Top 5 stories to watch in NW Philly

Here’s a look at some of the stories we’ll cover this week in Northwest Philadelphia:

1. Philly Spring Cleanup, an annual initiative organized by the city’s Streets Department, was held this past Saturday. Thousands of volunteers fanned out across the city to help beautify the spaces we all share. Check back next week for a recap of some of the efforts in Northwest Philadelphia.

2. Saturday is also the second annual Manayunk StrEAT festival, a food-focused event showcasing some the city’s gourmet trucks. The theme for this year’s festivities, which will be held along Main Street, is strawberries. Check back next week for a full recap.

3. At the end of April, the Painted Bride in Center City will open “If She Stood,” a theatrical show about the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society of the 1830s. The performance piece will be accompanied by a multi-media exhibit to which Penn Charter students in East Falls have contributed. Check back next week to learn more.

4. On Monday, Ambassador Joseph Torsella, a U.S. Representative to the United Nations, will be at the Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill as part of a lecture series. “Then and Now: How the UN’s Past Helps Explain the UN’s Present (And What We Can Do About It)” will discuss the founding of the UN and current reforms and challenges. Check back next week for a recap of Torsella’s remarks.

5. NewsWorks is hosting a community happy hour on Thursday at Iron Hill Brewery in Chestnut Hill (8400 Germantown Ave.) It’s an opportunity to chat with Northwest Philadelphia’s community leaders, neighbors and the reporters and editors who cover the area day in and day out. If that’s not enough, guests will also have the chance to win raffle baskets donated by neighborhood businesses. A free drink or appetizer is also on us if you stop by our table. The event will be 5 to 7 p.m.