Doylestown Arts Festival Dodges Raindrops, Delivers Weekend Of Art, Music, Community

DOYLESTOWN, PA — There’s a reason why they call it the biggest weekend in Bucks County.

On Saturday and Sunday, thousands flocked to the Bucks County seat for the two day Doylestown Arts Festival and the 21st annual Bucks County Classic.

Saturday brought big crowds to the streets of the historic borough as shoppers and browsers checked out each booth along the way.

At the corner of West State Street and Hamilton in front of the Enchanted Forest, members of the Central Bucks South volleyball team were cheering on purchases at its one-day bake sale.

“Feed your soul, reach our goal,” they chanted to the passing crowds. “Calories don’t count on the weekend,” they chanted hoping to entice more sales.

Their efforts appeared to pay off with head coach Kurt Godfrey reporting a very good day for the volleyball teams.

“People have been very generous,” he said. “This helps pay for everything we do throughout the season,” including its support of the cancer charity “Unite for Her,” the adoption of two families during the holiday season and their end of the year banquet.

Members of the Titans Girls Volleyball team at CB South. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Gloria Kosco of Point Pleasant turns a pot during Saturday's Arts Festival. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The TileWorks booth was a popular stop for Arts Festival shoppers. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Central Bucks ninth graders were collecting for the CB West Cheerleading Squad.

Just across the street, potter Gloria Kosco was drawing a crowd as she skillfully used a potter’s wheel to throw a pot during one of the day’s live demonstrations. The Point Pleasant artist was showing off her skills with the Fleming Pottery Studio.

From handmade jewelry to vinyl art, more than 160 artists brought their unique creations to show and share with the public. Still images of Doylestown landmarks, handcrafted wooden bowls, drawings, sculpture, repurposed wood, and mixed media filled the booths lining the streets of the town center.

For many of the participating artists and local businesses, the festival was a success. Reports indicated that sales were once again strong.

Among the vendors reporting positive sales was metal sculptor Pat Andrews who made the five hour trip to Doylestown from Virginia to sell his custom metal work, including his very unique chimes made out of oxygen bottles and fire extinguishers.

“The day has gone very well. This is the second time I’ve done this show. The town definitely supports this. There’s a huge crowd here. It was a great year last year and today is turning out to be another great year.”

About 30 minutes later, dark clouds rolled in from the west, thunder rumbled and torrential rain swept through the downtown forcing everyone to run for cover. Some grabbed cardboard to shield themselves from the rain while others sought refuge inside. The Main Street Marketplace quickly filled with people, lining up for pizza at Spuntino's and crowding into the Side Bar and Hops/Scotch.

Metal sculptor Pat Andrews with the chimes he created out of oxygen bottles. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Music fills the air at West State Street and South Main. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Visitors used whatever they could to shield themselves from the torrential downpour on Saturday.

The torrential rain forced the Doylestown School of Rock to cut short its performance as they huddle under the tent to keep dry. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

Arts Festival visitors were encouraged to leave their mark by "Coloring the Kohler." Steve Menken of Menken Generators in New Britain is pictured with the Kohler.

The event once again spanned across downtown Doylestown, lining State Street, Main Street, Oakland Avenue, Hamilton Street, and adjacent parking lots with art, music, and activities. A beer garden also made its debut this year on East State Street.

The festival again spotlighted a range of local cultural destinations and arts organizations including the TileWorks, the Michener’s Museum and Fonthill Castle and Mercer Museum, helping to raise awareness and strengthen their position in the region.

While visitors browsed through the arts and crafts, music filled the streets and the smell of delicious food hung in the air from Doylestown's many restaurants and eateries, including Empanada Mama and Heirloom.

While Saturday ended on a sunny note, Sunday brought morning showers to town, making for a dreary start to the day. By 1 p.m., the showers were moving out, replaced by a sun-filled, very comfortable afternoon.

The all-volunteer organizers and committee responsible for the festival worked for more than 10 months to carefully plan and execute the annual tradition, which is free to the public and held in partnership with Discover Doylestown, The Borough of Doylestown, and dozens of local businesses, organizations, and residents.

Behind the scenes of the festival, more than 130 volunteers worked from before dawn until well after the crowds had gone home to make sure the event ran smoothly.

Bucks County Classic Races Through Town

Sunday also brought the Bucks County Classic to town as professional cyclists whipped around the parameter of the arts festival grounds churning up excitement with every ring of the cowbell and blow of the whistle.

The excitement reached a fever pitch up on Court Street where the cyclists began and ended each race.

The Bucks County Classic is a USA Cycling sanctioned race organized by MSH Productions LLC. The race is made possible through the support of the Borough of Doylestown and local businesses.

This year’s event was made possible thanks to the Thompson Organization, Penn Medicine Doylestown Health, Eastburn & Gray P.C., Doylestown Health Foundation, Marshall Financial Group, Verge Sport, Hepatitis B Foundation, Baruch S Blumberg Institute and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, Jarrett Vaughan Builders Inc, Restore Dispensaries, Salus Integrative Health/Hydrate2O, Heiler Painting, Delaware Valley Trusts, TD Bank, Dermatology Partners, Inspired Closets of Philadelphia, and Bridge Acupuncture.

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)