This spring we held two cleanups in Glen Providence Park – the 23rd Annual CRC Streams Cleanup on March 20, and Keep Media Green’s Earth Day Cleanup on April 24! We coordinated projects for a combined 78(!) volunteers who spread throughout the park clearing invasive plants and trash from the trails and stream, along with some other stewardship projects.   

Thank you very much to our volunteers, to CRC Watersheds for their work organizing the cleanup at over 30 sites along the Chester, Ridley, and Crum Creeks, and to Keep Media Green for organizing several sites in Media Borough, and even sending volunteers to Rose Tree & Catania County Parks!

There are fun photos of both cleanups on Facebook, linked above.

If you are able, please consider supporting our Media, PA businesses in this unprecedented time. Buying a gift card now is like making an interest-free loan to help them weather the coronavirus shutdown. The following businesses have supported Friends of Glen Providence Park:

• Our generous concert sponsors Diego’s Cantina, Seven Stones, Shere-E-Punjab Indian Restaurant and Sterling Pig have made our free Arts in the Park performances possible.
• Café Isla has donated coffee to fuel volunteers at our spring cleanups and fall tree plantings.
• Earth & State helps us spread the word about our events by telling their customers about our concerts and nature walks.
• 320 Market Cafe surprised us one year with a generous Earth Day donation.

You can purchase gift cards for each of those, and many more wonderful local businesses at mediagiftcards.org.

Many Media-area residents have memories of the decades of July 4th festivities and fireworks displays in Glen Providence Park! Annual July 4th fireworks spanned 35 years, from 1952 to 1986. The fireworks drew crowds in the thousands, with 10,000 estimated in 1958! July 4th celebrations included contests, concerts, Revolutionary battle reenactments(!), and movies. Chester Times and Daily Times articles track the evolution of these festivities in the park.

1950 Centennial Celebration

The first instance we could find of fireworks in Glen Providence was not for July 4th, but for the exuberant week-long Media Borough Centennial celebrations in June 1950, attended by Governor James H. Duff! On Monday, June 5, that day’s “motorcade parade” route ended at Glen Providence, where the US Air Force Band played and the Governor spoke – all followed by the  “brilliant spectacle of aerial fireworks” in the park.

There are at least two other times when Glen Providence Park hosted fireworks for non-July 4th festivities – for “Media Week” in August 1951, and “Pennsylvania Week” in October 1954. There seems to have been a lot of civic pride in the 1950’s!

1955 fireworks in Chester Times

Start of a Tradition

The first July 4th fireworks in the park were in 1952, as part of quite a celebration! After a musical program with singing, dancing, and instrumental and baton twirling competitions(!), “In the evening the entire community will come together in a gigantic evening music festival, which will feature a motion picture and a fireworks display that will equal the aerial beauty of the Media Centennial fireworks.”

It is unclear whether there were fireworks in 1953, but by 1954 an annual tradition had begun, with fireworks held most years until the last fireworks in the park in 1986. Early fireworks were sponsored by the Media Businessmen’s Association, then were abandoned in 1961. In 1962, the tradition was reinitiated by the Media Junior Chamber of Commerce (later called the Media Jaycees), until at least 1974. The Jaycees also ran the Great Media Easter Egg Hunt in Glen Providence Park for over 30 years, from 1954 to around 1989!

Concerts & Kids

Most years, fireworks were preceded by concerts at the historical stage in the Glen Providence Park. Performers included the Media High School Band, Elwyn School Band, Fawns all-girl drum and bugle corps, barbershop quartets, Delco-Aires, Delco-Ordinators, and Haverfordians. In 1970, the Jaycees shook things ups with “a two-hour open-air “rock” band festival preceding the fireworks” featuring The Final Assembly and The Brass Menagerie.

Years of firemen’s parades in Media preceded the concerts, and there were other activities and free ice cream for children at the celebrations in Glen Providence. As described in 1971, “The Jaycees will fill a gallon jug with beans… Girls and boys will be asked to judge how many beans are in the jug and during the evening two bicycles will be awarded.”  Member Jaycees would also distribute American flags to children in the park.

Redcoats in the Park?!

