wayne Smith Jr. Quartet, and Mervin Toussaint Quartet (pictured).

The Community pop-up series precedes the Lancaster Avenue Jazz  & Arts Festival on Saturday, July 20 from 12 p.m.-7 p.m. at Saunders Park Greene, 39th & Powelton Avenue. The Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival has been nominated for Metro Philly’s Best Annual Event/Festival and HopePHL has been nominated in the Best Not For Profit category.

You can vote once a day until August 9th. Vote daily in each category and share!

Sign up for newsletters to stay up to date on all HopePHL events and services at the bottom of www.hopephl.org or follow hopephlorg on Facebook and hopephl_cdc on Instagram.

Penn Museum’s popular outdoor music concert series, Garden Jams, kicks off Wednesday, July 10, with a live performance from the West Philadelphia Orchestra. Garden Jams at the Penn Museum begin at 5 p.m. every Wednesday in July (except July 3) and feature live music and happy hour with cocktails and food trucks in historic Stoner Courtyard, along with after-hours access to the Museum’s galleries and exhibitions, including Ancient Food & Flavor, until 8 p.m.

Founded in 2006, the West Philadelphia Orchestra (WPO) plays original tunes written by its own band members. Percussionist and WPO Founder Gregg Mervine says the band was inspired by the “fanfares” of Eastern Europe and many other sources.

“Balkan brass bands are the most prominent influence, and we always mix in a few classic tunes from that repertoire,” Mervine explains. “We’ve had a lot of fun in the past—weaving in and out of the gardens and fountains, parading around with kids, and creating a wide-open, free-flowing environment at Garden Jams.”

Other performers in this year’s Garden Jams line-up include:

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The summer 2024 season of Friday Night Jazz at Cedar Park kicks off this week at the park, located at 49th and Baltimore. This is the 25th year of this popular event! The free shows featuring Philadelphia’s finest jazz musicians and bands, will run every Friday from 6-8 p.m. until the end of July (weather permitting). Here is the schedule:

June 14 – Firestorm
June 21 – Ray Wright’s Jazz Lab
June 28 – Yesseh & Friends
July 5 – Bobby Zankel & the Wonderful Sound 6
July 12 – Dr Ketchup
July 19 – Firestorm and Scholarship Award Night
July 26 – Clef Club

Guests are welcome to bring chairs, blankets and picnics!

This annual event is organized by Cedar Park Neighbors with the help from local businesses. This year’s sponsors are PFCU, Mariposa, Penn Live Arts, VIX Emporium and Cleo Bagels.

For more details and updates, visit the event’s Facebook page.

The 2024 West Philly Porchfest map (the full map is available at westphillyporchfest.com)

The annual West Philly Porchfest is scheduled to return Saturday, June 8, from 12-6 p.m. This year, the DIY music festival featuring dozens of free porch and stoop shows in various music genres (including folk, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, rap and hip hop, classical music and more!) will be held from 42nd to 56th Street and from Market St. to Woodland Ave. As always, the shows are divided into three two-hour time slots – from 12-2 p.m. (marked in red on the map), from 2-4 p.m. (marked in pink), and from 4-6 p.m. (marked in light blue).

The Porchfest provides an opportunity for local musicians to play and for West Philly residents and guests to host and enjoy free shows.

The full list of performers and schedule, as well as an interactive map, are available on the West Philly Porchfest website.

Two popular outdoor “do-it-yourself” music festivals are returning to Philadelphia next month. Both of these events are free and give a chance to local musicians to showcase their talent.

The 2024 West Philly Porchfest will be Saturday, June 8 from 12-6 p.m. Dozens of porch owners have already signed up to host solo artists and groups/bands performing in various genres, including folk, jazz, rock, rap, R&B and even opera music. Shows are usually divided into three groups depending on their location – from 12-2 p.m., 2-4 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. All shows are free and anyone can host or play a show. For more details, go to: https://westphillyporchfest.com.

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