30,000 People Expected for Home & Garden Festival

The Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival started 17 years ago as a way to counter-balance the arts festival in the fall.  Since then, it has grown into an event that brings people from all over.

Beginning Sunday, May 5, at 11 a.m., it is expected to bring a lot of people.

“We estimate that there will be between 20 and 30,000 people at this festival,” said Peggy Miller of the Chestnut Hill Business Association.  “The police tell us that the crowd turns over about two and a half times.”

The Home and Garden Festival will feature around 260 booths lining Germantown Avenue that will sell and show garden and home décor items.

“There will be booths about gardening,” Miller said.  “But, there will also be businesses and non-profits, people selling their art.  We really run the gamut.”

Miller said that there will also be plenty of food for sale, and all of the food will be provided by local vendors.

Miller added, “We have a little something for everyone.”

New for this year, the festival has partnered with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society who will have a booth where they will be selling lavender plants, and experts will be on hand to answer questions about gardening.

Also this year, the festival will have an “Eco-Alley” sponsored by Green in Chestnut Hill (GRINCH).

“They will be on West Highland Avenue,” Miller said. "There will be tables and booths for local businesses about sustainability.”

GRINCH will also be hosting a “free cycle” event, meaning that festival goers can bring their used media (DVDs, CDs, books and gently used shoes for some reason) and trade them in for someone else’s used goods.

The festival will also shut down Germatown Avenue between Willow Grove Avenue and Rex Avenue from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the duration of the festival.

Miller said that there will be select parking in a few lots for $5 per car, but she recommends that people take public transportation to get to the event.

There will also be amusement rides, a free train ride and arts and crafts for kids.

“It’s a great event,” Miller said.  “People come out and walk around.  They bring their dogs.  People look forward to it every year.”

Miller added, “We couldn’t do this without our great sponsors: Glanzmann Subaru and B101."