The most unique pre-fireworks event in Glen Providence was a mock Revolutionary battle  in 1972! “The Battle Between the Redcoats and the Patriots” was enacted by Moody’s Militia, a Delaware County historical group.  “In Tuesday’s battle, the British will come from the left side of the pond in the park… They will attempt to capture an artillery piece held by American forces. The artillerymen, resplendent in gold braid and yellow all over their coats, will get help from the infantry which will try an encirclement movement, popping from behind trees and brush. Muskets will fire blank charges of black powder, and cries and shouts of the participants will be realistic.”  This was followed by a craft show in the park, then folk singing before the fireworks!   

Paring down the festivities

With all the side events, the fireworks remained the central element of July 4th celebrations. In 1974, the Jaycees reported, “Because we are strapped for money, our annual gala… has been trimmed to the bare essentials.” The “main essential” was the fireworks, “which annually draws 7,000 to 8,000 persons at dusk to Glen Providence Park.” Preserving the patriotic intent of the event, the Jaycees also budgeted for 2,000 free American flags for the crowd. There would, however, be no concert or parade. Sometime after 1974, Media Borough took over the annual fireworks, and aside from music and dancing in 1976 for the Bicentennial, it is unclear whether there were more July 4th concerts.

In a sad chapter in the annual fireworks, there were fights after the fireworks in 1972, 1973 and 1974, with the 1974 fights requiring a response by 50 police officers from eight departments. Fortunately this did not end the annual fireworks, which continued for another twelve years.

The end of a decades-long tradition

In two 1987 articles, the Philadelphia Inquirer documented the decision by Media Borough and Delaware County to cancel the annual fireworks, due to “crowd control problems in 1986,” safety concerns, and liability insurance.

“Media Fire Chief James Jefferies said that as other communities, such as Springfield and Marple Townships, eliminated their firework displays, the crowds in Media increased. ‘Last time people were actually sitting on State Street,’ Jefferies said. ‘There just would not have been a way for the police to get into the park to assist anyone and to get someone out of the park. You could not even form a lane on State Street.’”

There had also been an accident in 1986 where a man sustained second-degree burns to his leg, and was treated at Riddle Memorial Hospital. Delaware County Fire Marshal George T. Lewis Jr. indicated that “The people watching the fireworks at Glen Providence Park were within 50 feet of the display,” while the borough’s insurance required watchers to be seated at least 600 feet from the fireworks display – which would mean the watchers would have had to be seated outside the park, no closer than Lemon Street.

The end of the fireworks “also marked the end of a long tradition involving the Valenti family and Media. John Valenti, who came to Media in 1911, and later his son, Robert, were responsible for many years of fireworks displays in the borough” – John Valenti was listed among members of the fireworks committee in 1954. It was reported that in 1987, Robert Valenti went on to set off fireworks for Lansdowne.

The July 4th fireworks in Glen Providence Park had an amazing run, but  it is hard now to imagine thousands of people in the park, and it is certainly understandable why they ended! As there seems little chance of fireworks returning to the park, the annual July 4th fireworks will remain an exciting chapter in Glen Providence Park’s history.

In all of the articles about fireworks in the park, we only found one photograph from 1955! If you have any photos of the July 4th fireworks and festivities that you are willing to share, please email me at FriendsoftheGlen [at] gmail [dot] com.

Sources:

Chester Times and Delaware County Daily Times  articles researched on the Newspaper Archives of Delaware County Library:

Chester Times:
Centennial Program, June 2, 1950
Media Crowded, June 5, 1950
Media Holds Open House, August 16, 1951
Evening Festival, July 3, 1952
Media Reveals Program for July 4 Affair, May 25, 1954
Media BMA Ups Cost of July 4 Celebration, June 8, 1954
Parade, October 13, 1954
Media’s July 4 Plans Approved, May 24, 1955
Fireworks Sparkle at July 4th Fete, July 5, 1955
7 Fireworks Displays Set, July 3, 1956
Media Plans Gala 4th Celebration; Fireworks to Close Day’s Events, June 26, 1958
10,000 Watch Media Show, July 5, 1958
Media Plans All-Day July 4th Celebration, June 18, 1959

