Art Is Life Event, Pocket Park Opening In Roxborough Saturday

ROXBOROUGH, PHILADELPHIA – A big Saturday is ahead for the Roxborough community, as the fourth annual Art is Life street festival will take place and the new Roxborough Pocket Park will have its grand opening.

The Roxborough Development Corporation is hosting the fourth annual Art Is Life spring street festival on Saturday, April 21, 2018 along Ridge Avenue in Roxborough between Green Lane and Leverington Avenue.

The festival will run from noon to 6 p.m., rain or shine.

Art Is Life celebrates the myriad ways in which art enters our everyday lives.

This year’s festival will feature three main performance stages showcasing culinary, performing and visual arts as well as dozens of pop-up shops and food trucks lining the main artery of the beloved Roxborough neighborhood.

Food vendors on tap this year are Side of the Road Jerk Chicken, The Cow and The Curd, Deke's Bar-B-QueThe Taza Truck, Guaco Loco, Glammy's Funnel Cakes & Cookies, Two Axle Coffee Co., and Kool Kones Ice Cream.

Attendees can expect performances from April Mae & Catfish, Butter Queen Sister, Earth Radio, and Jason Ager.

As part of Art Is Life this year, the Roxborough community celebrates the grand opening of the Roxborough Pocket Park.

This highly-anticipated project creates a flex-space in the heart of Ridge Avenue that will be used for neighborhood programming throughout the year.

"We are grateful to the state, city and private contributors who believed in our vision to transform this once vacant asphalt lot into a vibrant public space," said James Harry Calamia, RDC Executive Director. "We look forward to celebrating this important project with the community during Art Is Life and to future programming at the Roxborough Pocket Park that will activate Ridge Avenue for years to come."

Roxborough Pocket Park featured a water-themed mural created by international artist Roxborough local Paul Santoleri. Community members helped complete the mural last summer.

In addition to stage performances and demonstrations, Art is Life will feature numerous fun and recreational activities for children, local food trucks as well as performances by April Mae & Catfish, Butter Queen Sister, Earth Radio and Jason Ager.

Pciturd above is the Rockborough Pocket Park mural on paper

Image via Philadelphia Water Department