Hi Neighbor,
“It’s amaryllis planting time!”
My friend, who I affectionately refer to as Main Line Martha, is at it again. She sent a friendly text reminder in mid-October, asking for a common date in early November for a small group of women to gather at her house, in her potting shed (I am not kidding – she has one, and it’s adorable, like her!), to plant our Christmas amaryllis bulbs.
I know Christmas is still weeks away, but the bulbs need to be planted NOW so they bloom around Christmas. Who knew there was such a science to the art of planting bulbs?
I wish I could remember how many years we have gathered for the planting, the first time being in the parking lot outside of Terrain on a frigid fall day pre-pandemic, so yeah, we’ve been at it awhile. I dare say, our first planting happened organically; it was random yet special. Now, I look forward to this annual tradition and would be sad to miss it. READ MORE
Up to my elbows in dirt,
Jackie
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Baldwin School • Lionville • Valley Forge Educational Services • Friends' Central School • Lisa Ramondo • Birdwatch • Sacred Heart Academy • Malvern Prep • Adam Mechanical
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Malvern Preparatory School is an independent, Augustinian school for young men in grades 6-12. The Augustinian values of Truth, Unity, and Love play a central role across our curriculum as we help students discover themselves, understand others, and make an impact in the larger world. Faculty work with students to look inward, challenging them to find their truths, and inspiring them to use their education for the common good.
Learning to trust their inner teacher builds self-confidence in their abilities. Discovering the values and strengths of others in the community grows their compassion. Exploring their power to impact the world ignites their imagination. The result: young men who lead boldly and serve humbly wherever they go.
Malvern's Admissions Department invites prospective families to our "Mornings at Malvern" Preview Morning. Get a glimpse into a typical morning at Malvern, meet current students, teachers, and staff, tour the campus, and engage with our admissions team and other school leaders.
Register today to join us on campus on Friday, November 22, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
MOONLIT NIGHTS
Craft & Mercantile
Friday, November 15
4:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Exton
Curated night market celebrating local makers & artisans alongside live music + food & drink. Details
Full Moon Hike
Friday, November 15
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Tyler Arboretum
This moderately paced hike is for adults and teens comfortable walking 3+ miles on uneven terrain, including short distances along steep trails. A registered adult must accompany teens. Details
Manayunk Gets Lit
Thursday, November 14
5:30-7:00 PM
Annual tree-lighting ceremony at Canal View Park with special guests and live performances. Throughout the entire night, guests can expect family fun, Santa meet & greet, Buddy the Elf, SNOW, crafts, glow giveaways, Eagles cheer, and more!! Details
Bingo Night benefitting the dogs of Angel’s Retreat
Friday, November 15
6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Northbrook MarketPlace, West Chester
A fun night of bingo where you can win fabulous designer bags and Professional Cooking Classes!! Ticket price includes buffet dinner, Northbrook’s famous apple cider donuts, and beer/wine/champagne as well as one bingo card to be used for eight games.
Details
SHOP SMALL
Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show
November 15th-17th, Preview Gala on November 14th
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia
Features unique, one-of-a-kind works by artists from across the United States. The 2024 Show will welcome a total of 195 talented artists representing 13 diverse categories of art and design plus 24 guest artists from Italy. Details
Green Sunday Holiday Craft Fair
Sunday, November 17
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Media Providence Friends School Gymnasium, Media
Featuring over 40 local artists and vendors. Get a jump start on holiday shopping. Details
Burkholder Holiday Market
November 16-December 24
Paoli
Gifts, holiday home decor, & events. Weekends will be filled with special events and activities including visits from Santa & his Reindeer, food trucks, bonfires (complete with marshmallow roasting), hot chocolate, complimentary wine and beer and more!