Daily Times:
Parade to Feature Celebration, June 25, 1960
Fancy Fourth Planned, June 30, 1962
County Marks Holiday, July 3, 1963
Fireworks To Be Seen, July 3, 1964
Fireworks Displays, July 3, 1965
Media July 4 Plans Announced, July 1, 1966
Community Fireworks Shows Listed, July 3, 1968
11 Areas Schedule Fireworks, July 3, 1969
County Communities Schedule July 4 Programs, July 3, 1970
Countians to help Nation Mark Birthday, July 3, 1971
Moody’s Militia to Battle in Media, July 1, 1972
Police say 42,000 watched fireworks displays in county, July 5, 1972
Media, July 3, 1974
Street fights follow fireworks in Media, July 5, 1974
4 arrested following Media fights, July 6, 1974
Great weather for fireworks, July 4, 1975
Media to note Bicen Saturday, July 9, 1976
Media, July 1, 1977

Philadelphia Inquirer on Philly.com:
Annual Fireworks Canceled; Problems with ‘86 Crowd Cited, June 21, 1987
Accident Halts Fireworks Displays in Media, July 2, 1987

To kick off our 2016 Summer Performance Series, Friends of Glen Providence Park is delighted to present Frog Holler for an afternoon of Rock-Indie-Bluegrass! This Berks County band mixes bluegrass banjo with rock crunch, seamlessly shifting from country shuffle to syncopated rock backbeats to teary-eyed ballads. Their memorable hooks and lyrics stick with you for days. This summer is their 20th anniversary!

Afternoon Concert in the Park

Saturday, June 25
4:30-6:00 pm
Glen Providence Park Stage, State Street, Media
Rain date: Sunday, June 26

Bring a blanket or chair, and relax on the lawn by the historical stage to enjoy a late afternoon concert! After the concert, head into Media for dinner and shopping, just 2 blocks away on State Street. As with all of our events, this concert is free and open to the public.

Thank you:

• Concert Sponsor Diego’s Cantina & Tequila Bar makes traditional peasant style food from the Puebla region of Mexico, on a wood burning grill. And it’s located just over 2 blocks from the entrance to the park!
• Concert Series Sponsor Media Recreation Board does so much for Media – including summer camp for kids, movies in Barrall Field, the Annual July 4th Celebration, and the Great Media Garage Sale Days.
• Concert Series Sponsor Media Rotary Foundation has been supporting the community by contributing to worthwhile organizations, groups and projects since 1983.
• Delaware County Parks & Recreation has cared for Glen Providence Park since its creation in 1935, and their support makes these concerts possible.

If the weather is questionable, we will post on Facebook and on our website by noon Saturday whether we will use our Sunday rain date.

For logistics, and for information on our upcoming July, August, and September performances, please see our 2016 Summer Performance Series announcement!

This spring, we learned about an 1897 inscription on an American Beech tree in Glen Providence Park! Research into its author revealed a family with deep roots in Media Borough, and direct involvement with other well-known characters and places in the park’s pre-history, from its years when it was known as Scroggie Valley. We also estimated the remarkable age of what is likely one of the park’s oldest trees.

Out of obvious view of passersby, the ornamental inscription reads:

Isaac Worrall
Media, Pa.
April 3, 1897

The Worralls were one of the earliest European families to settle near Media[1] after William Penn arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682. Early maps show a Worrall property across Ridley Creek from Broomall’s Run,[2] and you can find the Worrall family (sometimes spelled Worrell) on most of the historical maps of Media we have found.

The Isaac Worralls of Media

Four generations of Isaac Worralls listed on Ancestry.com lived and died in Media, Pennsylvania [3] – the 1860 census confirms the birth years of the first three generations.[4] At least the first three were builders, and seemingly all were active in community service. The first Isaac Worrall lived 1792-1865, the second 1827-1893, the third 1854-1920, and the fourth 1884-1948.[5] That’s at least 156 years of Isaac Worralls in Media! The third Isaac Worrall is likely our artistic inscriber – he would have been 43 years old in 1897.

