Philadelphia – The judging for the 2026 Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee (PMBC) Annual Clean Block Contest will commence over the next four Saturdays: October 3, 10, 17 and 24 announced, Sanitation Commissioner Crystal Jacobs Shipman. Judges will inspect a total of 24 contest blocks. Four top winning blocks will be announced at a gala Clean Block Banquet on November 20.
The annual Clean Block contest is the culmination of the cleaning season that involves a lot of hard work and dedication on behalf of the volunteer block captains and their neighbors who make up the PMBC network. The blocks were selected from approximately 6,600 organized blocks registered with PMBC’s block captain program. Each year, judges from areas across the city visit each contest block and evaluate each based on organization, cleanliness, improvements and participation. The four top winners will be awarded $300 for 4th place, $500 for 3rd place, $700 for 2nd place, with the top prize being $1,000. The remaining blocks each receive $150. The prize money is to be used for worthwhile clean block projects.
Judging on each Saturday begins in the first block at approximately 9:30 a.m. or 9:45 a.m. Below is a list of the 2026 contest blocks and judging times organized by date:
| Date | Time | Police District | Block |
| October 3 | 9:45 a.m. | 7th | 11719 Gilford St |
| October 3 | 10:35 a.m. | 15th | 5100 Oakland St |
| October 3 | 11:35 a.m. | 35th | 100 E. Colonial St |
| October 3 | 12:30 p.m. | 1st | 2200 Winton St |
| October 3 | 1:45 p.m. | 17th | 1900 Manton St |
| October 3 | 2:20 p.m. | 3rd | 700 S. Marvine St |
| October 3 | 3:00 p.m. | 9th | 2100 Brandywine St |
| Date | Time | Police District | Block |
| October 10 | 9:30 a.m. | 26th | 2400 N. Lawrence St |
| October 10 | 10:15 a.m. | 26th | 2400 N. Reese St |
| October 10 | 11:00 a.m. | 25th | 600 E. Thayer St |
| October 10 | 12:45 p.m. | 16th | 5000 Reno St |
| October 10 | 1:30 p.m. | 22nd | 1200 Patrick Henry Pl |
| October 10 | 2:15 p.m. | 22nd | 2301 Sharswood St |
| Date | Time | Police District | Block |
| October 17 | 9:30 a.m. | 14th | 7500 Walnut Lane |
| October 17 | 10:15 a.m. | 35th | 6700 N. Lawrence St |
| October 17 | 11:00 a.m. | 14th | 1700 E. Mayland St |
| October 17 | 12:45 p.m. | 39th | 400 Earlham St |
| October 17 | 1:30 p.m. | 39th | 5000 Newhall St |
| Date | Time | Police District | Block |
| October 24 | 9:45 a.m. | 3rd | 1100 S. Alder St |
| October 24 | 10:30 a.m. | 1st | 400 Mifflin St |
| October 24 | 11:15 a.m. | 12th | 6500 Windsor St |
| October 24 | 1:00 p.m. | 19th | 5400 Woodbine Ave. |
| October 24 | 1:45 p.m. | 19th | 1500 N. Redfield St |
| October 24 | 2:30 p.m. | 24th | 3000 Tulip St |
PMBC closed this year’s cleaning season with the following statistics:
- 6,786 blocks cleaned
- 26,052 PMBC volunteers
- 21,399 bags collected
- 865,680 pounds of debris removed
PMBC, a division of the Sanitation Department, is an urban environmental partnership. The program promotes civic pride, public safety and neighborhood empowerment among block captains, community group leaders and their units. Residents who wish to become a part of this unique Philadelphia experience can contact PMBC at (215) 685-3981 or visit Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee | Programs and initiatives | City of Philadelphia