Holiday Fair and Craft Bazaar
Saturday, November 23
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The Waldorf School, Philadelphia
70 local vendors and crafts people in attendance. Activities and some refreshments will be available. Details
Holiday Artisan Market
Sunday, November 17
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Main Line Art Center
Shop over 30 curated vendors selling one-of-a-kind finds perfect for holiday gift giving! Details
Clothing Swap
Saturday, November 16
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Radnor Memorial Library
Donate up to ten pieces of clothing before November 16 and receive a ticket for each item. On November 16, come to the swap and use your tickets to “buy” new-to-you clothes! Details
Holiday Craft Market at Historic Sugartown
December 7
Noon - 4:00 PM
Holiday Market featuring over 40 local crafters and artisans. Details
Sunset Hill Fine Arts Gallery Annual Miniature Art Show
Opening Reception: Sunday, November 17
Noon - 4:00PM
Open through December 24
West Chester
Annual Miniature Art Show. Shop a large variety of paintings done in all types of mediums, subjects and artistic styles. Small size paintings are perfect for the beginning collector and those with small spaces to fill! Details
‘TIS THE SEASON TO GET JOLLY
Santa’s Delivery
Sunday, December 8
Gift drop-off now through Friday, November 22
Radnor Township
It’s never too early to plan for Santa! Various township departments and local fire companies are participating in this 12th annual event where pre-registered township residents can have an early gift delivered to their home. Details
Ardmore Holiday Tree Lighting and Santa’s Arrival
Friday, November 29, 6:00 PM
Schauffele Plaza, Ardmore
The seasonal festivities begin! The evening will culminate with Santa’s arrival by firetruck! Details
Christmas on King Street
Saturday, November 30
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
King Street and Burke Park, Malvern
Make your way over to King Street for some holiday cheer! Live music, food trucks, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and a tree lighting when it gets dark. Details
Christmas Village
Saturday, November 23 – Tuesday, December 24
Various Hours
LOVE Park and City Hall, Philadelphia
This open-air, authentic German-style market will even put Scrooge in the holiday mood! Vendors, special events, ice skating, and more. Details
Operation Santa Claus
Starts Saturday, November 30
106 Grape Street, Manayunk
The Manayunk Development Program is bringing back Operation Santa Claus to help local families in need. Stop by to pick up a tag from the holiday tree. Be sure to return your gift by Sunday, December 15. Details
Festival of Lights Tree Lighting Ceremony
Thursday, December 5, 5:00 PM
Open nightly through January 4
Rose Tree Park, Media
The Tree Lighting Ceremony marks the first night of illumination throughout the park. Festivities for the evening include holiday songs, food trucks, Santa, and more. Details
Koziar's Christmas Village
Novemebr 13 - December 31
Barto PA
An Old-Fashioned Christmas Experience in a dazzling valley set aglow with more than one million Christmas lights adorning buildings, gift barns, and landscape.
Koziar’s is a park and walk vintage Christmas lights experience. Our village has paved and lighted walkways and is wheel chair and stroller friendly (we have a limited number of free rentals of wheel chairs). Your tour is unguided so you can walk and enjoy at your own pace, and usually takes 60 – 90 minutes. Details
FESTIVE FROLICS
Wayne Turkey Trot
Thursday, November 28
Great American Pub, Wayne
8th Annual Wayne Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving Day 5K run and walk benefitting the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Radnor Township Police K-9 Unit and Philadelphia Financial Scholars. Details
Burn Off the Bird 5K
Saturday, November 30
Phoenixville
Held annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, join the Jaycees 5K Race & 1 mile Fun Run through Phoenixville beginning and ending at Franklin Commons. Details
Elves for the Shelf 5K Run & Fun Walk
Saturday, December 7, 8:00 AM
Radnor Memorial Library, Wayne
Run for fun – and for a good cause! All proceeds from this holiday-themed race will support the library. Details
West Chester Turkey Trot
Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 8:00 AM
West Chester celebrates its first annual turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning for any runner looking to burn off some pre-meal calories. Registration is $30 for both the 5k run and 2k walk, so loosen up, have some fun and cheer on your family in downtown West Chester. Details
The Greater Philadelphia YMCA Gobble Wobble
Join the Y's annual Thanksgiving Day family tradition in the greater Philadelphia area, the Gobble Wobble 5K! There are multiple locations and race options to challenge the whole family, including a virtual race for those of us who are out of town or shudder at the idea of waking up early! Details
Delco Turkey Trot
Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 9:00 AM
Wallingford
The eighth annual Delco Turkey Trot is perfect for a day of family fun. Registration is $35 for adults over the age of 13 and $20 for runners 12 and under. The one-mile Little Drumstick Fun Run starting at 8:30 a.m. is great for children who might not yet be ready for the big one. Proceeds from this race help support Nether Providence Elementary School. Details
Cardinal John Foley School Turkey Trot
Saturday, November 30, 9:00 AM
Havertown
After you’ve gotten through your holiday meal leftovers, prepare for this 18th annual trot, which takes place on a two-loop course through the Brookline neighborhood. All proceeds will benefit the students of Cardinal John Foley Regional Catholic School. Details
St. Bernadette’s Annual Turkey Trot 5K & Family Fun Walk
Saturday, November 30, 8:45 AM
Drexel Hill
St. Bernadette’s annual race is an exciting dash. Winners in each age group will receive a medal for the fastest time. This course takes you through a beautiful neighborhood in Drexel Hill. Details
Business is booming along the Main Line, lots of new restaurants and shops especially in Wayne, which welcomes a Ballard Designs, FP Movement and lux doggie spa.
