The Spruce Hill Community Association is an active and diverse group of residents, students, business owners, and institutions committed to making the Spruce Hill neighborhood a great place to live and work.
Thank you to all the neighbors who came out to May Fair this past Saturday to enjoy a day of community and fun at Clark Park! We’re especially thankful to Rep. Rick Krajewski, 188th District/Philadelphia County, for sponsoring the event, and to all of our raffle donors:
Alif Brew Allegro Pizza Bindlestiff Books Carbon Copy Baltimore Pet Shoppe Colonial Pizza Everybody Movement Fiesta Pizza Goffredo Plumbing Gojjo Grindcore House of Our Own Julie B Crafty Knockbox Cafe Koppisch Psychotherapy LLC Lee Garner, electrician Local 44/Bottle Shop
Manzanita McGoldrick Michael’s Custom Cut Milkcrate Modern Eye Monarch Hardware O’Neal Animal Hospital Pho Café Saigon Queen of Sheba Renata’s Kitchen Tampopo UC Arts League University Family Fun Center Upstairs at Abyssinia VIX Emporium Wayne’s Garage West Phillly Tool Library
Beloved West Philly tradition returns to Clark Park on Saturday, May 10 from 12–6 p.m.
We’re proud to announce the return of our signature annual event, the 67th Annual Spruce Hill May Fair, on Saturday, May 10, from 12 to 6 p.m. in Clark Park (43rd & Chester Ave). This free, family-friendly celebration is one of West Philadelphia’s longest-running community festivals and a highlight of the spring season.
This year’s May Fair will once again transform Clark Park into a lively hub of local culture, family fun, and community spirit, including:
A petting zoo, inflatable slide, face painting, and outdoor games
A wide variety of food vendors offering tasty local eats
Dozens of local artisans selling handmade goods, plus the popular Garden Club plant sale
A silent auction and raffle featuring gift baskets and prizes from favorite West Philly businesses.
This is our only major fundraiser of the year, and proceeds support a range of programs and initiatives, including:
Community events like Shakespeare in Clark Park, the Halloween Tot Parade, and Clark Park youth soccer
Cultural programming at University City Arts League
Support for local schools including Penn Alexander, Lea, and Paul Robeson
We are also spearheading an important new initiative: working with the University City Historic District to pursue a Historic District designation for parts of Spruce Hill. This effort aims to protect the neighborhood’s architectural charm and prevent further loss of historic homes due to demolition and redevelopment. More information will be available at the SHCA booth during the May Fair.
Raffle tickets are $5 for a book of 6 tickets, or $1 per ticket, and can be purchased at the SHCA booth on the day of the event.
If you’d like to make a general contribution to SHCA, you can do so on our membership page. Thank you in advance for your support, and we’ll see you in Clark Park on Sat May 10, noon to 6 pm!
We are excited to invite vendors, local artisans, community groups and organizations seeking to do outreach and promotion to be part of the 67th Annual Spruce Hill Community Association May Fair, taking place SATURDAY May 10th, 2025 ***12-6pm*** Clark Park, 43rd & Chester Avenue.
Space is limited and priority will be given to local community organizations and artisans. Vendor fees are set affordably low (all $40 or less for the day), reflecting our mission to connect the neighborhood with local groups and artisans. No second-hand goods or commercial products please – this is a day to showcase works that local artisans have produced themselves.
Please note that we are unable to accept vendor applications from businesses/organizations that plan to sell prepared food or beverage items at tables due to Health Department regulations in relation to our permitting process for the Fair. Food vendors with a free-standing and separately permitted truck/cart may still be able to participate. If you have a truck/cart, please contact Evan Johnstone (evanjay@gmail.com) who can discuss this further with you.
We provide a 6-foot table, table covering and chair in a 10-foot space for the day. We assign locations and will give notice regarding exact location by e-mail a few days before the event. Guidelines: No displays on the ground. No recorded music or generators.
Applications will be reviewed in the order received and if you are selected to participate, you will receive e-mail notification along with instructions for online payment submission. If selected, please plan to arrive after 10:30AM to give us time to set up. Look for parking in lots around SJU (formerly USciences) and Woodland Avenue. NO vehicles in the park under any circumstances.
