Mummers to perform for seniors

HARLEYSVILLE >> Couldn’t make it to Philadelphia last month for the annual Mummers Parade? Fear not.

The Mummers All Stars will give a performance on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the Birches at Harleysville.

The free event will take place at 2 p.m. at the senior center on 691 Main St. in Harleysville. It’s open to the public, and anyone interested in attending should call 215-541-3700 to RSVP by Friday, Feb. 7.

“The Mummers [Parade] is a Philadelphia tradition, and … we love to have the Mummers come here and put on a show for us,” said Melissa Gancart, resident life director for The Birches at Harleysville.

Nicole Rohrbach, executive director of The Birches at Harleysville, agreed.

“The Mummers coming is just one other way that they [the residents] are living a vibrant life here at the Birches, and ... it’s just a wonderful way for them to continue to be part of [this] Philadelphia tradition because many of them are from there,” she said.

Gancart, added the trio puts on a show with their costumes, choreography and music choices.

“They come dressed to the nines,” Gancart said.

Appetizers, champagne and punch will be served during the event, Gancart said. Event organizers agreed that about 45 to 50 people of all ages typically attend the event, and some come back year after year with their children and grandchildren.

“Our residents get to share with the next generation ... what they loved about the Mummers, and they get to see that in again a safe environment where they’re getting to see all the good things that come with the parade and what the Mummers are,” Rohrbach said.

For more information about the center, visit www.thebirchesatharleysville.com.