Community members and visitors with a penchant for plants in Philly’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood will once again have their day at the area’s annual Home and Garden Fest.
On Sunday, May 6, an estimated 30,000 visitors will descend on a stretch of Germantown Avenue as more than 170 vendors set up shop in what has become one of the neighborhood’s most celebrated springtime festivals. The event, which will be hosted in various shops between Rex Avenue and Will Grove Avenue, will feature secret gardens and expert gardening advice. Plants and other gardening items will also be available for sale.
Various area restaurants will participate in the festival, the Philly Voice reports, allowing carnival goers an opportunity to feast as they browse and shop for spring flowers for both inside and outside their homes. McNall’s Tavern, known for its iconic Schmitter sandwich, is anticipated to open their doors at their normally scheduled time of noon. Other area eateries, including the homely Mexican restaurant El Paquito and the snazzy French lounge Paris Bistro, are also expected to be open for the occasion for visitors to enjoy.
Many shops participating in the celebrations are expected to have garden displays for guests to browse and enjoy. Expert gardeners and horticulturalists will be on hand to answer participant questions and to give advice on how you can transform your indoor or outdoor space through the use of seasonal gardening and garden-related items.
In addition to a wide variety of garden-related displays, shops and events, the Home and Garden Fest will also feature a variety of vendors selling traditional carnival fare. Guests to the festival can enjoy soft pretzels, funnel cakes and cotton candy. Ice cream, baked goods and fruit smoothies will also be available for purchase.
Though adults will undoubtedly find enjoyment in the day’s festivities, the Home and Garden Festival is a family-friendly event, and many of the activities at the festival will be geared towards families with children. Kids can enjoy free rides on a kid-size train while enjoying the overflowing gardens around them. Additionally, a photo booth and face painting station will be set up on festival grounds. An arts and crafts table with age-appropriate activities will also be found at the event.
Home and Garden Fest is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and will conclude at 5 p.m. There is no cost to enter the event, but select area lots will offer parking for a $5 fee. More information on the event can be found on the Chestnut Hill Philadelphia’s Garden District website.
