Getting to the Mummers Parade

One of the best things about living in the Glenside Area is how easy it is to get into Philadelphia from here.  The Glenside train station is served by the Airport, Warminster and Lansdale/Doylestown Regional Rail Lines.  This means that there are trains coming and going to get you to center city 3-5 times an hour depending on when you want to go.  This New Years Day many Glenside residents will hop on the train and head down to the Mummers Parade.  The trains will be running on a modified holiday schedule to accommodate all the additional travelers.  For an easy way to figure out your travel plans go to www.isepta.org and enter your Start and End stations or download the official septa app for the iphone.  www.septa.org/service/septa-app.html.  It doesn't get any easier than this. 

An annual tradition, the Mummers Parade features 10,000 men and women dressed in colorfully lavish costume. The parade begins in South Philadelphia in the morning and winds its way up Broad Street to City Hall approximately eight hours later. The Comics and Wench Brigades satirize issues, institutions and people; the Fancies impress with their glamorous outfits; the String Bands gleefully play banjoes, saxophones, percussion and other reed and string instruments; and the Fancy Brigades produce tightly choreographed theatrical extravaganzas.  It will be cold this year but this parade is well worth the trip. 

Live Music, Complimentary Massage and Holiday Shopping at The Dovetail Artisans

Dovetail Artisans located at 105 E Glenside Avenue is a gift shop with unique gifts for all the last minute holiday gifts you still need to buy.  This Thursday and Friday night they will be making your stressful holiday shopping a delightful one of a kind experience.    

Thursday December 19^th from 6-8 pm Massage Therapist, Amelia Curran, C.M.T. will bring her massage chair and provide complimentary chair massages to shoppers.  Who could ask for more? 

The shop has been hosting Musical Friday nights in December, this Friday December 20^th from 6-8pm jazz vocalist Roberta Meek will sing holiday music as well as familiar jazz standards.  Come and enjoy this free entertainment while picking up those last minute gifts.

Voted the “Best Gift Shop in Montgomery County” by The Happenings, an on-line magazine about everything Montgomery County.  Visit http://thedovetailartisans.com/ for more information and extended holiday hours.

The Vienna Boys Choir

The Vienna Boys Choir will be performing at the Keswick Theatre on December 14th at 4:00 pm.   Tickets are on sale now for students $25.00 & Adults $39.50.  You can go to www.keswicktheatre.com/?events=vienna-boys-choir to get more information or to buy your tickets. 

The choir has been performing for audiences young and old for over 500 years.  Today there are around 100 choristers between the ages of ten and fourteen.  They give around 300 concerts and performances each year in front of almost half a million people.

Christmas in Keswick Village

This Friday there will be Christmas trolley rides, caroling, Santa and a tree lighting ceremony at the Keswick Village clock tower.  The Abington High School choir will perform from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm, Santa will arrive by fire truck around 7:15 to light the trees at the clock tower and a barbershop quartet will perform from7:30 to 8:00 pm. There will be caroling on board the trolley rides through the Keswick Village neighborhoods (pick-up in front of Susquehanna Bank) and shops and restaurants will be open late for first Friday holiday shopping and refreshments!  Click here to see all first Friday deals.  http://keswickvillage.org/event_firstfridays.shtml

Welcome to Glenside

History


Abington Station was Glenside's name at the time of the Civil War when there were only six houses in the town. The name "Glenside" was created on March 7, 1887 with the opening of the first post office.  Glenside, PA covers parts of Abington, Springfield and Cheltenham Townships which are all in Montgomery County and about 10 miles from Center City, Philadelphia.

Glenside's Attractions:

The Keswick Theatre

The same architect who created the Philadelphia Museum of Art also designed the centerpiece of Glenside's Keswick Village, the Keswick Theatre.  The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.  The theatre has been under private ownership since 1988 and has seen more than a million dollars in upgrades since that time.   

Today you can see names like Bill Cosby, Lilly Tomlin, Vince Gill, Los Lonely Boys, Peter Frampton, Robbie Krieger of the Doors, George Thorogood and Gregg Allman.  The Keswick Theatre is nationally-recognized as the most acoustically-perfect listening room in the region and has also made My Fox Philly’s Hot List for Best Live Venue – 2009, 2010, 2011

Arcadia University

Glenside is also home to Arcadia University, a private co-ed four-year liberal arts university. It has grown from a small undergrad, liberal arts college (at the time named Beaver College) to a comprehensive university, Arcadia University, serving more than 4,000 students in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. The University also operates one of the largest study abroad programs in the US, which two-thirds of their students participate in.  The campus is set on National Historic Landmark Grey Towers Castle, which was built in 1893. 

Parks and Rec

Glenside Memorial Hall - A hall dedicated to World War I veterans, it can accommodate up to 180 people for banquets, parties, etc. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Harry Renninger Park - formerly known as Glenside Park, was once home to minor league baseball play. Historical photos show large grandstands decorated with bunting for seating crowds 

Glenside Pool - Constructed in 1967, Glenside pool is a community pool with memberships available only to township residents.  This is a great place to keep cool in the summer months.  The pool offers swim lessons, swim team and other water exercise classes as well as family events and socials.