University City District Events

UCD PROGRAMS EVENTS TO BRING neighbors, visitors, small businesses, and local cultural organizations together through safe, vibrant, and family-friendly activities. Our wide portfolio of community offerings includes arts, music, and pop-up events like performances at The Porch, Movies in Clark Park, and events at Trolley Portal Gardens; our popular collaborations with local businesses, the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll and University City Dining Days; and small business networking events. After a tentative approach to event curation in 2021, we approached 2022 with a commitment to a full slate of outdoor programming, and helped the community come together and have fun.

Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll

SINCE 2011 WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH local businesses to produce the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, one of our most popular and successful events. The Dollar Stroll draws thousands of neighbors and visitors to Baltimore Avenue on two Thursdays at the beginning and end of summer to enjoy discounted specials and free entertainment, and helps promote the vitality of a critical commercial corridor. Thousands of visitors returned to Baltimore Avenue for two editions of our popular Stroll in 2022, which generated substantial economic and marketing results for the lively corridor. We welcomed back longtime collaborators and new businesses for two memorable evenings of family-friendly fun.

University City Dining Days

THIS POPULAR RESTAURANT PROMOTION, designed to bring additional business and exposure to area eateries during the summer months, allows diners to enjoy three-course meals at three different price points at many of our neighborhood's top eateries. Over 30 restaurants participated in the 10-day promotion and enjoyed increased business and media exposure thanks to an extensive ad campaign and press push. University City Dining Days allows us to showcase the high quality and diverse food offerings of our local restaurant scene.

Outdoor Performances And Movie Nights

SINCE 2015, UCD HAS PARTNERED WITH the Friends of Clark Park and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation to present free movies in the heart of West Philadelphia. In 2022, we presented four evenings of music movies, anchored by a screening of Summer of Soul, a documentary by West Philadelphia’s own Questlove in his directorial debut. Elsewhere, we brought free music, dance, and arts and craft events through the summer and into the winter to The Porch at 30 th Street Station and Trolley Portal Gardens.