Narberth Parks & Recreation committee approves planning for April movie night, September food-truck festival
January 19, 2025 | Narberth, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
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NARBERTH, Pa. — The Narberth Parks & Recreation committee voted Jan. 14 to proceed with planning for an outdoor movie night on April 26, 2025, and a food-truck festival targeted for the weekend of Sept. 20, 2025, while directing staff to confirm scheduling with borough staff and the council.
The committee said the movie night would tentatively begin at 7:30 p.m. at the gazebo (with a 7:45 p.m. projection target), and members discussed backup technical plans including renting a vendor to provide screen, projector and sound, borrowing a library projector, or using an inflatable screen. Committee member Rebecca Moore proposed bundling multiple park activities into a single “Narberth Parks Day” and said the aim is to “get more of the community involved in, knowledgeable about our parks, and in making it a more playful environment,” language she used during the meeting.
Why it matters: Committee members framed both events as community-activation tools that can introduce residents to Narberth’s parks and to the borough’s forthcoming Master Parks Plan, which committee members expect will be adopted before the summer and could be promoted at the festivals.
Most important details: the movie night is set for Saturday, April 26, 2025, with a 7:30 p.m. advertised start and a projected 7:45 p.m. showtime; the food-truck festival is targeted for Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, with committee discussion suggesting a 4–8 p.m. window for food vendors and music. The committee discussed a modest initial vendor lineup (pizza, tacos, cheesesteak and ice cream) and a target of about four trucks for the first year. Members said food trucks typically supply their own generators; the borough will require vendors to cover their own power unless otherwise negotiated.
Technical, cost and licensing issues were raised repeatedly. One committee member said a full vendor package that supplies screen, AV and licensing ran about $1,000 at the last local events she worked on; the group also noted that inflatable screens can be purchased for roughly $200 for smaller-scale use. Committee members emphasized the need for an operator or vendor who can provide a public-performance license if the borough does not use a licensed vendor. Jeff Elling, Narberth director of public works, told the committee there is “ample power in the scoreboard room in the field house,” and that power availability should not prevent locating the screen where it best serves attendees.
The committee also discussed waste and recycling plans for the food-truck festival, noting prior practice of placing extra wheeled trash carts and using volunteer teams to help with sorting and composting at larger events. Members suggested coordinating with local volunteers and groups that have supported past events to staff recycling and trash stations.
Other items discussed during the meeting included outreach to secure an AED for Narberth Park and the committee’s annual park-user meeting. The committee said it will reach out to Main Line Health contacts and neighborhood leaders to request a donation or funding for an automatic external defibrillator to be centrally located in Narberth Park, with a target of having an AED in place by April. Committee members also reaffirmed plans to hold their annual park-user meeting in March to gather feedback from recurring user groups such as the Carver Athletic Association and the July 4th organizers.
Votes at a glance: the committee approved the prior month’s meeting minutes by voice vote. At the Jan. 14 meeting the committee then moved and seconded a motion to approve planning for the events described above; members approved the motion by voice vote. The committee recorded that staff must confirm there are no calendar conflicts with borough programming and will submit the dates and proposal to borough council for final approval.
What’s next: Committee members asked staff to confirm the borough calendar (Alan) and to seek council approval; the committee plans to coordinate vendor outreach, license and sound testing, a technical test run before the movie night, and promotion through Narberth community channels. The committee also asked staff to return to the March meeting with updates. No final contracts, licences or vendor commitments were approved at the Jan. 14 meeting; the vote was for planning and scheduling only.
The committee said the movie night would tentatively begin at 7:30 p.m. at the gazebo (with a 7:45 p.m. projection target), and members discussed backup technical plans including renting a vendor to provide screen, projector and sound, borrowing a library projector, or using an inflatable screen. Committee member Rebecca Moore proposed bundling multiple park activities into a single “Narberth Parks Day” and said the aim is to “get more of the community involved in, knowledgeable about our parks, and in making it a more playful environment,” language she used during the meeting.
Why it matters: Committee members framed both events as community-activation tools that can introduce residents to Narberth’s parks and to the borough’s forthcoming Master Parks Plan, which committee members expect will be adopted before the summer and could be promoted at the festivals.
Most important details: the movie night is set for Saturday, April 26, 2025, with a 7:30 p.m. advertised start and a projected 7:45 p.m. showtime; the food-truck festival is targeted for Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, with committee discussion suggesting a 4–8 p.m. window for food vendors and music. The committee discussed a modest initial vendor lineup (pizza, tacos, cheesesteak and ice cream) and a target of about four trucks for the first year. Members said food trucks typically supply their own generators; the borough will require vendors to cover their own power unless otherwise negotiated.
Technical, cost and licensing issues were raised repeatedly. One committee member said a full vendor package that supplies screen, AV and licensing ran about $1,000 at the last local events she worked on; the group also noted that inflatable screens can be purchased for roughly $200 for smaller-scale use. Committee members emphasized the need for an operator or vendor who can provide a public-performance license if the borough does not use a licensed vendor. Jeff Elling, Narberth director of public works, told the committee there is “ample power in the scoreboard room in the field house,” and that power availability should not prevent locating the screen where it best serves attendees.
The committee also discussed waste and recycling plans for the food-truck festival, noting prior practice of placing extra wheeled trash carts and using volunteer teams to help with sorting and composting at larger events. Members suggested coordinating with local volunteers and groups that have supported past events to staff recycling and trash stations.
Other items discussed during the meeting included outreach to secure an AED for Narberth Park and the committee’s annual park-user meeting. The committee said it will reach out to Main Line Health contacts and neighborhood leaders to request a donation or funding for an automatic external defibrillator to be centrally located in Narberth Park, with a target of having an AED in place by April. Committee members also reaffirmed plans to hold their annual park-user meeting in March to gather feedback from recurring user groups such as the Carver Athletic Association and the July 4th organizers.
Votes at a glance: the committee approved the prior month’s meeting minutes by voice vote. At the Jan. 14 meeting the committee then moved and seconded a motion to approve planning for the events described above; members approved the motion by voice vote. The committee recorded that staff must confirm there are no calendar conflicts with borough programming and will submit the dates and proposal to borough council for final approval.
What’s next: Committee members asked staff to confirm the borough calendar (Alan) and to seek council approval; the committee plans to coordinate vendor outreach, license and sound testing, a technical test run before the movie night, and promotion through Narberth community channels. The committee also asked staff to return to the March meeting with updates. No final contracts, licences or vendor commitments were approved at the Jan. 14 meeting; the vote was for planning and scheduling only.
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