BMNA's Ice Cream Social Returns for Another Scoop-Off

The Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association holds its annual Ice Cream Social on Thursday, July 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Bryn Mawr's commercial node at 420 Cedar Lake Road South, the association's largest event of the year. It is an ice cream party in the street, and admission is free.

Sebastian Joe's and Johnny Pops supply the ice cream, Minne's Food Truck serves sliders, and the local band The Bad Companions plays for dancing. Organizers encourage neighbors to bring a lawn chair and make a night of it: nearby businesses run their own offers, including pizza deals at Bryn Mawr Pizza, discounted drinks at Cuppa Java and an author event at Big Hill Books.

The social is one of several signature BMNA gatherings through the year, a lineup that also includes the autumn Sip and Stroll. Together they give a neighborhood of about 2,800 residents an unusually full social calendar.

For a neighborhood that prides itself on block-by-block relationships, the appeal is the gathering itself. After a year of meetings about zoning, traffic and development, an evening on Cedar Lake Road with a cone and a band is a change of subject, and a low-stakes way for newcomers to meet their neighbors. The association accepts memberships at the event, by cash, check or card.