Lansdale First Friday Returns Tonight

First Friday returns to Lansdale's Main Street and Madison Street this evening, hosted and organized by nonprofit Discover Lansdale.

It's got it all: local bands, moon bounce, food, vendors, family and friends.

"They are calling for 84 degrees and mostly dry weather. There's a slight chance of a thunderstorm, but I think that’s due to heat, so we're good in that regard," said co-organizer Mary Fuller during her discussion with the Lansdale Parks and Recreation Committee Wednesday night. 

"The focus is we want the community to gather. We want it to be mobile. We want everybody to get to enjoy something about it, with the overall goal of come see what’s downtown, even when we're rebuilding and revitalizing," Fuller said. "We want to get people used to the idea. We put a lot of effort into a good experience when you come downtown."

Music acts include The Breaks, Friends With Murder (FWM), Cheers Elephant, Nicos Gun and The Mighty Manatees. will also offer musical delight.

"North Richardson is where we will have two bands perform that Derek Calhoun has helped us with," Fuller said at the committee meeting. "He’s been a big part of the committee recently with helping us. We’re excited about his involvement. He came before the task force, and he has a lot of connections with a lot of local bands. We thought as First Friday and Discover Lansdale, we could harness a lot of that energy and ability. So, we’re going to be staging some of our local bands and showcasing our local talent."

She said Discover Lansdale put more time, effort and emphasis to search for the right type of music.

"We concentrated on bands we know are a draw, and are a draw at different age levels," she said. "We have pretty much kid to 60-plus covered with the range of music we are offering." 

Fuller said First Friday will have a mix of vendors, including service vendors, food vendors and craft/product vendors.

"There will be a lot of businesses. We stopped in at several restaurants and asked them to consider running a special or produce a coupon," Fuller said.

It all begins at 5 p.m. with a Chalk Walk, sponsored by the Lansdale Business Association. Meet at the Kugel Ball and decorate Main Street sidewalks with stencils and chalk. Gifts will be given to participants.

There will be four major areas of entertainment. Here's what you need to know:

Railroad Plaza/Kugel Ball

The Mighty Manatees will perform from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.

Vendors include:

• Community Housing Services
• Zeigler's
• Tabora Farms
• Silpada

"We are invited to be a part of First Friday," said parks and recreation director Carl Saldutti. "We will have an exhibit area, where we will be promoting some of our stuff. Next month, a couple of other providers of recreational opportunities through the department will display something also. We plan on being part of it for the next several months."

South Wood Street

Nicos Gun performs from 7:20 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Cheers Elephant performs from 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Vendors include:

• Lansdale Beer Tasting Festival
• Retro Fitness
• Texas Roadhouse

"South Wood Street will be the block party area, so that Round Guys Brewery and the Beerfest guys can give out beer samples, if they like," Fuller said. 

Madison Avenue's Family Corner

Milestones in Music will perform throughout the evening.

Be sure the youths jump on the moon bounce too and check out the entertainment from Clown Alley.

"There will be police cars with officers: that’s what we'll use as barricades for that area so kids can meet and greet officers," Fuller said.

Vendors include:

• North Penn Dental
• North Penn Under Ten 
• Big Chill
• New York Life
• Avon
• Action Karate
• Lansdale Cannoneers

Richardson Avenue

The Breaks and Friends With Murder perform from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Vendors include:

• Jimmie's Cupcakes
• George Schmidt Agency
• Lansdale Business Association

The Inglewood Elementary Jump Rope Group, which is made up of about 60 students, will perform at 6:45 p.m. in the parking lot next to the on Susquehanna Avenue.

"We think, in the future, we’d like to turn that into Susquehanna Showcase, and do something special in there, where we feature a thing each month," Fuller said.

Here's some other things to know:

• There will be three Porta-Potties in the and at Railroad Plaza.
• Madison Avenue will be inaccessible between Wood Street and Green Street. 
• South Wood Street will be closed between Main Street and Courtland Street.
• Railroad Avenue will also be closed.
• Main Street will remain open during First Friday, as will Susquehanna Avenue.

"You will be able to enter Madison from Main Street and from Wood Street. We thought it was important to keep the lot available," Fuller said. "We anticipate a lot of people coming in."

Fuller said there will be two official crossing guards through the police: one at Main Street and Railroad Avenue and a second one at Wood Street and Main Street. 

"All volunteers will be on hand. We will all be wearing green shirts so you can find us," Fuller said. "Volunteers will be helping us direct parking and keeping an eye on traffic and safety. Some volunteers will be roving with walkie talkies."

Four Discover Lansdale tables will be set up with information about the nonprofit and its sponsored events, with two volunteers per table.

There are some other events occurring at Lansdale Library in conjunction with the event:

• A used book sale begins tonight and runs to May 8. A variety of fiction, nonfiction, children's books, paperback books and DVDs will be on sale.
• North Penn Improv Troupe performs at the library at 6:30 p.m.

And don't expect any T-shirts this time around for First Friday.

"It's in the works," said Fuller. "We have buttons this time, not for selling, but we'll be wearing them to generate the concept and idea of Lansdale as a destination."

T-shirt sales and Fuller aren't the best of friends. Fuller has boxes upon boxes of Founders Day T-shirts from last August, which were never sold because

It was eventually rescheduled to October, but the T-shirts still had the old date on them.

"Hurricane season did not help T-shirt sales. We will proceed with caution with T-shirts," Fuller said. "I think people will wear them. I'm still a believer. I'm not down and out on the concept."

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