Welcome to Discover Lansdale!

Thank you for visiting Discover Lansdale's website. We are happy to help you get to know what is going on in and around the borough. Over the years, we have brought you many events as well as helped many other organizations with theirs. Our goal is to put Lansdale on the map, one event at a time.

The second annual Discover Lansdale Business Directory is out! To see and shop the nearly 200 businesses and services listed, please click here. To use our fun interactive map, produced in cooperation with Lansdale Borough's GIS department, please click here. And to get a copy, all throughout 2017, look for it at your favorite establishments all around town. And remember, SHOP LANSDALE FIRST!!

Coming right up: The huge annual Founders Day celebration, Aug. 26. Yes, there will again be fireworks! Details are now available on our Founders Day page -- and click here to register your vintage car for the Founders Day parade!

First Fridays are really rollling! DOG DAYS OF SUMMER, on Aug. 4, rocked with the Pennise Family Band. Next up: Sept. 1, with the theme Cool for School and music by Love Jones (and, again, hopefully no rain). Click Here for the full FF season schedule.

In other local news, registration forms are available on our site for the Fairmount Fire Co. annual Golf Outing, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Click here for details.

Discover Lansdale is dedicated to helping support Life in Motion through community growth by creating opportunities for a vibrant and evolving destination for businesses and families to ensure a healthy way of life. We will provide a safe venue for signature events, entertainment, nightlife, shopping and work.

We stage such borough events as Founders Day (and fireworks!), First Fridays including the Zombie Walk and Chili Cookoff, and Cruise Night. We support and sponsor many other Lansdale causes and events. And we own and are in the process of restoring the historic Reading Freight Station. CLICK HERE for a look at all the town's 2017 major events, from Discover Lansdale and others!!

Read below for a plea for your assistance. And click here to donate to Discover Lansdale's Freight Station effort.

Founders Day, Aug. 26, 2017:
Lifetime Achievement Award,
Vintage Car Parade,
Food, Fun, Music -- and Fireworks!!

Yes, it's that time of year again, and you can feel the excitement building for the 2017 Founders Day -- all around Lansdale, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017! Visit out Founders Day page and schedule, where you can register your car for the new Vintage Car Parade. Check out the music, the food, the health fair, the awarding of the Lifetime Achievement Award -- and much more!

And also new on this site:

WIN A Complete Lionel John Deere Train Set!!
A $400.00 Value. We are raffling this train set with all proceeds going to Discover Lansdale's restoration of the 1903 Reading RR Freight House. Drawing will be at the end of September's First Friday (9/1/17).

Tickets are just $1 each or 10 for $5.
Stop at Henning's Trains, 128 S. Line St., to get your tickets. While there check out the complete store remodel and TWO new train layout displays.
Or stop by Discover Lansdale's table at local events such as First Fridays and Founders Day.

NOTE: If you are not in the area, email bill@billhenning.com to obtain tickets. Everyone involved with the effort to save this historic treasure appreciates your support.

Volunteer Work Days
at the Freight House Update

A big THANK YOU to the many people who have been generously volunteering their time during our various Freight House Volunteer Work Days. Despite things seeming quiet on the outside, we have been busily making progress inside on the restoration of the century-old stately stone structure that greets visitors to downtown Lansdale.

A new set of stairs have been added along with a railing around the upper landing at the main front door of the Freight House. Much of this is temporary during the restoration.
We have removed all of the old glass from the large transom windows above each of the big freight doors. Out of 102 panes of glass, only 2 were not cracked or broken.
Most of the original wood flooring has been pulled up. This needs to be removed to accommodate structural repairs to the floor joists underneath. This part of the work has gone more slowly because 1/3 of the freight house floor was covered with a 4” poured concrete slab on top of the wood floor. (If anyone else has a jack hammer and can volunteer time or loan it for our use, it would be very much appreciated.)
Minor holes and openings in the roof have been repaired.

One of our biggest hurdles is the cost of the project. Discover Lansdale is a non-profit 501c(3) civic organization, so our funds are limited. The majority of expenses will need to be covered by donations, various fund raisers and hopefully some form of grant(s).
There is much to do, including flooring, electrical, lighting, plumbing, HVAC, window & door restoration, etc. to reach our goal. Discover Lansdale hopes to create a facility that acts as a welcome center for the town -- along the new Liberty Trail – and serves as a showplace for the town’s history and growth, and a multi-purpose space for the community events, meetings and celebrations.

Freight House Funding Efforts include:

First Friday Baskets. Each month a large gift basket is raffled, with contents donated from various businesses and individuals.
Freight House Shadow Box. A limited number of shadow boxes are for sale, containing a section of original 1903 floorboard, a vintage photo of freight house, a brass-mounted plate and certificate of authenticity.
Donations. We are setting up a ‘Go Fund Me’ site to accept donations for the freight house restoration.
Original Flooring Sale. The original flooring is being salvaged and being sold for anyone’s projects. Build, create, design, inspire with great local historic lumber for shelving, tables, benches, rustic crafts, etc.
Volunteer Work Days. All the great help from volunteers will be saving $1,000’s on the project.
Discounts and Donations of Product & Services. With the help of the area’s generous business community, much will be saved throughout the project.
Grants. We will be applying for historic and community grants.

All funds and efforts directly benefit the Freight House restoration. Contact us for more information, and get involved with this great community project by joining our email list for updates and opportunities. Email us at bill@discoverlansdale.org or visit www.discoverlansdale.org.

Freight Station 2017

Friends of Discover Lansdale,

As you may know, in mid-2016 Discover Lansdale, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) civic organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the borough, purchased the stately stone structure to save it from the wrecking ball. The historic RR depot at the southern gateway to downtown Lansdale had fallen into disrepair after years of non-use.

We hope to restore it to its former glory, and more — to make it a welcome center for the town, a showplace for the town’s history and growth, and a resource for the entire community for events and celebrations.

Currently we are in the process of assessing the physical condition of the building, and determining what repairs will be needed to ensure its structural integrity now and far into the future. This, along with other improvements to come, will be a multi-year effort and an expensive undertaking.

Discover Lansdale is counting on you, and folks like you, to fund this effort. We hope you’ll be among the supporters helping to restore the Lansdale Freight Station as a town jewel. Whatever you can give would be greatly appreciated.

To donate online, just click here and click the “Donate” button, or go to the How to Help page under the Freight Station tab.

Or send your check to Discover Lansdale, PO Box 1112, Lansdale, PA 19446. Please note on the check that your donation is for the Freight House restoration. Every dollar you give will go towards that project.

Your donations are tax-deductible; we will acknowledge donations via email, or if you wish a letter of acknowledgement sent, please click the box on the payment page to allow sharing of your contact information with Discover Lansdale.

Thank You for giving back to our community. As always, Discover Lansdale appreciates your support.