Where East Falls Gathers While the Falls Library Is Closed

On Saturday, September 19, the Board Game Café met at the Falls of Schuylkill Library for the last time this year. Players chose from Qwirkle, Hues & Cues, Philadelphia-Opoly and mahjong. According to the Friends of the library's fall newsletter, the mahjong table was crowded with returning players and newcomers who wanted to learn the game. Eight days later, the branch at 3501 Midvale Avenue closed so a new HVAC system could go in. The expected reopening date is January 11, 2027.

The closure has sorted the library's programs into two groups. Programs built around a group of neighbors found other rooms, most of them on Midvale Avenue. Programs that depended on the building's shelves, tables and game collection stopped until January. For the rest of the fall, much of East Falls' calendar runs through The Fallser Club and the corner of Ridge and Midvale.

What moved, and what stopped

The Friends of the Falls of Schuylkill Library's Catfish Chronicle lists where each regular program stands.

The newsletter says the book group voted to keep meeting in and around East Falls through the closure. That choice brought it to The Fallser Club at 3721 Midvale Avenue, on the same avenue as the library. The Fiber Arts and Sit & Stitch groups left the neighborhood for the Andorra branch. Their arrangement with Andorra runs through October, and the committee says it will send updates to people on its list as things change. Anyone not on the list can write to [email protected].

Books and holds are handled across the Northwest. The library's closure notice points patrons to the Roxborough, Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional and Andorra branches. Holds already in transit go to Roxborough, and digital resources are available at freelibrary.org.

The closure follows a large commitment. Friends president Jenna Musket wrote that Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. pledged $500,000 at last year's Friends annual meeting to pay for the new system. She called the closure a disappointment for people who rely on the branch's programs, but said the group was "thrilled" the HVAC problem was being fixed. She also hopes duct cleaning, new carpet and freshly painted shelves can be done during the same window.

The Fallser Club is hosting more than usual this fall

The Fallser Club describes itself as a woman-owned, woman-run nonprofit music and event venue. Its stated mission centers on community, music, the arts and inclusive gathering spaces. This fall it is hosting the book group's October and November meetings and coordinating the music for the biggest outdoor event of the season.

For the October 26 meeting, the book group is reading James by Percival Everett. On November 30 it moves to The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. Both start at 5:30 p.m. The East Falls Development Corporation's festival page says live music for East Falls Fest is "coordinated by the Fallser Club."

October 17 brings most of the fall calendar to one corner

East Falls Fest takes over Ridge and Midvale on Saturday, October 17, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Several fall programs met somewhere else this season, but nearly everything here happens at that one intersection, plus a stretch of riverbank. Here's the food lineup from EFDC:

• Tacos from Taqueria Cresta
• Sweets from LeBus Bakery and cookies from Famous Fourth Street
• A beer garden run by Wissahickon Brewing
• Local makers selling jewelry, clothing, fragrances, glassware and candles, plus demos from East Falls fitness businesses

Pumpkin decorating is free. As of the organizer's page, the music lineup is still listed as "TBA." Patch's event listing adds Hi-Line Circus Arts, a Pawesome Pet Parade and Costume Contest, and an all-women Afro-Brazilian percussion performance.

The festival also uses the riverbank. Billy Penn's fall festival roundup reports that the fest will launch boats from the East Falls River Landing, aimed at people who love the Schuylkill but have never been out on it. The landing at 4530 Kelly Drive is a public access point for recreational paddling. EFDC led its development with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and it opened to the public in spring 2022. The festival materials don't say who runs the launches, whether you need to sign up, or whether there's a fee. EFDC's page lists [email protected] for questions, vendor spots and volunteering.

Manayunk is busy the same day. Billy Penn lists Manayunk's Fall Fest on Main Street on Saturday, October 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a ticketed mac and cheese crawl. If you're hosting visitors that weekend, both festivals are on the calendar.

EFDC's sponsor list shows how many local institutions back the day. It includes Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, Wissahickon Brewing Co., Taqueria Cresta, The Tower at Henry, Dobson Mills, F.X. Duffy & Co., grimm & grove, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

The rest of the season, in order

Without the library, the remaining fall events are spread across a few venues:

1. October 12, 7 to 8 p.m. The East Falls Community Council holds Candidates Night, where local-election candidates or their representatives answer questions. Details are on the EFCC events page.
2. October 26, 5:30 p.m. Book group at The Fallser Club, reading James.
3. October 31, Saturday morning. The East Falls Historical Society leads a new walking tour of places where past Fallsers "prayed and played," with several members sharing what they've found about each site's history and architecture. The society's posting doesn't yet list a start point, time or price.
4. November 24, 6 p.m. The Friends hold their annual meeting at East Falls Presbyterian Church, 3800 Vaux Street. Jessica Hamilton will speak on AI in academic libraries. The Friends are also looking for a new treasurer for the next two-year term.
5. November 30, 5:30 p.m. Book group at The Fallser Club, reading The Lion Women of Tehran.
6. December 16, a Wednesday. The annual Carol Sing in McMichael Park. The Friends' hospitality committee is already recruiting bakers.

The Friends' annual meeting at a church on Vaux Street and the Carol Sing in McMichael Park are two more signs of the library's community work going on away from the building.

A weekday option on Ridge

Most of the list above is evening and weekend events. On weekdays, one newer option on Ridge Avenue is Crust Vegan Bakery at 4200 Ridge. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that it opened in January after moving from Manayunk. The bigger shop serves coffee and tea and has a small seating area. Owner Meagan Benz told the Inquirer she wanted it to be "a place where people think, 'Oh, I can get everything I need there.'"

What changes around January

The library's expected January 11 reopening lines up with other changes nearby. In an April note, EFDC's new executive director wrote that Ridge Avenue was due for new bike racks, benches and trees during 2026, in partnership with the state Department of Community and Economic Development and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. The note gave no installation date. At Ridge and Merrick, the East Falls Community Council's project page says a zoning variance was granted March 25 for a 257-unit building at 4401 Ridge Avenue. As of the council's August update, groundbreaking was expected around January 2027.

The Friends also plan work outside the library. A new picnic table, dedicated to longtime volunteer John Gillespie and made from recycled plastic bags, already stands in the back garden along Warden Drive. After the HVAC work is done, the Calumet Garden Project Committee plans to meet again about refreshing the Calumet garden area. When the branch reopens, the Board Game Café is set to return with new games the Community Outreach and Engagement team has added to the collection.

If you have questions about East Falls this fall, from the Ridge Avenue streetscape to the 4401 Ridge project, The Liz Clark Team is glad to talk them through over coffee, maybe at Crust. Let's Meet.

Oct 15, 2026