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 Location
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 01:45 p.m. 17th 1900 Manton St
October 3 02:20p.m. 3rd 700 S. Marvine St
October 3 3:00 p.m. 9th 2100 Brandywine St
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
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
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 Av.
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