Bartram’s Garden is hosting a double feature on Sunday, Oct. 15. The annual Harvest Festival will take place at the Farm from 12 – 3 p.m. The festival’s program is packed with fun for the whole family: there will be hayrides, cider pressing, cooking and canning workshops, games of chance and skill, yoga, boating, and much more! All events are free. The event schedule can be found here.

Bartram’s Garden is also hosting a free outdoor concert, John Bartram Jawn, as part of the Harvest Fest, featuring musicians and performers with deep connections to Southwest Philadelphia, including Freeway, Recohavoc, and more. The concert is from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Free shuttle bus rides will be provided to and from Bartram’s Garden for Southwest Philly residents. Click here for more information and shuttle times.

Bartram’s Garden is located at 54th and Lindbergh Blvd. and is accessible by Trolley Route 36. You can also bike to the Garden. There’s a free parking lot with bike racks.

The 40th Street free summer concert series will return to the green space behind the Walnut Street West Library on Saturday, May 20 with a performance by the Sun Ra Arkestra. This marks the third time Sun Ra, which presents a unique combination of big band swing, outer-space jazz, Afro-pageantry, dancing, singing, and chanting, has performed on the Summer Series stage near 40th and Walnut. The opening act for Saturday’s concert will be RU Bhangra who will present traditional Bhangra dancing.

Earlier this week, the University City District, one of the organizers of this popular, family-friendly summer event, revealed more dates and performers for the series, which will be held once a month through September 16:  Continue Reading

West Philadelphia Orchestra will kick off Summer Nights Concert Series at Penn Museum on Wednesday, June 15 (Photo courtesy of Penn Museum).

It’s hard to imagine summer in the city without outdoor music. A popular outdoor concert series, Summer Nights at the Penn Museum, kicks off on Wednesday, June 15, with a performance by well-known brass band West Philadelphia Orchestra. We’re excited to let you know about a special admission deal for West Philly residents. Those who will print out and bring this post to the museum on June 15 (or show it on your cell phone), will be able attend the concert for only $5 (regular admission is $10). Please note that this offer is only valid for the first concert in the series, which will take place every Wednesday through Sept. 2.

Concerts take place outside in Penn Museum’s Stoner Courtyard garden from 5 to 8 p.m., and the ticket also includes admission to most of the museum’s galleries. Concerts take place rain or shine, moving inside in inclement weather. For more information, click here.

And here’s some more information about West Philadelphia Orchestra:

WPO draws inspiration from Serbian, Romani, and Hungarian musical traditions, as well as New Orleans brass street bands. Original compositions include lighthearted titles such as “Truck on Fire” and “Super Lunch,” both sung in English, while the track “Busta Woo-Ha” is a WPO mashup of a traditional Klezmer melody, “Dem Rebens Tanz,” with a Busta Rhymes / Galt MacDermot sample. Be prepared to sing along!

Tonight’s 40th Street Summer Series performance by BalletX and drum group Kyo Daiko has been postponed because of the rainy weather, University City District (UCD) has announced. UCD is working with The Rotunda and the artists to attempt to reschedule the event. We’ll let you know if there is a new date.

Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll (Photo courtesy UCD)

Here’s some great news to drive your cold spring weather blues away. The University City District has announced the return of their signature events, including the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, University City Dining Days and 40th Street Summer Concert Series!

The Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, where dozens of neighborhood businesses present a variety of $1 items and deals, including food, beer, event tickets and vouchers, will return on Thursday, June 25. The second Dollar Stroll is scheduled for September 24. Dollar Strolls take place along Baltimore Avenue, between 43rd and 51st streets, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

In addition to the Dollar Stroll, another popular event is coming back this summer – the 40th Street Summer Series will be held the last Saturday of the month, from May to September, in the campus green space near 40th and Locust. We’ll post more information on the performances when it becomes available.

More than 30 of University City’s best restaurants will participate in the 11th annual University City Dining Days, which runs July 16 through the 28th. As usual, the deal includes three courses for three prices.

There is also a rumor that UCD will bring back its summer film series, which was a big hit back in the summer of ’13. We are still trying to nail down the details on that though. We’ll keep you posted.

Yes, we know it’s the Labor Day weekend and many of you will head out of town or to the Parkway for the Made in America Festival. But those of you who will stay in West Philly might want to check out the events below, all happening on Saturday, Aug. 30. Have a great weekend!

• The Ultimate Back 2 School Basketball Challenge will be held at the Kingsessing Recreation Center, 4901 Kingsessing Ave, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The goal of the tournament is to collect school supplies for local schoolchildren. The event is hosted by State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams and a group of other locally elected officials will be there, including Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, and Rep. James Roebuck. This is a free event, but all attendees are asked to bring a school supply to donate. Sixteen basketball teams will represent 16 West Philly schools and the winning team will then donate all of the collected school supplies from the tournament to their selected school. Approximately 20 vendors will be offering food, free beverages and resource information. More details can be found here.

• If you want to learn more about the Pagan community and their beliefs, come to Clark Park at 43rd and Baltimore this Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to celebrate Pagan Pride Day. The festival, which is intended to bring together Heathens and Pagans of all traditions, will feature a wide array of vendors, workshops, and entertainment. Project Wendigo is the musical act that will be performing at the event. Doug Stafford, a juggler, illusionist, and otherwise awesome performer is also on the entertainment lineup, according to the organizers. Workshops begin at 11 a.m. The event is free but the organizers are asking to bring a nonperishable food item to benefit the Mazzoni Center’s food bank, or a make a monetary donation to one of the festival beneficiaries. Visit the Pagan Pride Day website for more details, list of vendors, and schedule of events.

• The Stooges Brass Band from New Orleans is a headline performer at a Saturday afternoon concert organized by City Tap House in collaboration with the production team from The Blockley. This is the second and last concert in the August outdoor concert series (the first one was held last Saturday). The concert will take place outside of City Tap House at 39th and Walnut from 3 – 8 p.m.. New Sound Brass Band (from the Mummers community) will also perform. Admission is $15 and tickets can be purchased here. 21+

• The University City District and The Rotunda invite all residents to the next free outdoor music concert in the 40th Street Summer Concert Series this Saturday. As always, the event will be held on the green lawn behind the Walnut Street West Library (40th and Walnut) starting at 6 p.m. Nation Beat and The Highwater Preachers (Facebook page) will be performing. Also, there will be ice cream vendors and entertainment for kids. The last concert in the 2014 series will be held on Sept. 27. Click here fore more info.