The Isaac Worralls seem to have been involved in the shaping of Media Borough in its early decades after it was established in 1850. Just one source, the 1900 Semi-centennial of the Borough of Media,[6] lists Isaac Worrall as one of the incorporators of Christ Church in 1854; Isaac Worrall, Jr. as one of the incorporators of the Media Gas Company in 1866; and Isaac Worrall as a Burgess of Media 1891-1892. An Isaac Worrall served as a private in the Civil War under none other than captain John M. Broomall[7] – an active opponent of slavery, a US Congressman, and the owner of Scroggie Valley from around 1864 to his death in 1894. Continuing into the 20th century, an Isaac Worrall was one of the founding members of South Media Fire Company in 1922.[8]

Scroggie Builders!

Beyond community involvement, the Isaac Worralls left tangible marks – they built structures that still stand in Media. An 1855 Map of Media lists Isaac Worrall, Jr. as a mason;[9] the 1860 census lists Isaac Worrall as “Master Stone Mason”; and an 1870 Plan of Media lists “Isaac Worrall, builder.”[10] Several Worrall building projects are listed in the local papers from the late 1800’s, including the brick “centre building” of the Elwyn Institute in 1858.[11] An 1864 advertisement for bricks manufactured by Isaac Worrall, Jr. lists “all kinds of Bricks, consisting of hard, salmon, pressed, back and front stretchers, paving, etc., all well assorted, and of the best qualities”[12] – Worrall bricks could have been used in any number of remaining 19th century buildings around Media!

Notably, in 1867, Isaac Worrall built a “farm house” for his former Civil War captain, Judge John M. Broomall, at “Scrogy”, as announced in the Delaware County American: “The scenery around it is abrupt, yet very fine, and such as might suit the visionary fancies of the romantic, but not the more practical ideas of a thorough farmer.” [13] So, Isaac Worall built the stone Scroggie estate that still exists today, which shared its name with Scroggie Valley and the Scroggie Shingle Mill, and played a role in the glen’s 1700’s Newlywed Ghost Story! 

Delaware County Institute of Science

More Worrall intersections with Glen Providence history can be found in the Delaware County Institute of Science (DCIS). In 1902, DCIS President T. Chalkley Palmer presented a paper about“Local Mineralogy and Mineralogists,” [14] including Isaac Worrell[5] among the mineralogists. Chalkley Palmer is the man who wrote in depth about Scroggie Valley in 1889, and who was the subject of our history lecture at DCIS in February. DCIS has microscope slides of diatoms collected by Palmer at “Worrell’s Spring” in 1902, which we discovered when viewing slides Palmer collected from Scroggie Run. The 1911 Proceedings of the Delaware County Institute of Science lists in the Anthropology Section of its Museum Catalogue, “Collection of several hundred arrow heads, supposed to be mainly local, presented by Isaac Worrall, Sr., of Media.”[15] These would likely be from the local Okehocking, and it is fun to imagine some could have been collected in the glen.

So how old is the tree?

In 2015, we measured the diameter of the tree as 45.5”. Based on a formula by the International Society of Arboriculture to estimate the age of trees without taking a core sample, we multiplied the diameter by 6 to estimate the age of an American Beech tree in a wooded area. [16] The estimated age is 273 years old – the American Beech could have been growing as early as 1742, before the American Revolution! The tree would have had to be fairly large already in 1897 when Isaac Worrall carved that inscription.

How intruiging that the Isaac Worrall who left a long-lasting mark in Glen Providence Park was part of such an enduring family of Media, and a part of Scroggie Valley history!

A tremendous thank you to Scott McConnell for telling us about the American Beech, which we had walked past innumerable times without noticing its inscription. What a wonderful piece of history – we are so glad Scott was observant enough to discover it!

At this point, to protect the tree, we won’t publish where in the park it is located. If you have any photographs or more information about the Isaac Worralls of Media Borough or their descendants, please let us know! 

Endnotes are below the photo.

“Isaac Worrall
Media, Pa.
April 3, 1897″

ENDNOTES:

[1] The Rose Tree Families, Jane Levis Carter, KNA Press, 1984.

[2] “Map of Early Settlements from early Taylor Surveys,” The Rose Tree Families, Jane Levis Carter, KNA Press, 1984.

[3] Ancestry.com records on Isaac Worrall retrieved May 26, 2016.

[4] June 25, 1860 census of “Free Inhabitants in Media Borough” accessed through Ancestry.com, listing the second Isaac Worrall as a “Master Stone Mason.”

