A lot of cool events are happening in the area this weekend, including Second Fridays on Lancaster Avenue, Spruce Hill May Fair, Bartram’s Garden Spring Plant Sale & Mother’s Day festivities, UC Arts League’s Benefit Auction & Cocktail Party and more. Also, a reminder that the opening night for Curio Theatre’s farcical comedy Noises Off is this Friday. More details are below. For more upcoming events, please visit our Events Calendar. Happy Mother’s Day to all West Philly moms!

Friday, May 8

Carr Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony at Bartram’s Garden, 54th and Lindbergh

The groundbreaking for the Carr Garden restoration starts at 3:30 p.m. This free event marks the beginning of an exciting landscape renovation project on the western façade of the John Bartram House, recreating the Ann Bartram Carr and her husband Robert’s exotic plantings of the early 19th-century. Registration for the event is here.

“Arts in the Park” at Malcolm X. Memorial Park, 52nd and Pine

4 – 5:30 p.m.: Make Art Now!: Help create a community painting and sidewalk chalk art
5:30 – 7 p.m.: Performances by West Philadelphia middle and high school students (music, dance, spoken word, monologues)

Second Fridays on Lancaster Ave

Second Fridays kicks off at 5 p.m. with Live Music at the triangle lot at 42nd and Lancaster, featuring Toni Washington and PECCDC Brochure Release Party. Other events this Friday include: Neighborhood Time Exchange Open House (6-8 p.m., 4017 Lancaster Ave), Inner Journey Jazz at the CEC ($15) (7-9 p.m., 3500 Lancaster Ave); Open Mic Night at Reed’s Coffee (7 p.m. to whenever, 3802 Lancaster Ave), Free Screening of “Annie” (2014) (6:30 p.m., PEC, 325 N. 39th St); Reelblack Inc. presents “Closed Doors; The Integration of Baseball” ($5) (7 p.m., United Bank building, 3750 Lancaster Ave); Art on the Avenue presents “Full Circle: The East African Connection” – Paintings by Kenyan Artists and Emil Baumann (5:30 – 9 p.m., 3808 Lancaster Ave); Indego Bike Share Learning Session (6 – 8 p.m., 3750 Lancaster Ave, in the parking lot of the United Bank Building). More information is available on the Second Fridays on Lancaster Ave Facebook page.

“Noises Off” Opening Night at Curio Theatre, 48th and Baltimore

Curio Theatre Company wants folks to dress up in the 80’s style for the opening night of their new show, farcical comedy “Noises Off.” And those who do have a chance to win two passes for next season. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets ($15-$25) are available here.

Saturday, May 9

Spruce Hill May Fair at Clark Park, 43rd and Chester

The annual Spruce Hill May Fair will be held for the 57th time with some new activities added for children this year. This Saturday kids can enjoy pony rides and a petting zoo (both 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.) in addition to the bounce tent and 40-foot-long obstacle course. The fair, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. rain or shine, will also include a raffle with great prizes from neighborhood businesses (read more about them here), music performances, book and plant sales, and dozens of local vendors and food trucks. Please visit the Spruce Hill Community Association’s website for more information. If you would like to volunteer at the event please email Craig Santoro at craigsantoro@gmail.com

Spring Plant Sale at Bartram’s Garden

Bartram’s Garden Spring Plant will take place on Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Expert horticulturists will be on hand on both days for consultations and advice. The following events are scheduled for Saturday: Garden Bird Walk (7:30 a.m.) and Hidden History & Garden Tours (12 – 3 p.m.). Tickets are available at the Welcome Center. Click here for more information.  Continue Reading

This upcoming weekend, you can buy some beautiful or useful plants for your garden, yard, porch or house and support two vital local non-profits.

Photo via Parentinfantcenter.org

Parent Infant Center is holding its annual Spring Plant Sale on Friday and Saturday (May 2 & 3). The sale features a great variety of annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, herbs, vegetables & fruit, and more. Those who had pre-ordered plants can pick them up during the sale days: from 3-6 p.m. on Friday, and from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The sale will be held in the chapel at 4205 Spruce Street. All proceeds from this annual fundraiser are dedicated to PIC’s Scholarship Fund, which was established in 1986.

We hear that the weather will be nice this weekend so why not head to the beautiful Bartram’s Garden for its Spring Fest and Plant Sale. The big annual event will take place on Saturday and Sunday (May 3 & 4), 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (the member preview party is Friday, May 2, 4 – 7 p.m.).

This sale will feature a selection of heirloom roses in celebration of the historic site’s Carr Garden Restoration project, plus vegetables, herbs, native perennials, shrubs, trees and more.

Nicole Juday, a local Rosarian and Horticulture Education Coordinator at the Barnes Foundation, will hold a special presentation, “Growing Roses,” on Saturday from noon to 1:30 p.m., to tie into the Carr Garden Restoration Project, which will feature many historic rose varieties. The cost for the presentation is $10 for adults/$8 for seniors/Free for Bartram’s Garden Members. To register online go to: bartramroses.bpt.me.

Also on Saturday, horticulturists will be available to answer questions and share garden-planning advice. Garden and community farm tours will be offered from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. A full list of plants for sale can be found here. For more Saturday events and Sunday schedule, visit this page.

Bartram’s Garden is located at 54th St and Lindbergh Blvd and is easily accessible by bike and the 36 Trolley. There’s also free parking on the site.

The traveling exhibition featuring contemporary botanical artworks depicting plants discovered and introduced by two generations of the Bartram family is opening today at Bartram’s Garden (54th St & Lindbergh Blvd). The exhibit coincides with Bartram’s Spring Plant Sale (members-only preview of the plant sale is also today) and many of the plants depicted in the artists’ works will be available for purchase during the sale, which will run throughout the weekend.

The exhibition will be installed in the gallery of the restored Barn, built in 1775 by John Bartram, and the oldest barn in Philadelphia. It will be on display through May 24, then will travel to further venues throughout the southeastern US. For more information, go here.

Bartram’s Spring Plant Sale will be open for general public this Saturday and Sunday (May 4 & 5), 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The plant sale is an annual fundraiser for the garden. For more information on what plants are available for sale this weekend, check out this page.

Update (Apr 17): The pre-sale deadline has been extended until Friday, Apr 19 and orders can be picked up at  PIC (4205 Spruce St) during sale days on May 3 and 4.

Thursday, Apr 4: The annual Parent Infant Center (PIC) plant sale is back and better than ever! There is an enormous selection of annuals, perennials, herbs, veggies, hanging baskets, and more, all supplied by local growers, so it’s a great chance to help West Philly go greener this spring and also support PIC that has been in the neighborhood for 35 years. Every penny raised from the sale will go to the PIC Scholarship Fund, established in 1986 so that more neighborhood families could afford high-quality child care.

The success of this event depends on pre-sales that are going on right now. Orders can be placed online at picplantsale.org.

If you would like to learn more about the sale and what it supports, visit www.parentinfantcenter.org or email rcrossot@parentinfantcenter.org.

The Parent Infant Center at 42nd and Locust is holding its annual Spring Plant Sale. They have a great selection of annuals, perennials, herbs, fruits & veggies, and hanging baskets.

They are currently taking orders for plants until April 15. This year you can place your order and pay online. To see the catalog and to order, click here. And don’t forget to buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win a basket filled with $100 worth of gardening goodies! The plants will be ready for pickup at PIC on Friday, May 4 (4-6 p.m.) and Saturday, May 5 (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.).

Every penny earned through PIC’s Spring Plant Sale supports their scholarship fund. Over the past decade, PIC families have raised nearly $150,000 to provide scholarships to families in the early learning and school-age programs.