Sandra Johnson, a Mount Airy native and a Cheltenham resident for the past 26 years, launched The Open Space Venue in Glenside in 2021.

Since its inception, the 3,500 sf third-floor space has welcomed as many as 120 guests for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, retirement and graduation parties, among other refined events.

According to Johnson, the venue recently hosted a campaign event for Governor Josh Shapiro (“though it was kept quiet,” she said), SPS Technologies hosted a press conference in the space in April, and Representative Napoleon Nelson’s family has used it “on more than one occasion”.

For Johnson, a mother of three Cheltenham High School graduates, the opportunity to serve her community has been well reciprocated.

“The neighborhood’s support has meant a lot to me,” she said, noting that weddings tend to be her most memorable events. “It’s always been my dream to open an event space. A lot of people who go to The Highland see the parties going on and come to us with questions. We’ve been mostly word of mouth since we opened. The next thing you know, they’re booking spaces for their personal events.”

Johnson said guests are welcome to decorate the venue in any way they see fit, and the room itself is adjustable.

“I love to decorate and have the creative vision for people,” she said. “I worked in the corporate world prior, and we used to do fun stuff like this. I started to help out, got a taste for it and knew it was something I wanted to do.”

For more on The Open Space Venue, located at 361 Highland Avenue, you can visit their website and Instagram page.

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Photos: The Open Space Venue