Top 7 stories to watch for in Northwest Philadelphia

Here’s a look at a few of the stories we’ll be covering in Northwest Philadelphia this upcoming week:

1. On Friday, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy hosted a watch party at the school’s field to cheer on the Taney Dragons from afar as they played their first game in the Little League World Series. Three of the Dragons, including star pitcher Mo’ne Davis, attend SCH Academy. Check back this week for a recap of the party and the game. 

2. The 53rd Philadelphia Folk Festival is being held this weeked at the Old Pool Farm in Schwenksville. The annual festival is put on by Mt. Airy’s Philadelphia Folksong Society and features well-known folk performers like Old Crow Medicine Show, Jason Isbell and Sarah Jarosz. Check back later this week for a look at the family-friendly event. 

3. A growing movement in Northwest Philadelphia (and beyond) seeks to legalize backyard chickens in the city. We’ll check in with some of key groups one both sides of the proposal this week. 

4. On Saturday, a summer benefit featuring music from local jazz musicians was held on the Historic Johnson House grounds in Germantown this weekend. Check back for a recap of the event. 

5. With Pope Francis likely to visit Philadelphia next September, some Northwest Philly youths already hope he’ll make an appearance in their neck of the woods. They spent time writing letters one recent Sunday to personally extend an invitation for the Pope to visit St. Vincent de Paul Church and DePaul Catholic School in Germantown while he’s here. We’ll have more details this upcoming week.

6. Suffice it to say, last season was a memorable one for the Martin Luther King High Cougars football team, what with it winning the first Public League title in school history as documentary cameras recorded their every move. Things will be different this year with new players, fewer cameras, stiffer competition and a winning tradition to try and establish. NewsWorks checked in with coaches and players for a preview before the season kicks off Aug. 29.

7. In a city that worships at fictional boxer’s altar, many have long bemoaned the lack of a statue sculpted in honor of non-fictional champion Joe Frazier, a man with ties to Northwest Philly. With each passing day, though, sculptor Stephen Layne gets closer to changing that. Layne opened up his Fishtown studio to NewsWorks last week to show how close Philly is to having a Smokin’ Joe statue to call its own.