READ NOVEMBER'S LOCAL BUZZ!
SPONSORED CONTENT
Gladwyne Montessori is the Main Line’s only American Montessori Society (AMS) Certified School, serving children from six weeks through 6th grade. Whether your child is starting their educational journey as an infant or toddler, or needs an Elementary Program tailored to their academic needs, our AMS Certified Guides are uniquely trained to identify and nurture each student’s strengths and prepare them for today’s world.
Contact our Admissions team to schedule a tour today and discover the ways your child can grow with us!
ENJOYING THE ARTS
Book Review: The God of the Woods
Tuesday, November 19
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Bala Cynwyd Library
Join book reviewer Bev Rosen for her annual guided discussion of One Book, One Lower Merion selection for 2024, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. Details
Jazz Concert
Sunday, November 17
2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Palm Center, Ardmore
Led by a Bryn Mawr native, The Alfie Pollitt Trio will headline the Jazz Fest Fundraiser to benefit the Palm Center, a center for positive aging in Lower Merion. Details
Camarata Philadelphia: Music Without Boundaries
Saturday, November 16, 4:00 PM
Tredyffrin Public Library, Strafford
This delightful musical ensemble plays without boundaries by including a variety of styles of music from chamber to opera to choral. Details
Ballet X in Bryn Mawr
Friday, December 13—Sunday, December 15
Goodhart Hall, Bryn Mawr College
Philadelphia’s incomparable dancers present a celebration of choreography in Bryn Mawr! Details
Queens, Gods, and Devotees
Through Sunday, December 15
The Frances M. Maguire Art Museum
Saint Joseph’s University, Merion
Featuring over 30 paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints, and fiber works from ca. 1900 to the present. Spanning continents, cultures, and eras, many of these images of exalted figures and concepts related to spirituality and worship are specific to the Black American experience, or are re-imagined in a Black cultural context. Details
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Thanksgiving Food Drive for ElderNet
Now - Monday, November 25
Various Hours
ElderNet, 9 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr
Share some goodness by making a food donation towards someone’s delicious Thanksgiving meal. Perishables will only be accepted on November 25. Details
Camp Out for Hunger
Monday, December 2 – Friday, December 6
G Lot of Wells Fargo Parking Lots, Philadelphia
Join Preston and Steve for their 27th annual Camp Out for Hunger food drive. A weeklong event featuring live broadcasts, food trucks, and most importantly, food donations! Details
6th Annual Sip, Savor & Song Fundraiser
Saturday, November 16, 1:00 PM
Community Arts Center, Wallingford
All ages welcome
Enjoy several musical performances PLUS, wine/beer/soft drinks and light fare are all included for a $20 donation ($25 at the door). All proceeds support Teach Music Week, Kids Music Day, year-round Musical Instrument Petting Zoo programs and our new after-school Music Lessons program in Chester. Details
TEENS & TYKES
Little Sprouts Workshop: Leaf Crowns
Sunday, November 17
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Terrain, Devon
Stop by with your little ones so they can create their own leaf crowns. Event is free; RSVP is requested. Details
Jump into Science
Tuesday, November 19
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Easttown Library, Berwyn
Kids can explore and conduct science experiments. Recommended grades K-2; registration required. Details
Painting and Mocktails for Teens
Tuesday, December 3
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Gladwyne Library
The library is hosting a cozy painting session where teens ages 12-17 will create a polar bear canvas while sipping hot chocolate and nibbling on treats. Registration required. Details
THE LOVE OF ART
A Celebration of Love and Forgiveness
Now through January 12
Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia
Share, listen, learn, and connect at this exhibit geared towards expressing emotions. Details
Mickalene Thomas: All About Love
Now through January 12
The Barnes, Philadelphia
The first major international tour focused on the work of pioneering artist Mickalene Thomas, whose influences range from 19th-century painting to popular culture. A selection of vivid artworks—paintings, collage, photography, video, and site-specific installation—that celebrates Thomas’s distinctive artistic practice. Details