[5] As each generation aged, the use of Jr. gave way to Sr., making it unclear to which of the four Isaac Worralls some of the local records referred. Additionally, Worrall is occasionally spelled as Worrell (even within the same family), and there were other Isaac Worralls living in the area in the 1800’s. But the 1860 census of Media Borough make the birth years of the first three generations clear. There is an obituary consistent with this family history for “Isaac Worrall, Member of Old Family” in the August 2, 1948 Chester Times.

[6] Semi-centennial of the Borough of Media, Penna., May 19, 1900.

[7] PaCivilWar.com – retrieved May 26, 2016. Isaac Worrall was in the Sixteenth Regiment Militia under Captain John M. Broomall.

[8] South Media Fire Company, http://www.southmediafire.com/our-history.php retrieved May 31, 2016. Three other Worralls were included in the founders.

[9] 1855 Map of Media the Seat of Justice Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Thos. Hughes, C.E., courtesy of Media Historic Archives.

[10] 1870 Plan of the Borough of Media, PA by G.M. Hopkins, C.E., courtesy of Delaware County Institute of Science.

[11] “A Noble Institution,” Delaware County Republican, June 11, 1858.

[12] “Media Brick Yard,” Delaware County American, May 4, 1864.

[13] “Improvements in Media,” Delaware County American, April 10, 1867.

[14] Delaware County Institute of Science Minutes: “October 16, 1902 – President Palmer read a highly interesting paper on “Local Mineralogy and Mineralogists”. Among the latter he referred to Dr. George Smith, Col. Joseph Willcox, Theodore D. Rand, Dr. J. M. Cardeza, Patrick Bradley, Lewis Palmer, John Smedley, Deshong, Dr. W. T. W. Dickeson, and Isaac Worrell.”

[15] Proceedings of the Delaware County Institute of Science, Volume VI: October, 1910 to July, 1911. Media.

[16] Asheville GreenWorks, ashevillegreenworks.org/how-old-is-my-tree retrieved May 26, 2016.

Goblins, ghosts, and witches returned to Glen Providence Park for its Halloween 80th birthday party! Amidst the deepening shadows on the last evening in October, more than 160 revelers came out to celebrate the 80th birthday of Glen Providence Park. 

Witches, scarecrows and the young at heart, making their way toward the glimmering stage filled with jack o’lanterns, descended from the main entrance to Glen Providence Park along a path lighted with glowing luminarias. Trees in full fall splendor reflected the glow of sun setting into the valley below. Lions and tigers and bears clambered up a trail out of the glen to join the spectacle of other brightly colored merrymakers anticipating the first Halloween event in the park in more than twenty-five years.

The lilting voice of Hedgerow’s Grey Kelsey, accompanied by her guitar, filled the air with a medley of spooky songs warming up the crowd for an evening of both tricks and treats by the resourceful and talented actors of Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, America’s first repertory theatre.

The entertainment took a dramatic turn with the narrative “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping…” During his spellbinding performance, Brock Vickers’ footsteps hammered out across the stage, the haunting syncopated rhythm of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”. Vickers captivated the audience – that spanned all ages, from the first line to the last ‘nevermore.’ Still one of the most memorable poems of all times, it was published by Poe in 1845.

Following the lively “Witches’ Play” with Susan Wefel, Glen Providence Park Board President Stephanie Gaboriault invited the children on stage to blow out a candle on one of the cupcakes commemorating the park’s birthday. Cupcakes were then distributed among the audience and actors who still had room for a little more sugar!

Work started on Glen Providence Park on October 31, 1935 – a fitting birthday considering the glen’s haunted past, as recounted in 1909 in a scrapbook of prominent local physician and historian Dr. Anna Broomall. Two stories of local folklore documented in that scrapbook took place in Glen Providence Park long before 1935, back when it was called Scroggie Valley: a 1700’s Newlywed Ghost Story and the 1800’s Witches Ride. The Hedgerow Ensemble enacted both of these eerie tales,  also recreating a scene from the tavern in one of the stories, with Hedgerow Executive Director Penelope Reed as Dr. Anna Broomall.

Twilight enveloped the park as the evening concluded with Grey Kelsey leading the audience and Hedgerow actors in singing the Hallowe’en song. A parade of costumed characters departed the park for a night of trick or treating on the town.

