Germantown Second Saturday Festival is Saturday, July 8, 2017, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Germantown Second Saturday Festival is Saturday, July 8, 2017 from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. 
Eat, Shop, Play, Learn & Experience Germantown!
Presented by Historic Germantown & Germantown United CDC

Germantown, Philadelphia, PA – The Germantown Second Saturday Festival will be held on Saturday, July 8, 2017 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Northwest Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood. The festival will take place along a one-block stretch of Germantown Avenue, between School House Lane and Coulter Street, and surround Market Square Park (5501 Germantown Avenue). Rain or shine. (Event rescheduled from previous date of May 13 due to weather.)

The community festival, presented by Historic Germantown and Germantown United Community Development Corporation, invites the public to experience Germantown. The festival celebrates the kick-off the Second Saturday series–when all 16 Historic Germantown sites are open monthly–and showcases the many thriving cultural, civic, and business attractions and activities that make Germantown an exciting place to live and visit.

Scenes from the 2016 Germantown Second Saturday Festival.

Performance

Throughout the day, musicians, poets, and creative performing artists will take to the main stage on Germantown Avenue.

The headlining performance by The Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble will close out the event with an hour-long show. The troupe is sensational and electrifying, and features amazing stilt walkers, dancers, drummers, and ground masquerades with an exciting acrobatic performance. The Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble represents the beauty of African culture and is considered one of the best of its kind by scholars and African Djelis (historians).

Musical talent includes popular local artists: Danie Ocean Band, Jim and Andrew Dragoni, and many others. Germantown resident Yolanda Wisher, the City of Philadelphia’s Poet Laureate, will host the festivities.

Pictured: 1. Yolanda Wisher, City of Philadelphia’s Poet Laureate
(Photo by Jill Saull); 2. & 3. The Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble; 4. Jim Dragoni; 5. Twin Poets Nnamdi Chukwuocha & Albert Mills (Photo by Cylinda McCloud-Keal); 6. Wissahickon Dance School (Photo by Jill Saull).

Thank You to Our Amazing Lineup!

Family Fun

The family-friendly Festival will also feature a Kid Zone with moon bounce, face painting, and many art-fueled interactive activities. The Germantown Artists Roundtable will invite festival-goers to create a work of art they can take home at the Imagination Station. The Free Library of Philadelphia’s Techmobile will be on-site with books and lots of learning opportunities.

History

Visitors will learn about Historic Germantown’s 16 extraordinary historic houses, destinations, and museums, including Awbury Arboretum, Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, Grumblethrope, and Wyck.

The two sites located within the festival grounds, the Germantown Historical Society and Deshler-Morris House (The Germantown Whitehouse), will be open for tours. At the Historical Society, visitors can view the Elephants on the Avenue Gallery Show featuring work by Sonia Sanchez, Barbara Bullock, Benjamin Volta, Yolanda Wisher, Diane Pieri, Ife Nii Owoo and local community members. Learn more at freedomsbackyard.com.

PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON lived here twice, to seek refuge from the 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic in Philadelphia and as a summer retreat for the First Family in 1794. This National Park Service site also interprets over three centuries of Germantown history, the 1777 Battle of Germantown and former owners of this historic house, including the Morris family.

Eat + Shop

Over 25 vendors will participate in the Art & Craft Vendor Marketplace, coordinated by Germantown United CDC. Local eateries and visiting food trucks including Uptown BBQ Grill, Sweet Lavender, Hardy Funnel Cakes, and The Lunchbox will be serving up good eats. Attendees can also get to know many of Germantown’s civic and community organizations, including Friends of Vernon Park, Germantown Life Enrichment Center, and others.

This is the second year Germantown United CDC and Historic Germantown have partnered on the Festival to bring renewed attention and interest to a little-used neighborhood park and public space, and kick-off Historic Germantown’s monthly Second Saturday series.

The festival will be held rain or shine!

Festival Parking, Public Transit, and Road Closures

The festival is accessible by SEPTA. Bus Routes: 23 Bus, XH Bus; Chestnut Hill East Regional Rail: Germantown Station (150 E Chelten Ave). Visit http://www.septa.org for schedules.

Street parking is available near the festival grounds.

Limited free off-street parking is also available. Festival parking is permissible at the Citizens Bank Lot at 5500 Germantown Ave (enter from W School House Ln).

Road closures: Germantown Avenue between School House Lane & Coulter Street, and the unit block of E Church Lane will be closed to all traffic from 7 a.m.  – 7 p.m.

About

Historic Germantown
Historic Germantown is a partnership organization serving historic sites in Philadelphia’s Old German Township that works collaboratively to preserve its extraordinary historic assets, increase access, interpret them to the public and raise their visibility. Learn more at freedomsbackyard.com.

Germantown United CDC
The mission of Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC) is to promote and facilitate the revitalization of the business corridors in the Germantown neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia through a sustainable, creative, and community-driven approach to economic development. Learn more at http://germantownunitedcdc.org.

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Press Contacts

To request interviews and high-resolution photos, please contact:

Emaleigh Doley, Commercial Corridor Manager, Germantown United CDC
215-856-4303, edoley@germantownunitedcdc.org  

Trapeta Mayson, Executive Director, Historic Germantown
215-844-1683, Ext. 101, tmayson@freedomsbackyard.com

Thank you to our generous sponsors!