John Adams was prescient.
After the Continental Congress approved a motion calling for the colonies’ independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, (the Declaration of Independence was adopted two days later), Adams wrote that the day would be celebrated by future generations with “Pomp and Parade … Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.”
It’s still happening. Here’s a sampling of July 4 events in the area:
109th Annual Chestnut Hill Bocce Club Bike Parade and Celebration
July 4, 9 …
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John Adams was prescient.
After the Continental Congress approved a motion calling for the colonies’ independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, (the Declaration of Independence was adopted two days later), Adams wrote that the day would be celebrated by future generations with “Pomp and Parade … Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.”
It’s still happening. Here’s a sampling of July 4 events in the area:
109th Annual Chestnut Hill Bocce Club Bike Parade and Celebration
July 4, 9 a.m.
Kids and families will showcase their patriotically festooned bikes, wagons and floats in a parade down Hartwell Lane to the Water Tower Recreation Center; judges will decide whose bike best captures the red, white, and blue spirit of independence. Then festivities continue at the Rec Center with free balloons, games and field day activities at 10 a.m. A free lunch of hot dogs, water and water ice will be served at 11 a.m. and the celebration will conclude with a magic show beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The bike parade begins at Ardleigh Street and Hartwell Lane. The Water Tower Recreation Center is at 209 E. Hartwell Lane. For information, visit chestnuthillpa.com.
Independence Day with The Geography Lady, Alycia Larson
July 3, 10:30 a.m.
On a holiday that touts American independence, young children and their families can learn about the immigrants who made the United States their home, how their traditions have shaped the country and how other nations mark their own independence days.
Chestnut Hill Library, 8711 Germantown Ave. For information, visit freelibrary.org.
Fireworks in Conshohocken
July 3, 9-10 p.m.
The perfect spot to see Conshohocken’s fireworks is “wherever you are,” says the borough’s communication and special events manager Paul Gornowski. When this year’s larger-than-usual display is launched in Sutcliffe Park, the park will be closed to the public for safety reasons; folks can ogle the bursts of color from their own front yards or while eating an ice cream cone from Scoops on Fayette Street. At a time of national divisiveness, “fireworks are apolitical,” Gornowski says. The following day, July 4, will be the borough’s Soapbox Derby, a tradition since 1951, with 40 cars careening down Fayette Street starting at 8:30 a.m.
For information, visit conshohockenpa.gov and conshohocken.soapboxderby.org/.
Glenside Parade
July 4, 10 a.m.
This daylong celebration starts with a children’s morning program at Renninger Memorial Park, a colorful 1.5-mile parade at 4 p.m., then an after-dark fireworks spectacular over Abington High School’s athletic fields. All are admission-free and sponsored by the Greater Glenside Patriotic Association.
Renninger Memorial Park is at 185 S. Keswick Ave., Glenside. The Abington High School is at 900 Highland Ave. For more information, visit glensideparade.com.
First Friday Arts & Eats
July 4, 5-8 p.m.
The Chestnut Hill Business District’s monthly First Friday event along the Germantown Avenue corridor happens to land on Independence Day. Restaurants will offer food and drink specials, galleries and stores will stay open late, and a live DJ will take requests. Mostly, says Kate O’Neill, director of operations for the Business District, Arts & Eats captures “the magic of a beautiful neighborhood, a very special, walkable, attractive, tree-lined commercial district, a main street that feels like it’s not in a big city.”
For information, visit chestnuthillpa.com/events.
Circus Week at the Garden Railway
June 27-July 6
For a week, the popular Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum will include boxcars with toy animals and clowns, flatbed cars carrying tiny tents and a calliope car playing iconic circus tunes. “Circus Week is when we unite two of everybody’s favorite things: trains and circuses, harkening back to the time when circuses traveled around the country via trains,” says Vince Marrocco, Morris Arboretum’s director of horticulture. “It’s fun, very colorful and very festive.”
Morris Arboretum is at 100 E. Northwestern Ave. in Chestnut Hill. The garden railway is free with admission. For information, visit morrisarboretum.org/.
Gettysburg & Beyond: The Ultimate Civil War Tour
July 5, 10 a.m.-noon
The Civil War wasn’t that far away. In 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought just 120 miles from Philadelphia, from July 1-3, in a pivotal turning point of the war. The Union commander at the battle, General George Gordon Meade, and many other officers and enlisted men who took part in the battle now rest at Laurel Hill East. The tour will also highlight important roles played by the volunteer nurses, surgeons, civilians, and supporters of the war who also are buried there.
Laurel Hill East is at 3822 Ridge Ave. in East Falls. For information, visit laurelhillphl.com/events.