This celebration exceeded all our expectations and we are so grateful for the many people and organizations that supported this wonderful community event.

Thank you to our Event Sponsor Sterling Pig, the exciting new restaurant and brewery located on the border of Glen Providence Park, just one block from the main entrance. The amazing ensemble actors of Hedgerow Theatre, our wonderful partner in this dramatic event, made the experience fun and brought history to life. Delaware County Parks & Recreation restored the historical stage this summer for the park’s 80th anniversary. They have cared for Glen Providence Park since its creation in 1935, and their support makes our events possible.

And a special round of applause to the many families, friends, neighbors and members of the community who participated whole heartedly in this event!

See the wonderful photos by George Tate for a taste of this bewitching event! Click on any for a closer look, or scroll through them all…

Most photos by George Tate, with additional photos by Stephanie Gaboriault, Holly Hoffmann, and Friends of Houtman Park.

The last concert of the 2015 Summer Concert Series in Glen Providence Park, on the rain date September 13, was provided by the “Delco Let There Be Rock” school in Folsom. The concert was an awesome three hour display of outstanding youth talent and unbridled enthusiasm! John and Melissa Daley, the school directors, rotated bands every two or three songs, for a wide variety of all great rock and roll. The show was dubbed “Media’s Mini-Woodstock” by the youth musicians and in fact, a bunch of songs from the original Woodstock in 1969 were played by different groups; which was a lot of fun for the older folks in the crowd of 200 or so.

The set list (original band – song) for the day included Paramore – Misery Business, Mayday Parade – Jersey, Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love, Janis Joplin – Piece of my Heart, The Who – My Generation, Jimi Hendrix – Fire, Greenday – When I Come Around, Nirvana – Lithium, Misfits – Dig up her Bones, Social Distortion – Don’t Drag Me Down, Jimmy Eat World – Sweetness, Tool – Sober, Rise Against – Savior, Guns and Roses – Welcome to the Jungle, Steppenwolf – Born to be Wild, Van Halen – Runnin’ with the Devil, Iron Maiden – The Trooper, Joe Cocker version – Little Help From My Friends, Bush – Come Down and Alter Bridge – Cry of Achilles. The park was certainly rocking!

The behavior and strong performances of the bands demonstrated both the quality of the performance and musical education and the caring environment provided by the school directors and teachers.

Our event photographer, George Tate, documented the show better than words can describe, so be sure to check out all the photos of the concert below. You can click on any photo and scroll through them.

♫

We are grateful to Delaware County Parks & Recreation for resurfacing the 1937 WPA stage this summer for Glen Providence Park’s 80th anniversary!

Many thanks to all who made this concert possible: Delaware County Parks & Recreation, Concert Series Sponsors Media Recreation Board and Media Rotary Foundation, Concert Sponsor Desert Rose, our volunteers, Marcia Tate for her artful decoration of the stage, the 200+ people who attended, our tireless Concert Chair Lisa Johnson, and of course the talented young musicians of Delco Let There Be Rock School!

Philly Winds, a local classical winds ensemble, performed a wide range of classical styles for the third in our Summer Concert Series at Glen Providence Park on a sunny Saturday, August 31. Five talented players — clarinet (Bob Stanley), oboe (Ross Gombiner), French horn (Rachel Braddick), bassoon (Lorraine Jewett), and flute/piccolo (Rebecca Simon) — wove complex, intelligent melodies to a nice crowd of 125 or so, on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

With works from Debussy, Mozart, and Milhaud, and a repertoire from all periods and genres, including classical, popular opera overtures, new and Caribbean Jazz-inspired music, the selections bespoke the group’s daring willingness to brave complex, heady works — a strikingly ambitious program! All members showed competent handling of wild, fast-paced changes and vast dynamic shifts — jumping between brash and dissonant one moment and subtle and harmonious the next. Certainly the music was enjoyed by all the audience, whether personally familiar or not with classical music.

♫

We are grateful to Delaware County Parks & Recreation for resurfacing the 1937 WPA stage this summer for Glen Providence Park’s 80th anniversary!

