Classic Cars on Easton Road, Seven Blocks of Art in the Square, and a Weekend Festival Across Three Parks: Your September-October Events Guide for Rydal

Think Rydal winds down after the summer concerts fade and the farmers markets start eyeing their end-of-season date? The next six weeks say otherwise. The calendar between now and early October is stacked with three of the biggest community events of the year: a classic car show that draws crowds from across the county, an art festival that turns downtown Jenkintown into an open-air gallery, and a weekend-long town festival that stretches across three Abington Township parks. If you have been waiting for the perfect stretch of weekends to convince yourself (or someone else) that this neighborhood delivers, this is it.

Each of these events is within a ten-minute drive of Rydal. Each one brings out the neighborhood in force: families pushing strollers, couples on date nights, seniors browsing vendor tents, kids running ahead toward the face-painting booth. And every single one of them is free or low-cost to attend. Here is your late-summer through early-fall lineup.

🎬 Vlog direction: Hand-held walking shot down Easton Road in Roslyn on a warm September afternoon, classic cars gleaming in the sun on both sides of the street, families strolling between a vintage red Mustang and a cherry-red Chevrolet, the smell of kettle corn drifting through the air, a car owner polishing a chrome bumper, golden-hour light catching the reflections in the windshields. Text overlay: "26TH ANNUAL ROSLYN FALL FESTIVAL & CAR SHOW — SATURDAY, SEPT 19, 12-5 PM."

01 26th Annual Roslyn Fall Festival & Car Show

On Saturday, September 19, from 12:00 to 5:00 PM, the 26th Annual Roslyn Fall Festival & Car Show takes over Easton Road between East Avenue and Woodland Avenue in Roslyn. This is the kind of event that has been running long enough to feel like a neighborhood institution: twenty-six years of classic cars, community booths, food vendors, and live entertainment strung along one of the most charming stretches of road in Abington Township.

The car show is the headliner, and it is a good one. Expect rows of restored automobiles spanning every decade: sleek 1950s Coupe de Villes, muscle cars from the 60s, vintage pickup trucks, and the occasional curveball like a perfectly preserved British roadster or a wood-paneled station wagon that somebody's grandfather drove off the lot in 1962. Car owners set up lawn chairs next to their vehicles and talk shop with anyone who wanders by. If you have a kid who can name every Mustang generation by its taillights, this is their paradise.

Beyond the cars, the festival stretches the length of the street with vendor booths selling handmade crafts, local food vendors working the grill, and a community stage with live music throughout the afternoon. The Roslyn Fire Company usually has its trucks out for kids to explore. The kettle corn and funnel cake lines are always worth the wait. It is the kind of September afternoon that reminds you why small-town main streets still matter: because they are the only place you can eat a hot dog off a paper plate while admiring a 1967 Camaro and chatting with your neighbors.

Parking is available in nearby lots and on side streets. The rain date, if needed, is typically the following Saturday. This one draws a big crowd, so arrive early if you want a good spot for photos of the cars in that warm September light. It is a seven-minute drive from Rydal, and it is completely free to attend.

🎬 Vlog direction: Slow pan across Jenkintown Town Square on a Sunday afternoon, white artist tents stretching down Greenwood Avenue under a canopy of mature trees, a painter adjusting a canvas on an easel, a ceramic artist arranging bowls on a display table, a small jazz band playing from a stage near the fountain, shoppers carrying totes with art purchases, golden late-afternoon light streaming through the leaves. Text overlay: "26TH ANNUAL JENKINTOWN FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS — SUNDAY, SEPT 27, 1-6 PM."

02 26th Annual Jenkintown Festival of the Arts

A week later, on Sunday, September 27, from 1:00 to 6:00 PM, the 26th Annual Jenkintown Festival of the Arts takes over Leedom Street and Greenwood Avenue in downtown Jenkintown. This is not a craft fair in a parking lot. This is seven blocks of juried artists, live music stages, food vendors, and the kind of creative energy that makes a town square feel alive.

The festival brings together more than 60 artists from across the region, each one selected by a jury for quality and originality. You will find oil paintings and watercolors, hand-thrown pottery and ceramic sculpture, photography printed on metal, mixed-media wall art, handcrafted jewelry, fiber art, woodworking, and glassblowing. Many of the artists work in booths that double as open studios: they will talk you through their process, show you sketches or material samples, and let you watch them work. It is a very different experience from buying art off a gallery wall. You get the story behind the piece before you decide to take it home.

Live music runs throughout the afternoon on multiple stages, with a lineup that typically spans jazz, folk, and acoustic sets. The food vendors set up along the square with options ranging from wood-fired pizza to Asian street food to classic festival fare. The Jenkintown restaurants and cafes along the route stay open with sidewalk seating, and the whole thing has the feel of a block party that accidentally turned into one of the best art festivals in Montgomery County.

Parking is available in the Jenkintown commuter lot and on surrounding streets. The festival is a five-minute drive from Rydal, free to attend, and dog-friendly. If you are new to the area, this is one of those events that will make you feel like you have already found your people: neighbors who show up for local artists, live music, and a Sunday afternoon well spent.

🎬 Vlog direction: Wide drone-style establishing shot of Crestmont Park on a bright October afternoon, families spread out across the grass on picnic blankets, a bouncy castle glowing in the sun, a small stage with musicians playing, the aroma of grilled food drifting through the air, pumpkins and hay bales decorating the pavilion, kids running with orange balloon animals, golden late-afternoon light bathing the whole scene. Text overlay: "ABINGTON FEST — FRI OCT 2 THROUGH SUN OCT 4 — THREE PARKS, ONE WEEKEND."

03 Abington Fest: A Weekend Across Three Parks

If one event across three parks in a single weekend sounds ambitious, that is because it is. The second annual Abington Fest runs Friday, October 2, through Sunday, October 4, and it covers more ground than any single festival in the township calendar. Three parks, three different kinds of fun, and one weekend that closes out the outdoor season in style.

It kicks off on Friday, October 2, at 7:00 PM with a Family Movie Night at Roychester Park. Bring blankets and lawn chairs, grab a spot on the grass, and watch a family-friendly film projected under the stars. Popcorn and concessions are usually available. It is the kind of low-key Friday night that works whether you have kids in tow or you just want an excuse to sit outside in early October weather.

Saturday, October 3 is the big day. It starts early with a Kids' Dash at Roslyn Park at 8:00 AM for children ages 2 through 10. It is free, it is adorable (think toddlers in superhero costumes crossing a finish line to cheers from strangers), and it sets the tone for the rest of the day. Right after the dash comes the 5K Race at 8:30 AM through the streets around Roslyn Park. Registration is $30 for adults and $20 for youth, with proceeds supporting township programming. Then from 12:00 to 3:00 PM on Saturday, the action moves to Crestmont Park for the main Fall Festival: food trucks, live music, games, inflatables, craft vendors, and community organization booths all spread across the park's green expanse.

Sunday, October 4 rounds out the weekend with additional activities still being finalized at Crestmont Park. The first Abington Fest in 2025 was a standout success, and the 2026 edition promises to be even bigger. The whole thing is designed to be walkable, family-friendly, and affordable: most activities are free, and the ones that carry a fee are priced to include everyone.

All three parks are within minutes of Rydal. Roychester Park is off Roychester Road near the Jenkintown border. Roslyn Park is at 1200 Roslyn Avenue. Crestmont Park is at 1000 Crestmont Avenue in the Crestmont section of Abington. You can easily hit the movie on Friday, the 5K and fall festival on Saturday, and whatever Sunday has in store without ever driving more than ten minutes between events. This is the weekend that makes fall in Abington Township feel like a destination.