CELEBRATING THE ARTS: Now in its 26th year, the Doylestown Arts Festival will feature 160 juried artists, live music on five stages, local food vendors, art-making, interactive demonstrations, and bike races. The festival will be held on Doylestown’s downtown streets from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10.

Recognized for its picturesque setting and rich year-round arts and culture offerings, the small town of Doylestown, Pa., will once again host the Doylestown Arts Festival, a two-day celebration that is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors from the Mid-Atlantic region. The festival will be held on Doylestown’s downtown streets — converted to pedestrian-only avenues during the event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10.

Founded in 1991, the Doylestown Arts Festival is now in its 26^th year. Designed to illuminate the town’s ongoing commitment to arts, crafts, culture, and tourism, the 2017 festival will feature 160 juried artists, live music on five stages, local food vendors, art-making, and interactive demonstrations. On Sunday, the Thompson Bucks County Classic will roll into town with six bike races involving professionals, amateurs, children, and historical high wheel bicycles.

Home to 8,000 residents as well as the James A. Michener Art Museum, the Mercer Museum, Fonthill Castle, the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works Museum, the County Theater, and the Bucks County Civil War Library and Museum as well as an array of galleries, restaurants, and locally-owned shops and boutiques, Doylestown is nationally recognized as a “destination” town. In June, Philadelphia magazine named Doylestown “best fun suburban town”; and in 2013, Travel + Leisure magazine called Doylestown one of “America’s [Top 20] Favorite Towns.”

While Doylestown Arts Festival director Paul Boger is expecting large crowds, he emphasized that the organizers plan very carefully to ensure there is plenty of parking, access, space, and amenities so that attendees feel welcomed and comfortable. “Our mission is to communicate to festival visitors the ever-present hospitality and warmth of Doylestown, while at the same time celebrating the region’s artists and artistic heritage,” he said. “We encourage everyone from near and far who has any interest in the arts, music, community, or sightseeing to attend this remarkable festival, and to experience the energizing ambiance of Doylestown.”

Lisa Tremper Hanover, director and CEO of the Michener Art Museum, the cultural partner of the Doylestown Arts Festival, said the annual event amplifies the regional commitment to arts and culture, and brings new audiences to the Michener, a leading American art museum housed in a transformed prison in Doylestown.

“We are always delighted to welcome new visitors, even if their original impetus on a hot day is simply to escape into our air-conditioned galleries,” she said. “But, after seeing our spectacular exhibitions, they always leave impressed,” she added. “And many return or become members.”

For more information about the Doylestown Arts Festival, visit dtownartsfestival.com.

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