By Anne Burnett, Program Director Historic Germantown
Philadelphia, PA – Bring your family and friends to Vernon Park on Sunday, April 19th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm when Historic Germantown hosts “A Great Day on the Great Road.” Join Germantown’s 14 historic and cultural landmarks as they celebrate the history and community of Philadelphia’s historic northwest through music, food, costumed reenactors and activities for the family.
Featured performers include jazz musicians Melange Trio. Also on the schedule are costumed reenactors Milicent Sparks, who will portray African-American abolitionist Harriet Tubman, and Noah Lewis, who interprets the life of Ned Hector a free Black Revolutionary War-era soldier.
Each of Historic Germantown’s member sites will feature family oriented activities, such as papermaking, storytelling, historic kids’ games, and more. In addition, visitors can enjoy German food and a local fish fry, a plant sale, and watch local artists practice their crafts.
This is the first time Historic Germantown has hosted the “Great Day” festival, but organizers hope that it will become an annual event. The goal of the “Great Day” is to introduce neighboring residents to the incredible historic resources and stories of their community. The name “Great Road” is a nod to the history of Germantown Avenue, once an Indian trail and the historic artery that runs through the northwest.
For more information about this program, please email [email protected] or call 215-844-1683.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Vernon Park is located on near the corner of Germantown Avenue and Chelten Avenue. It is easily accessible via SEPTA 23 and K bus routes as well as R7 and R8 Commuter Rail Lines.
This event was made possible through the generous support of State Representative John Myers, the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation and in partnership with the Germantown Poetry Festival.
Historic Germantown is a consortium of fourteen cultural and historic sites located in Northwest Philadelphia. Our members range from historic houses to an art museum and arboretum. The mission of Historic Germantown is to foster an appreciation of the diverse character and meaning of our cultural heritage in order to preserve and revitalize our community. To this end, we cooperate in providing knowledge and resources to help preserve Germantown’s historic sites, interpret them to the public, and incorporate them into the life of the local community. For more information about Historic Germantown visit www.freedomsbackyard.org.

