The annual Spruce Hill May Fair is set to to return to Clark Park after a two-year hiatus. The popular outdoor event will be held Saturday, May 7, from 12 – 6 p.m. at the park located at 43rd and Chester.

The longtime organizers, Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA), are currently seeking vendors – local artisans, community groups and organizations who are interested in doing outreach and promotion at this event are invited to submit an application.

Space is limited and priority will be given to local community organizations and artisans. Vendor fees are affordable ($40 or less for the day), reflecting SHCA’s mission to connect the neighborhood with local groups and artisans. Continue Reading

Do you have any questions or concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine? There’s an opportunity to have a lot of your questions answered this Friday, March 11 by a West Philly medical professional.

Registered nurse Yanique Millis will be live on Zoom to talk to you as part of a virtual forum hosted by Mighty Writers, the non-profit that provides educational opportunities to children and youth in and around Philadelphia. All questions about the vaccines for both children and adults are welcome.

The forum begins at 6 p.m. and you can register for it by following this link.

A Book a Day, a local initiative that donates newly published children’s books to public schools in West Philadelphia, has been holding writing contests for children since the beginning of the pandemic.

Their third contest is currently underway and is dedicated to food and cooking. This contest will be broken into four phases based on the four seasons. The first season is called “Warmth of Winter”.

“Our goal now and for future rounds of these contests is to be as inclusive as possible and reach as many communities as we can,” writes So Young, A Book A Day’s senior assistant manager. “This is not only educational for our children but it is also an exciting task to look forward to as they will win free books, cooking materials and also get their recipes published!” Continue Reading

Ebony Pullum as Billie Holiday (Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas)

West Philly’s Curio Theatre Company is gearing up to present its first production since Spring 2020. Starting March 19, the company will present Lanie Robertson’s critically acclaimed play, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, which explores the life of legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday during one of her final performances in Philadelphia.

Company member and Barrymore Award winner Ebony Pullum is starring in this production, directed by Katrina Snobe.

Seating is cabaret-style (with low barstools and tables for three) and very limited, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you choose one or two seats at a table, you may have someone sitting with you. Continue Reading

Philadelphians have been given “All Clear” as the current COVID-19 response level, which means wearing masks at indoor public places is no longer required, with some exceptions (see below). The announcement was made this morning by Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, the City’s Public Health Commissioner.

During the Level 1 – All Clear period, no public COVID-19 mandates will be enforced, but masks will still be required in some settings, including schools, healthcare settings and public transit. The City is planning to drop the school mask requirement on March 9 if COVID-19 cases and other metrics will continue to drop. Masks will again be required in all Philadelphia schools for one week following spring break to avoid a possible post-break surge in cases. Continue Reading

Construction has begun on a new six-story residential building at the former West Catholic Preparatory High School parking lot located at 46th and Chestnut.

The proposal to change the zoning for this location from CMX-2 to CMX-3 was presented to the community by the Spruce Hill Community Association Zoning Committee and West Catholic in November 2019. The City Council approved the zoning change in December 2019 and the building permit was issued in December 2021.

The zoning had to be changed from CMX-2 to CMX-3 so that a potential developer could build a much bigger structure than was previously allowed. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is retaining ownership of the land and leasing it to the developer. West Catholic plans to use the money from the development to ensure the school’s sustainability and provide scholarships and renovations, as a group of alumni and volunteers from the school announced in 2019. Continue Reading