Please do us a favor and SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 19th! Friends of the Cresheim Trail has a big year planned, and there is work to do. Help us do it on the Trail to the Future. We’re throwing a big ol’ fundraising party to kick it off in the ballroom of the Venetian Social Club in Chestnut Hill.
If you’ve never been inside, you’re in for a treat. Opened in 1924 and built by the Italian immigrant craftsmen who helped build the area’s beautiful homes, the Venetian is a Philly hidden gem, full of photogenic easter eggs like tile work and hand carved Wissahickon schist — including from the quarry the Friends Loop trail passes through. And it’s only four blocks up the Hill from our Germantown Avenue trailhead.
Here’s some of what to expect…
A MEAL
- Hoagie trays from T&F Farmers Pride, named in March as one of the Inquirer’s 20 Best Hoagies in Philadelphia
- Tomato pies and baked goods from Downtime Bakery
- Vegetarian and gluten-free mezze platters from Weavers Way
- Cheese board from Third Wheel Cheese Co.
- A (very cheap) cash bar from the Venetian’s bartenders
LIVE MUSIC
- Philadelphia’s premier bluegrass band, Noggin Hill, will lay down the grooves, and they just so happen to be Northwest Philly residents
NEW MERCH
- A new version of the popular Cresheim Trail t-shirt featuring a screech owl and tulip poplar motif by Philly artist Eric Hinkley, in chocolate brown
- A brand new stainless steel water bottle designed by us and fabricated by Earthwell
- A brand new 12″ x 18″ map print of the Cresheim Trail
…not to mention a whole lot of excitement around the trail’s growth, momentum, and planned expansion.
Everyone is welcome to join us, so we’ve made tickets available on a sliding scale, from $20 to $250. Pay what you’re comfortable with paying, and join us for a good time on Saturday, April 19th, 7 to 9pm. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
The Trail to the Future wouldn’t be a trail at all were it not for the sponsors who helped us pull it together. The Friends of the Cresheim Trail extend our sincerest thanks to the following for supporting us:
- Dr. Rick S. Hock, Community College of Philadelphia (retired): volunteer extraordinaire who also donates his time and energy to Friends of the Wissahickon, West Mt. Airy Neighbors (as the site director of Mt. Airy EcoLab), and Wissahickon East Park.
- Herbal Care Rx, the Chestnut Hill-based office run by Dr. Rebecca Maury, who offers certification to Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis program at the state’s lowest prices.
- Downtime Bakery, the bread and baked goods shop that opened in Mt. Airy in December. Downtime will not only provide a gorgeous spread for this event, but they’re also the official spot to buy Cresheim Trail t-shirts and maps in person.
- Third Wheel Cheese Co., West Philly’s newest and best cheese shop, at 707 S. 50th Street.
- Friends of the Wissahickon, who need no introduction to our community, but who nevertheless continue to support the Cresheim Trail through volunteers, resources, and best of all, collaboration.
- Bancroft Green, the Mt. Airy-based developers who are planning a thoughtful row of semi-attached homes at 7600 Germantown Avenue, between the trail and New Covenant Campus.
- C2 Architecture, the Germantown-based firm designing the handsome 7600 project, and whose other work includes both new construction and historic renovation in NW Philly and across the region.
