East Falls House Party Rocks Capacity Crowd of All Ages

What a night at Hohenadel House Saturday, October 18th!  Thanks to some last-minute press by “Joe Sixpack” in last Thursday’s Philadelphia Daily News, tickets started selling so quickly we were advised to turn off online sales to prevent a “Fire Marshal” situation.

The packed house included almost 150 partiers — most dressed to the nines– some from as far as Allentown and Maryland, not including Felicite’s dad from Oklahoma and Mike the contractor’s parents from Florida.

Two Hohenadels (Maggie & Mike) from Lancaster also drove out for the event:

Lancaster Hohenadels

What started out as an Open House for history buffs evolved into a truly exciting community celebration that proves East Falls is ready for more!

BEFORE -- beautiful ballroom

Mike Labetti and his crew worked round-the-clock the entire week before to ensure Harry Prime had his Grand Ballroom — and did he! Couples couldn’t help pair off and dance in such a romantic setting. Felicite’s choice of soft blue and crisp white played sweetly off the home’s original gold & mint green floral accents.

COLLAGE Harry sings

Harry Prime wowed ’em as usual! All his favorites brought smiles through the audience of young & old:  Fever,  Blue Moon, Pennies from Heaven, We’ll Be Together Again, The Last Dance… and many more. When Felicite serenaded him with “It Had to Be You,” they brought the house down.

COLLAGE museum great room

In the Great Room, a slideshow projection recapped the last six months of Hohenadel House’s  restorations (and some of the property’s history, as well).  The wood-paneled Conservatory featured East Falls Historical Society’s “Pop Up” museum of locally-dug Hohenadel bottles  and other regional artifacts from Aaron Bechtel’s collection — including a Sign Up sheet for free historical property surveys for East Fallsers that several party-goers filled out on the spot (find out more at EastFallsHistoricalSociety.com).

COLLAGE minardi

Local architecture photographer & historian Joe Minardi even did some book signing!

A delighted crowd rotated from room to room, enjoying Epicure Cafe’s puffed-pastry appetizers, roast beef sliders and veggie lasagna squares.

AND LET’S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE HISTORIC BEER!

COLLAGE brewers

How Was that pre-Prohibition Lager?! 

Pre-Prohibition beer is very similar to modern beer, except made from “heirloom”-type  ingredients that are usually less refined, more regional. Our East Falls Lager tasted lighter than a Yuengling but mellower, too.  Crisp but not sharp. Refreshing and dangerously drinkable (it was probably a good thing for this author that Tom Coughlin’s sixtel ran out after a half hour).

Fortunately, our brewers also brought a 19th Century bock beer that Hohenadel might’ve made, plus offered samples of  “a 440 Local”  (a single malt American Pale Ale).  In addition, their locally-sourced & brewed hard apple cider was packing quite a punch! And they poured in style, to boot.

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The event raised over $1,000 for East Falls Historical Society, which will go towards building a new e-commerce site offering historical digital prints and one-of-a-kind items inspired by unpublished images in our Grace Kelly collection.  Thanks, too, to EFCC & EFDC for help with promotions & parking. And of course HUUUUGE thanks to Tom & Arlene Leschak and the wonderful crew at Epicure Cafe for all your hard work & delicious food in support of our community.

East Falls House Party brought the neighborhood together for one very special night of music, history and cheer!

Thanks so much for everyone who came out and made it such a wonderful event!

 

 

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