A happy fourth in Glenside

Not even gasoline retailing for more than $4 a gallon could deter more than 600 children, parents and grandparents who gathered at Glenside's Harry Renninger Memorial Park yesterday for a morning of old-fashioned Fourth of July activities, including decorated bike competitions, sack races, hot dogs, and even a peanut toss.

"We come here every year," said Chuck Dougherty of Glenside shortly after daughter Megan, 7, took second in the sack race for her age group. "We think it's like Mayberry. Small-town America. You can't beat this."

While the majority of the families participating in the morning children's program drove short distances or walked, Glenside's celebration has proved to be such an enduring tradition that it attracts families from throughout the area and acts as a magnet, pulling former residents back to the park at Keswick Avenue and Waverly Road.

The morning activities were the first part of an Independence Day triple-header sponsored by the nonprofit Greater Glenside Patriotic Association, with Glenside's 105th annual July Fourth parade down Easton Road at 4 p.m. capped by a 9 p.m. fireworks extravaganza at the fields of Abington Junior and Senior High Schools.

"It's amazing the number of people who want to have a throwback to the old times," said William B. Hall, who coordinates the parade and fireworks, and is also the patriotic association's media director. All the events are free, and he said the association raises money to cover the $50,000 bill for the day, including $15,000 for a half-hour fireworks display.

Hall said the parade, which winds through Glenside's business district, is one of the nation's oldest consecutively run Fourth of July parades. In addition to local volunteer fire companies, this year's roster included the 150-member Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps from Berlin, Camden County, the Fralinger String Band, and the Olde Barracks Fife and Drum Corps based in Trenton.

"Everybody who is in the Fourth of July business in this area knows Glenside has a big parade," said Hall, who has been involved for a decade.

"Glenside has a lot to offer on the Fourth, so everybody that has moved away comes back and has a good time," said Bob Miller, a longtime resident. "The topic of discussion today is how bad the economy is and how much gas is costing, but it's not going to stop us from getting together."

His sister Debbie Messemer and her husband, Don, had driven more than 65 miles from their home in Wind Gap, near the Poconos. They were on hand to watch as their granddaughter Gianna Samyan, 3, of Boothwyn, streaked across the finish line to claim a big blue ribbon in the 3-year-old girls' race.

"When I was little, I used to run in the races," said Gianna's mother, Tina.

"It's in the family," added Debbie Messemer. "I'm Gianna's grandmother, and I was in these races when I was 10 years old."

She added: "Our family converges here. My mother still lives in Glenside. She is 84 and is the matriarch. So we all come here every Fourth of July."

After the morning's events, members of her extended clan - 52 in all - gathered at the home of one of Messemer's nieces for a barbecue. Then it was on to the parade and the fireworks.

Glenside, in eastern Montgomery County, includes parts of Cheltenham and Abington Townships and a sliver of Springfield Township. Cheltenham and Abington provide crucial support for the celebration, but dedicated volunteers run the show, said Drew Sharkey, a freshman Cheltenham Township commissioner.

Debbie and Mike Ryan and their family have been directing the children's program for 28 years. "Typically, we see somewhere between 600 and 1,000 people," said Jennifer Boyd, one of the Ryans' three daughters, who gave out ribbons to winners in the sports competitions.

"We have been doing this so long, everybody knows what to do," explained her sister, Amy Schmidt, who had just put down her bullhorn after overseeing the peanut toss. Family friend Mike Forbes had hoisted the 50-pound bag of peanuts and flung it down a small hill toward a swarm of children holding paper bags and cups. The children scrambled to find the 15 peanuts among the mix that had been painted red, white or blue so they could claim small monetary prizes.

"We had to up the ante," Schmidt said. "It used to be 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents. Now it's a dollar."

She said the Independence Day celebration helps define the community.

"It's just fun," Schmidt said. "What would Glenside be without the morning program and then the parade and the fireworks?"