Our policy is to work around any threatening showers if at all possible and hold the event as planned. However, in the event of significant rain, we will have to cancel the event and if you choose, you will be given a refund of 50% of the vendor fee. You may also elect to donate the remainder of the vendor fee. We cannot provide a full refund as we are an all volunteer non-profit community organization and will have already outlaid money for May Fair expenses including table rental deposits. If we need to cancel, you will be notified as soon as the decision is made so you can plan accordingly. Your submission of payment (once application reviewed and accepted) is your indication that you understand and accept these conditions.
2 important opportunities for you to support extra protection against significant alterations/demolition of the Spruce Hill properties (that make West Philly the best Philly!).
1) Join the continued discussion with the Committee on Historical Commission. Wednesday, June 26th, 9:30am Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/CHDjun26 Passcode: 664406
2) Express support during the Historical Commission meeting.Friday, July 12, 2024, 9:00 a.m. Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/HCjul12 Passcode: 036216
To our Neighbors and Friends of the Spruce Hill Community –
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
The Philadelphia Historical Commission is holding 2 public meetings to review the Spruce Hill Historic District (Southeast Quadrant) nomination, sponsored by the SHCA. Our goal is to ensure oversight is in place to protect historic properties and preserve the culture, history, and architecture of Spruce Hill. Your voice is important!
Send an email of support to preservation@phila.gov. Share a few sentences or short story on what Spruce Hill’s architecture and community means to you and why it should be preserved.
Attend one or both virtual meetings and express your support during public commentary!
COMMITTEE ON HISTORIC DESIGNATION (technical review of nomination)
May Fair is coming! Join us on May 11 in Clark Park to enjoy local artisans and other vendors, music, kids games, and a petting zoo. Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, we have some amazing raffle items to give away this year! Get your tickets below or stop by the Spruce Hill booth this Saturday to purchase.
Music
In addition to vendors, kids games, and food, we’ll have a full day of music from some local musicians, including:
We have more than 60 amazing vendors offering a range of crafted goods, services and more. See the full list of our vendors here!
Raffle Tickets
To enter the raffle, drop by our booth at Clark Park to purchase tickets on the day of the event! Tickets are $5 for a book of 6 tickets, or $1 per ticket. Our online ticket sales have been closed, so stop by the SHCA booth on 5/11 to buy tickets. You can see some examples of the great baskets we’ll have available here.
If you’d like to make a general contribution to SHCA, you can do so on our membership page. Thank you in advance for your support, and we’ll see you in Clark Park on Sat May 11, noon to 6 pm
Philadelphia Historical Commission Public Meetings to Consider the Designation of the Spruce Hill Historic District, Southeast Quadrant The Philadelphia Historical Commission, the City’s preservation agency, will hold two public meetings to consider a proposal to designate a historic district that consists of 572 properties in the Spruce Hill neighborhood. The boundaries of the proposed historic district are shown on the map below.
The Historical Commission invites all property owners and other interested parties to attend and comment on the proposed district at two public meetings, which will be held remotely on Zoom. To participate in the Zoom meetings on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, use the links below. To participate in the meetings on the telephone, call the phone number below. COMMITTEE ON HISTORIC DESIGNATION HISTORICAL COMMISSION APRIL 17, 2024, 9:30 A.M. MAY 10, 2024, 9:00 A.M. Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/CHDApr17 Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/PhcMay10 Telephone Number: 267-831-0333 Telephone Number: 267-831-0333 Passcode: 809060 Passcode: 385736 Meeting ID: 889 0921 4482 Meeting ID: 892 7030 6864 For more information, visit the Commission’s website at https://www.phila.gov/historical or email the Historical Commission at preservation@phila.gov
Our Board meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm, at the Spruce Hill Center at 257 S. 45th Street After years of being remote due to the pandemic, we are excited to return to live face-to-face meetings but with the following COVID-19 precautions:
Only Board members and guest speakers will be allowed to attend in person,
Community members will be invited to attend virtually via Zoom
The agenda will be emailed to our Google group.
Jan 9 UC District plans for 43rd & Spruce safety improvements: Nathan F. Hommel, Director, Planning and Design Feb 13 St. Joe’s University development ideas. Constant Springs Consulting about our Historical District Application Mar 12 No Guest Speakers. Mayfair planning session Apr 9 Sergeant Hayward Cureton – Penn police; Nate Hommel from University City District, May 14 TBA Jun 11 Walnut St at Melville & St Marks Sep 10 TBA Oct 8 TBA Nov 12 TBA
