Cheap Trips: Two Festivals, Grand Slam USA and Columcille Megalith Park

Looking to save money?

Try one of these four trips you can enjoy on just one tank of gas -- the Skatium in Havertown, Independent Voices Festival in Norristown, Grand Slam USA in Malvern, and Columcille Megalith Park in Bangor.

1. Winter Fest at Skatium

Address: 1010 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
How Far From Nazareth Patch? About 72 miles / About an hour and 27 minutes

Hours:

• Monday through Friday, 10 a.m to noon
• Saturday, 1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.
• Sunday 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Admission:

Skatium Pass books, a book of 10 admissions:

• $55 for township residents
• $65 for non-residents
• $10 for skate rental

Summary: Since 1974, Skatium has been owned and operated by Haverford Township. Skatium hosts school hockey leagues, public skating, and also offers meeting room rental and birthday party packages. And it’s open all year around, so whenever you are in the mood to go ice skating, the Skatium is the place to be. If you get hungry from all of that ice skating, check out the new Nick & Lou’s Skatium Diner.

This Sunday, Jan. 8, Winter Fest will be held from 12:15 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. Families skate for free!

Links:

• Website

2. Independent Voices Festival at the Centre Theater

Address: 208 DeKalb Street, Norristown, PA 19401
How Far From Nazareth Patch? About 56 miles / About one hour and 20 minutes

Ticket information:

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by:

• Visiting the Centre Theater's website
• Visiting thecentretheater.ticketleap.com
• Calling the theater at (610) 279-1013

Summary: The newly renovated  in Norristown is hosting its annual performing arts fest -- the Independent Voices Festival -- Jan. 3 through Jan. 22. The festival features 15 performances of 10 different productions with spotlights on works about American history, a bilingual play, dramatized Irish stories and contemporary theater.

The festival opens with a one-man interpretation of Stoker's Dracula Jan. 6 and 8. Closing the festival will be Sojourner, featuring Zuhairah McGill as Sojourner Truth detailing her long-suffering life and the parallel to the history of slavery in America.

Performances are every Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. in the Centre Theater’s fourth floor space. Most performance times are 60 to 75 minutes long.

Call the Centre Theater at (610) 279-1013 for more information.

Links:

• Website
• Buy Tickets Online

3. Grand Slam USA

Address: 11 East Lancaster Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355
How Far From Nazareth Patch? About 70 miles / About one hour and 34 minutes

Admission:

• Prices vary for each activity
• Variety of pricing packages available

Hours: 

• Monday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m.
• Friday, noon to 10 p.m.
• Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Summary: Grand Slam USA is over 30,000 square feet of sports activities, rides, games and attractions that provides excitement for the entire family. This family-operated business has been serving the community since 1984. Grand Slam has everything from batting cages and skee ball to arcade games and children's activities.

Links:

• Patch Place Listing
• Website

4. Columcille Megalith Park

Address: 2155 Fox Gap Road, Bangor, PA 18013
How Far From Nazareth Patch? About 17 miles / About 30 minutes

Hours:

• Open daily dawn to dusk

Admission:

• Donations accepted

Summary: Columcille is a park featuring stone monuments reminiscent of Stonehenge. The park dates back to the 1970s when a man named William Cohea Jr. was inspired by ruins on the Isle of Iona off the Irish coast. Columcille features St. Columba Chapel, St. Oran Bell Tower, a stone circle, a meditation pond and more than 80 megaliths (large single standing stones). About 4,500 visitors walk the paths of Columcille every year.

Dogs are permitted. The park is located off Route 191 along the Kittatinny Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains.

Link: Website