The Keystone Sacred Harp Convention 2020
Please join us in singing from The Sacred Harp at the twenty-second annual session of the Keystone Sacred Harp Convention, Saturday and Sunday, January 25-26, 2020 at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 in West Philadelphia. There will be additional singings on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday evenings. All events are free and open to the public.
The convention singing starts at 10:00 AM both Saturday and Sunday. It runs until around 3:30 PM with a break for dinner around 12:30. Please bring a dish to share if you are able. Note that there are no kitchen facilities. Check this page for up-to-date information in case of inclement weather.
Full Schedule (Thursday—Sunday). See also the map below.
Thursday, Jan 23, 7:30-9:30 PM: Regular singing from The Sacred Harp, A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave in West Philadelphia.
Friday, Jan 24, 7:00-9:30 PM: Special singing from The Shenandoah Harmony, Studio 34, 4522 Baltimore Ave in West Philadelphia.
Saturday, Jan 25, 10:00 AM-3:30 PM, Keystone Sacred Harp Convention, The Rotunda.
There will be a dessert social at a home in West Philadelphia near 49th and Osage, 7:00 PM.
Sunday, Jan 26, 10:00 AM-3:30 PM, Keystone Sacred Harp Convention, The Rotunda.
Sunday Jan 26, 6:30-9:00 PM, regular Sacred Harp singing at Exeter Friends Meetinghouse, 191 Meeting House Rd, Douglassville PA, 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Location. The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, is in West Philadelphia near the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. It is a short subway ride or a 25-minute walk from 30th Street Station, Philadelphia’s main train station. Paid parking is available directly across Walnut Street. The Rotunda is accessible via a ramp and there is an accessible restroom.
Hospitality. The Homewood Suites University City is across the street, and there are numerous hotel options in Center City. If you would like to request housing with local singers, please fill in the web form for hospitality and child care requests in advance of the convention.
Public Transportation. Amtrak trains, SEPTA regional rail (including the airport train), and several bus lines stop at 30th Street Station. Exit the station and cross 30th St to enter the subway station at the corner of 30th and Market. Take the Market-Frankford line west two stops to 40th St. Walk south two blocks to Walnut St and turn right. The Rotunda will be on your left, just past the Cinemark cinema complex. Enter the Rotunda from the left side door, in the walkway between it and the cinema.
Driving Directions and Food Drop-Off. From I-76 East or West, take Exit 346A – South Street, which is a LEFT exit. Turn away from Center City and continue west on Spruce Street. Turn right on 38th St and left on Walnut. The Rotunda will be on your left, just past the Cinemark cinema complex at the intersection of 40th and Walnut. The food drop-off point is at the wheelchair access ramp, immediately past the building on Walnut Street.
Parking. The closest parking garage is across Walnut Street from the Rotunda and has an $18 early bird special (in before 9am). If you miss the early-bird, Homewood Suites at 4109 Walnut has a $25 daily special. There is some unlimited-time free parking on a few blocks of Walnut Street and the surrounding streets, but it fills up quickly. For metered street parking, the meterUP app is convenient (if you don’t have a smart phone, call 1-877-727-5303). Street parking near the Rotunda is free on Sunday. Always check parking regulations carefully, as they vary by block.
Accessibility. The Rotunda is an ADA accessible facility. An entrance ramp is to the right of the building as you face it from Walnut Street. There is an accessible restroom on the ground floor. The A-Space and Exeter Meetinghouse don’t have stairs, but lack accessible restrooms. Studio 34 has a full flight of stairs and a ramp that is too steep for wheelchairs.
