The leaves are falling and the weather has turned a bit. It’s already October and we’ll be posting information on upcoming Halloween events in the area. This post is dedicated to spooky and ghostly happenings the staff at the Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion (40th & Woodland) have prepared for local residents and visitors. This is the first year that The Woodlands is offering so many Halloween-themed events – and they’re collaborating on a lot of them with other local organizations and businesses. Are you ready to get frightened? Then read on. (By the way, stay tuned for future posts on our annual pumpkin carving contest.)

Spirits of The Woodlands: Haunted Cemetery Tours

This October, Curio Theatre Company and The Woodlands are teaming up to present Spirits of The Woodlands: Haunted Cemetery Tours. For three nights only (October 24, 25, and 26), you can experience The Woodlands as you’ve never seen it by taking a guided tour after dark to some of the final resting places of the Cemetery’s most notorious residents. You’ll hear torrid tales, spooky stories, and scary spirits abound this Halloween (and you’ll even be invited to join the hauntings in a mausoleum). There are six tours every night, starting at 8:00 p.m., and a limited number of tickets ($20/person) are available. To buy tickets, click here.

The Return of Edgar Allan Poe

The night of mystery and macabre is back by popular demand. Literary historian and playwright Rob Velella returns to bring the work of Edgar Allan Poe to life on Tuesday, Oct 15, from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m. Valella will demonstrate some of Poe’s most loved works. After the performance, you’ll have the unique opportunity for a nighttime cemetery walk to visit Poe’s contemporary, Timothy Shay Arthur, at his eternal resting spot. Also a writer, Arthur was a fellow member of the literary coterie Seven Stars. Tickets for this event ($15) are available here.

All Hallow’s Read

Little ones and grown-ups alike are invited to this fun event. Books about monsters, pumpkins, goblins and ghosts, fall books, harvest books, and other seasonal reads will be hidden throughout the cemetery in age-appropriate sections and the book will be on on Saturday, Oct 19, 1:00-3:00 p.m. To sweeten the deal, cold treats from Weckerly’s Ice Cream will be provided! (In case of rain, this event will be held on Sunday, Oct 20 from 1:00-3:00 p.m.)

Halloween 

Finally, bring your kids for some treats at the mansion on Halloween day (October 31) from noon-4 p.m. before the tot parade in Spruce Hill.

To learn more about The Woodlands and upcoming events at the historic cemetery and mansion, visit: http://woodlandsphila.org/.

Photo from HipCityVeg’s Facebook page.

In July, we reported that Nicole Marquis, owner of HipCityVeg—the to-die-for vegan eatery east of the Schuylkill River—is bringing her jewel of Rittenhouse Square to West Philly. Well, turns out HipCityVeg’s second location, which will make itself home in the former Won Oriental Restaurant space at 214 South 40th Street (between Walnut and Locust), is opening this week (thanks to Philly.com for the heads up on both accounts). If all goes well with construction today, HipCityVeg’s West Philly spot should open tomorrow, Melissa, a worker at HipCityVeg’s 127 S. 18th Street location, told West Philly Local.

HipCityVeg’s West Philly hours are tentatively 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a possible later closing time Thursday through Saturday, said Jess, another HipCityVeg employee. Jess also added that the hours are “up in the air,” though, and management will have a better sense of how to move forward after the weekend. We’ll update this post when we have more info.

–Annamarya Scaccia

As we reported earlier, a 23-year-old man was shot multiple times and killed at the intersection of 54th Street and Florence Avenue on Sunday night. Police identified the man as Devin Hatch, who lived on the 5600 block of Florence Avenue. Five other men were wounded in the shooting, one critically. A crowd of people was outside Los Papi Deli & Grocery at 54th Street and Florence Avenue around 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, when a group of four to five gunmen walked up to the corner and opened fire, according to reports.

Devin’s friends and neighbors took to social media to express their grief (#ripdev). According to several tweets, a candlelight vigil for Devin will take place tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the scene of the shooting at 54th and Florence.

The Philadelphia School District has announced that all after-school activities have been canceled for Monday due to severe thunderstorms with possible tornadoes expected in the area:

Due to the inclement weather expected in the Philadelphia area, the School District of Philadelphia is canceling all after-school activities including all athletic programs scheduled for today, Monday, October 7.  All District early childhood centers and Out of School Time (OST) providers will remain open as per their regular schedule.

 The general public and media are urged to monitor the District website at www.philasd.org for any updates.  Updated information will also be posted on the District’s Information Hotline at 215-400-INFO (4636).

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for our area until 5 p.m. on Monday. Conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms with possible tornadoes. Hail and strong winds are also possible.

Police are investigating a multiple shooting that left one dead and several wounded at the intersection of 54th Street and Florence Avenue. Six young men, from 18 to 23 years old, were shot on Sunday, around 7 p.m. One person was killed and one critically injured, 6ABC reports. Four other victims are in stable condition. Police say that the young man who was killed lived on Florence Avenue, just a few blocks away from the scene of the shooting. He was shot multiple times in the back and chest, according to ABC. There were about 50 shell casings found at the scene.

Police said that it doesn’t appear to be a drive-by shooting, but a car was apparently involved. No other details are available at this time as the investigation continues.

Looped In, three social seating structures, popped up in Clark Park’s northern section earlier this week and will stay for a few weeks.

Clark Park was buzzing today, with several events taking place at the same time. Philly’s first Pétanque tournament was held in the circle of the northern section of the park. The tournament participants were trying to concentrate on their shots while the sounds from a kids’ concert, organized by the acclaimed Tune Up Philly afterschool program, and from Clark Park’s Farmers’ Market filled the air. The pétanque players also tried to avoid hitting new seating structures, called Looped In, which were installed in the circle a couple of days ago. Check out more photos below.

Local kids enrolled in the “Tune Up Philly” afterschool program performed on Saturday in Clark Park.

You can use the Looped In seating any way you like.

The 1st Philadelphia Petanque Tournament was held in Clark Park today, in the same circle where the Looped In structures were installed. The French game of boules is rapidly gaining popularity worldwide.

The Clark Park Farmer’s Market is every Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.