Each month, we share our own calendars with YOU!

These exclusive tips for you, our subscribers, let you know where our team is heading on the Philly scene this month. There are three sections: FIND US, Neil’s Nod of the Month, and Recommended Reading. If you’d like to step up and support our work, a donation of $10 or more helps us pay our writers. Friends of BSR and Local Media Champions receive additional updates with insights on our coverage and exclusive recommendations from our team. Friends of BSR sign up for an automatic monthly donation of $5 (or make a one-time donation of $60). We think $5 a month is a pretty sweet price to keep Philly arts journalism alive! Local Media Champions support us with an automatic donation of $20/month.

Alaina Johns has decorated her front stoop for Halloween. She looks forward to trick-or-treaters every year!

FIND ALAINA

Trick-or-Treating
WHEN: TONIGHT, October 31
WHERE: East Passyunk
WHY: Halloween is probably my favorite night of the year in my neighborhood. Neighbors share pizza and hot apple cider, and hundreds of kids come through Trick-or-Treating with their friends and family. Everyone is a neighbor on Halloween. Youngsters practice talking to strangers (including kids who are learning English as a second language) in a positive way, and I love the tradition of giving things to children -- ALL children. For the last several years, I switched from giving out candy to giving small toys (like glow-in-the-dark spiders) and fun pens and pencils, which are always a hit. Many kids shout that they need them for school. Bonus: it's actually a lot cheaper than candy these days, and inclusive for kids with allergies.

FIND US

Voting
WHEN: Tuesday, November 4, 2024
WHERE: Our local polling places
WHY: It's time again to participate in democracy! A number of judicial races are in play in Pennsylvania and these choices matter A LOT. If you're a Philadelphia voter, you can view a sample ballot on Phila.gov.

Azuka and Simpatico's 1 Pound 4 Ounces
WHEN: Now extended through November 9
WHERE: The Louis Bluver at the Drake
WHY: This world-premiere play (with live music and tap dancing), written and performed by Khalil Munir, captures his experience growing up in South Philly. As South Philly residents ourselves, we're eager to hear from him. BSR critic Josh Herren recommends the show.

FIND NEIL

Free Shredding & E-Cycling Event
WHEN: Sunday, November 9, 2025, 10am-1pm
WHERE: Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy
WHY: Big thanks to PA State Rep. Ben Waxman and PA State Rep. Jordan A. Harris for organizing this! Paper waste & electronics recycling are somehow topics that come up regularly in my Philly life and on the one hand, I’m glad so many folks are keen to appropriately dispose of their materials, but I also wish that waste streams had more clear paths and guidance. State Reps and others occasionally run events to help community members shred sensitive documents and send appliances to the appropriate sites.

We could bear-ly believe the fun at the GPCA Annual Meeting!

FIND ALAINA

Theatre Exile's JOB
WHEN: Through November 16
WHERE: Theatre Exile, 1340 S. 13th Street
WHY: Exile producing artistic director Deborah Block helms this show about Jane, a tech company employee who has lost her job due to a viral video. She arrives for a session with Loyd, a crisis therapist. It's "a psychological thriller that zooms in on two careerists of different generations, genders, and political paradigms to examine what it means to be a citizen of the internet and our obligation to help the people who need it most." As someone who thinks a lot about the Internet and has had a LOT of therapy, I'm interested. Look out for a review from Jill Ivey.

Naturally, we had to get a photo with Patricia Wilson Aden, President & CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance after the Annual Meeting.

FIND NEIL

About Face
WHEN: Sunday, November 16
WHERE: Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, Philadelphia Museum of Art
WHY: I've been following Jennifer Lin's documentary works for about five years now. My sister-in-law collaborates with her occasionally and I've greatly admired each film, tackling subject matter I didn't know I was so curious about, with a graceful touch and warm inspiration. About Face looks at racial stereotypes in ballet and how the dance world is addressing them.

Neil's nod of the month

Chhaya Nayyar (our Spring 2025 intern!) will review Philly author Eshani Surya's debut novel, Ravishing. I've been in conversation with both Chhaya and Eshani over the years and can't wait to read more from both of them. Ravishing has a lot of great buzz already about it. It follows sisters of Indian heritage who wrestle with white supremacist beauty norms.

I have a number of friends whom I exclusively, or almost exclusively, know online. One such person I knew online for over five years before we crossed paths for a few minutes at a concert. That was twenty years ago and we check in every day. At the same time, I'm seeing increasing reports of phishing, catfishing, and social manipulation with tragic results. How do we vet new contacts and develop safe, yet warm, relationships? This BSR essay from Maria Thompson Corley speaks to such questions beautifully. Note that a piece published more than 10 years ago still speaks to me now!