(Updated) 16th Annual Jefferson Square Park Christmas Lighting


On Sunday December 5th, 2021 at 4:30PM, dozens of our neighbors gathered together to start the festive season with cider & cocoa, cookies and holiday cheer. It was a huge success. The following letter to the community was written by Bill Arrowood (Hanger of lights).

For the last 15-plus years the Friends of Jefferson Square has sponsored the annual holiday lighting in the park, adding trees and lights every year, In fact, this year there are nearly 50,000 lights twinkling in our little park. However lovely, the lights do come at a price, replacement costs alone run nearly $1,000 annually, as less than half of the lights make it more than one season.


We are hoping that those that have the best view of the lights help us keep them shining by asking you to donate just $15, (of course you can donate more), but $15 from the neighbors directly around the park would make a huge impact on our ability to continue this beloved holiday experience.
You can donate via check, (made to Friends of Jefferson Square), or you can click the Donate button below. If you want to use a check, or other means, you can simply drop off in an envelope at 328 Federal.


In addition to the lights, the Friends of Jefferson Square have always worked to make the park a special place with programming like our kids and movie nights, and daily maintenance programs to ensure that the park is always a welcoming place for all our neighbors.

Thank you all for being such great neighbors, and happy holidays.


Bill Arrowood
(hanger of lights)

Friends of Jefferson Square Park is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible.

How Can I Help?

Fall Cleanup 2020

Hello from the Beautification lead for Jefferson Square Park. 

Have you wondered what activities contribute to the maintenance, care, and beautification of the park?  The Friends of Jefferson Square Park leads volunteer activities and efforts nearly every month of the year to attend to the park, and keep it as a vital community green space.  Each season offers a new way to engage and care for the park, and ensure its continued enjoyment.

In the early spring, the focus is on getting the twenty-one flower beds in the park ready for a great year.  We clean out dead material, trim, and put down compost to feed the plants and donated perennial flowers.  We also rake out the lawns, spread compost for the grass, take care of downed tree limbs and litter from the winter, and prune the roses.  We put down mulch, check on the new tree saplings, and try to give the park the best start at the year that we can. Spring is a busy time of year!

During the summer months, we work on clearing weeds, addressing litter both within and around the exterior of the park, and try to keep the park as clean as possible.  

Fall Cleanup 2020

By autumn, the leaves are coming down and we have lots to bag and send off-site for the city’s leaf composting program.  With all of the beautiful trees in the park, the leaves are copious. Autumn is also a great time for us to put in donated shrubs and perennial plants from individuals in the community, and reseed the lawns if we have hands to do it.  By winter, everything gets a rest, and if it’s one of the years we have funds for tree care then we arrange for those activities.  

If you’re interested in coming out for a one-shot volunteer day, or for several months of the year, we always have a need for extra hands and all activity levels are more than welcome.  Thank you for keeping the park cleaner than when you arrived, and please join us any second Saturday of the month (except August), to lend a hand in keeping the park beautiful.

Mouth House Sessions: A Series of Visual Music Experiences

Friday, May 14th, 2021 – Jefferson Square Park

Save the date for an incredible virtual concert! This event is a collaboration between local musicians, organized by the enigmatic Tubey Frank, and Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG). On Friday, May 14  at 7:00 PM, the concert will be happening in Jefferson Square Park, broadcast on PMG’s website as well as PMG’s Facebook and YouTube channel, and the performers’ social media platforms.

Learn more about it on Philadelphia Magic Gardens website.

Keeping the Trees Nice and Trim(ed)

