Good morning, Philadelphia.

The city will create a 43,500-sqft playground, adult fitness area, and picnic pavilions plus plant over 100 trees at Lemon Hill after heavy summer use during FIFA Fan Fest—the project builds on earlier park updates and began with tree planting on Monday.

Volunteers and school staff cleaned racist and antisemitic graffiti off Glenside Weldon playground, including its famous cheese sculpture, on Saturday.

A unity rally will be held Thursday at 5:30 p.m. to reclaim the space.

Reading Terminal Market will host its Scrapple & Apple Festival on Saturday, Oct.

17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1136 Arch St, offering creative scrapple dishes and apple treats in a pay-as-you-go setting. The Scrapple Sculpting Contest will run on Thursday, Oct. 15.

WHYY Fresh Air hosts are honored for their lifetime achievements—Terry Gross will get the Paul White Award on Oct.

12 at the Edward R. Murrow Awards ceremony and Tonya Mosley is named among EBONY’s Power 100 for 2026, marking a first for public radio.

Bell Tone Synth Works in Upper Darby repairs vintage synthesizers and offers workshops for local enthusiasts.

The shop will host an open house and open mic on Oct. 11 (4–9 p.m.) to celebrate its collection and promote hands-on repairs.

Roxborough-Manayunk residents embrace 3-foot, 300-pound concrete dinosaur statues bought from Holod’s Garden Center as neighborhood mascots.

The statues spark community jokes and themed displays (including a Halloween costume contest) that unite neighbors with a quirky local tradition.

Philly will host family-friendly Halloween festivities this month including mini golf at Franklin Square Park, pumpkin patches and trick-or-treat events at the Zoo — Morris Arboretum displays scarecrows, and Beat the Bomb offers a haunted quest.

Families should check dates and book tickets as events run through Nov. 1.

International student enrollment fell in 2025 after new DHS rules capped stays at four years, causing an estimated $50 million statewide loss, and local educators + Economy League officials warned that despite a judge blocking the rule mid-September, the changes may chill future enrollment and job growth.

Since April, Pennsylvania health officials have reported over 1,000 measles cases near Philadelphia, including 198 hospitalizations and five deaths — officials say low vaccination rates have fueled the largest outbreak in decades.

Carolyn Searles, a Wallingford mom, underwent chemotherapy during her second trimester for stage 2B triple negative breast cancer and now advocates for more research funding after joining a national rally in Washington D.C. to urge lawmakers to invest in better cancer studies.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, a rain-soaked game left the Eagles losing 24 to 20 to the Rams.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. recorded 15 tackles and Darius Cooper scored two touchdowns, while the offense struggled on third-down plays and key drives.

After a playoff exit, the Phillies are retooling their roster for 2027 by retaining a strong rotation and key closer Jhoan Duran while addressing offensive gaps (free agent moves and potential positional shifts).

Fans should watch for upcoming changes as the team aims to remain competitive in the NL East.

Eagles running back Tank Bigsby will have surgery for a core muscle injury he sustained in Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams.

He is on injured reserve and will miss at least four weeks, with Will Shipley serving as the only healthy back for now.