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West Philly drummer Justin Faulkner brings Community Unity Music Festival to Clark Park

Justin Faulkner and his family organized West Philly's first Community Unity Festival, slated for Sunday. | Photo by Shaun Brady
Justin Faulkner and his family organized West Philly’s first Community Unity Festival, slated for Sunday. | Photo by Shaun Brady

Growing up in the Cedar Park section of West Philly, Justin Faulkner spent so much time with his nearby cousins that they felt more like brothers. So it hit particularly hard when one of those cousins fell victim to gun violence, killed just outside West Philadelphia High School when Faulkner was in his early teens. Not long after, another cousin met the same fate, followed by several of Faulkner’s childhood friends. Continue reading →

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PEC Kicks Off Their 7th Annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz and Arts Festival

Now in its 7th year, the Lancaster Avenue Jazz and Arts Festival brings free live music and dance at Saunders Park in West Philadelphia from noon to 7 p.m. this Saturday. There’s phenomenal talent on the lineup, such as Grammy awarded saxophonist Tim Warfield (pictured), local smooth jazz performers Philayva, Glenn Bryan, the Philadelphia Clef Club Youth Ensemble, the West Powelton Steppers, the Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble, and more. If that isn’t enough, starting at 10 a.m. you can browse around booths of local artisans and join in the uGO Health and Fitness Challenge.

The festival supports the People’s Emergency Center, a community nonprofit providing social services to homeless single mothers. Bring along some non-perishable food items to help support the PEC’s Food Cupboard. Surely to be anything but dull, the day will have a mix of jazz, R&B, dace, and world music to uplift the community and support a vital cause. Below, watch a video profile of Tim Warfield.