Tree triming in the park
Tree triming in the park

As a result of generous contributions from neighbors and friends in the community, Friends of Jefferson Square Park were able to have Bartlett Tree Experts out to the park for two days of needed tree maintenance and preventative care on our historic park trees.  Work was conducted on Thursday, January 14, and Friday, January 15, 2020. 
On the first day, a bucket truck was brought out to reach some of the largest dead branches and safely remove them.  This allowed the arborists access to hard-to-reach areas of the trees.  On the second day, the arborist crew spent the day directly in the trees with safety harnesses to cut out dead material, lighten heavy limbs, and install flexible steel cables, to limit movement and reduce the risk of limb failure.  During their two days in the park, the Bartlett crew attended to two Horse Chestnuts, a large American Elm, six London Planes, a Red Maple, three Siberian Elms, and a Cherry.  Priorities for this work were addressing the long-term health of our historic trees, structural pruning, and safety.  During these activities, members of the Friends of Jefferson Square Park worked to spot and remove clusters of invasive Spotted Lanternfly eggs from the park trees.
Bartlett’s experienced arborists did a great job, and we look forward to working with them in the future to keep our trees healthy and extend their lives for everyone’s enjoyment in the park.

Many many thanks go out to everyone who contributed to this effort! 

Fundraising Milestone!

Fundraising Goals
Fundrasing Goals

FUNDRAISING UPDATE!
We have received $2,500 in donations since we hung these banners in the Park!! Thanks to your support we were able to schedule some long-overdue tree maintenance with our friends at Bartlett Tree Experts that will start after the holidays.
Next on the list will be replacing 2 broken benches and adding a message board to keep you up to date on park happenings!
Please consider a donation to help us on our path towards making Jefferson Square Park an even greater asset to our neighborhood. You can donate via PayPal (link on home page). If you aren’t able to donate, we can always use more hands at our monthly clean-ups on the second Saturday of each month (March-December).

Thank you and see you in the Park!

Fundraiser Banner in the park

Holiday Lighting Cheer in our Park

Holiday lights in the park

For the past 15 years, Friends of Jefferson Square has sponsored the annual holiday lighting in the park, and this year was our most ambitious display yet. However lovely, the lights to come at a cost. Please consider a donation to help us keep ‘the lights on’ for next year. You can donate via PayPal (link on home page). Friends of Jefferson Square Park is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible.

Special thanks to Bill Arrowood for his extra efforts at making the lights a reality for the neighborhood.

Holiday lights in the park
Photo credit: Bill Arrowood
Letter to park visitors regarding holiday lighting
Photo credit: Anya Seretzky

So Many Leaves…

Fall Cleanup 2020

Saturday, November 14th, your neighbors joined in for our regular monthly clean up, only this month it was all about leaves. So many leaves in fact. With everyone pitching in to bag leaves, we managed to bag over 150 bags in just under three hours. A big thank you to all who came out to help. We depend on the efforts of our neighbors to keep our park beautiful for all.
Please consider coming out to help us on the second Saturday of each month (March-December).

Fall Cleanup 2020
Photo credit: Devyn Caldwell
Fall Cleanup 2020
Photo credit: Devyn Caldwell

Jazz In The Park

At the end of August, an impromptu gathering of jazz musicians began showing up in the park to entertain. The neighborhood response has been wonderful. We don’t know who all they are, but will happily update this post as we learn more. Enjoy a small snippet of these very talented musicians from August 30th.

A Tragic Loss for the Park

Kentucky Coffee Tree destroyed in storm

Dear Neighbors and Friends of Jefferson Square,

On Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020, a violent early storm blew through Philadelphia causing massive tree damage around the city and in our park. The 80mph gusts were powerful enough to topple the 150 year-old Kentucky coffee tree off of its trunk. The beloved tree was one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the state of Pennsylvania and its loss is devastating to those familiar with the park.  In addition to the loss of the Kentucky Coffee, a mature cherry tree was destroyed when the canopy of the Kentucky fell upon it. Two other large trees on the west side sustained the major limb losses and damage.

This video was shot from across Federal Street during the storm. Images from the aftermath of the storm are in slideshow at bottom.

The Friends of Jefferson Square have always worked to make the park a special place with programming like our kids and movie nights, Christmas lights and daily maintenance programs to ensure that the park is always a welcoming place for all our neighbors. Especially in recent months the park’s use has grown into a unique place of respite and we have worked proudly to maintain its grounds as our neighbors have discovered the joy of sitting in the shade and spending time in the green outdoors in the heart of an urban landscape of asphalt and brick.

This damage is tragic, but with all things in nature, we can survive and grow from it.

  • Kentucky Coffee Tree destroyed in storm