Many thanks to all who made this concert possible: Delaware County Parks & Recreation, Concert Series Sponsors Media Recreation Board and Media Rotary Foundation, Concert Sponsor Shere-E-Punjab Indian Restaurant, our volunteers, Marcia Tate for her artful decoration of the stage, the 125+ people who attended, our tireless Concert Chair Lisa Johnson, and of course the talented musicians of Philly Winds!

Thank you to Shannon Davidson for taking these wonderful photographs – scroll through to see what it was like!

Immediately following the park’s 80th Anniversary Celebration, the invitingly intimate outdoor venue of the vintage stage at Glen Providence Park was once again the absolute perfect setting for an evening of live entertainment – this time the solid groove laid down by the talented and innovative JEAN THERAPY on Saturday July 25th at the second in the 2015 Summer Concert series.

The audience of over 200 was treated to a tight 17 song set that covered 60’s and 70’s hits from Stevie Wonder (Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing), Joni Mitchel (Black Crow, Freeman in Paris), The Doobie Brothers (Listen to the Music), Bill Withers (Ain’t No Sunshine) and others.

Jean Therapy’s fabulous arrangement of Richard Rodgers’ My Favorite Things from the 60’s musical The Sound of Music was a cleverly delightful mash-up of Julie Andrews and Steely Dan, and the conga beat of Santana’s 1969 hit Evil Ways had the audience in full sway and clapping along.

We are grateful to Delaware County Parks & Recreation for completing the resurfacing the 1937 WPA stage for the park’s 80th anniversary performance of Jean Therapy!

Many thanks to all who made this concert possible: Delaware County Parks & Recreation, Concert Series Sponsors Media Recreation Board and Media Rotary Foundation, Concert Sponsor Diego’s Cantina, our volunteers, Marcia Tate for her artful decoration of the stage, the 200+ people who attended, our tireless Concert Chair Lisa Johnson, and of course the talented musicians of Jean Therapy!

Jean Lenke – Lead Vocals & Percussion
Dan McKay – Guitar & Vocals
Joe Major – Keys, Vocals, & Percussion
John Ciliberto – Drums & Percussion
George Livanos – Bass, Vocals
Steve Bartlett – Sax, Flute, Keys & Congas

Click on any photo for a closer look!

Photos by author.

For the final of four concerts in our 2015 Summer Concert Series, Friends of Glen Providence Park is excited to present a youth concert by Delco Let There Be Rock School! The School will draw from their pool of talent, and present 6 or 7 bands to play a variety of music, from country to theatre to rock! In the rear of the audience, there will be free vocal and guitar workshop tents where anyone at the concert is free to get musical evaluations and recommendations from the staff.

Sunday, September 13
3:00-6:00 pm – *note the earlier starting time!
Glen Providence Park Stage, State Street, Media
Rain date: Sunday, September 13

***RAIN DATE UPDATE: Due to forecasted thunderstorms, we will use our rain date of Sunday, September 13 at 3:00.*** 

Delco School of Rock teaches music lessons in a supportive environment – it serves a Community Center where its students collaborate with other students, practice their instruments, and do their homework. Live performances create empowering opportunities for the students, and are fun for the audience and bands alike!

So bring a blanket or chair, and relax on the lawn by the stage to enjoy an afternoon of exciting performances! After the concert, head into Media for dinner and shopping, just 2 blocks away on State Street. As with all of our events, this concert is free and open to the public.

Thank you:

• Concert Sponsor Desert Rose is an authentic Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Street food BYO, with an a eclectic mix of Moroccan, Israeli, and Iraqi cuisine. And the family-owned restaurant is located just 2 blocks from the entrance to the park!
• Concert Series Sponsor Media Recreation Board does so much for Media – including summer camp for kids, movies in Barrall Field, the Annual July 4th Celebration, and the Great Media Garage Sale Days.
• Concert Series Sponsor Media Rotary Foundation has been supporting the community by contributing to worthwhile organizations, groups and projects since 1983.
• Delaware County Parks & Recreation has cared for Glen Providence Park since its creation in 1935, and their support makes these concerts possible.

If the weather is questionable, we will post on Facebook and on our website by noon Saturday whether we will use our Sunday rain date.

For logistics, please see our 2015 Summer Concert Series announcement!