Community Corner

All Smiles Saturday for Lower Gwynedd Countrie Picnic

The annual Lower Gwynedd Township event features 'A Taste of Lower Gwynedd' restaurant sampling and a bake-off competition.

Community comes together for one day Saturday during the admission-free Lower Gwynedd Township Countrie Picnic event at Penllyn Woods.
"The celebration has Welsh roots just like Lower Gwynedd and everything else around here," said supervisors Chairwoman Kathleen Hunsicker. "It's just our give back to the community to have everyone gathered in one spot."
Elected officials, township staff, public works members, residents—everyone that makes the township work—will be enjoying one another.
Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will be accepting contributions at the picnic to help fight hunger in the Lower Gwynedd, Ambler and Whitpain areas.
Lower Gwynedd Township Parks and Recreation Director Sandi Feight said the Countrie Picnic, at one point, was hosted at Gwynedd-Mercy University. For many years, it was at The Greens at Spring House Village Shopping Center. Feight said Penllyn Woods has been the home of the picnic for the past decade. 
This year's event features "A Taste of Lower Gwynedd" with nine area restaurants serving samples of their food.
"It's always been a big hit," Hunsicker said. 
The restaurants taking part in "A Taste of Lower Gwynedd" include:
ARPEGGIO — www.arpeggiobyob.com
LA VILLA MEXICAN GRILLE — www.lavillamexicangrille.com
EL JEFE — www.eljefetaco.com
IL GIARDINO — www.ilgiardinopizzacafe.com
A TASTE OF ITALY — www.atasteofitaly.biz
MR. RON'S COLESLAW & RICE PUDDING
TONY RONI'S — www.tonyronis.com
YO JONES — www.yojones.com
POLE CUCINA — www.polecucina.com

Another big hit—the bake off competition.
Participants enter the seventh-annual bake off to be judged on the best pies, cakes, cupcakes, cookies and brownies.
Raffles will also be sold for the ball drop.
"The fire department comes out with a bucket, and people buy a raffle with a number, and that number is written on a tennis ball. The tennis balls are taken up in the sky with a big bucket on the fire engine. The balls are dropped onto a target," Hunsicker said. "The closest to the middle gets first place, and second place and so on as you move out from the target."  
A trackless train will run around the perimeter of Penllyn Woods. 
"They do a quarter-mile track around the park. The kids get a nice ride out of it," Feight said. 
The Lower Gwynedd Business Association, Foulkeways and other nonprofits and businesses will be setup at the picnic to promote themselves to the community.
"The business association is a great group. They are really strong now," Feight said.    
A helicopter is coming again this year, she said.
"Kids can get in cockpit and get to see what it's like being a pilot," Feight said.
"It's organized fun chaos," Hunsicker said of the event. "It's very well planned by the Countrie Picnic Committee. Sandi works really hard and is super organized. This is her baby." 
Hunsicker said she looks forward each year to see people she has not seen in a while.
"It's bonhomie for our township to give back and let residents know we appreciate them," she said.   
There is plenty of parking at the crown jewel park, located on Township Line Road. Entrance is on Penllyn Pike.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here