The Kutztown Folk Festival
by Bevin Theodore
A visit to the Kutztown Folk Festival is akin to stepping back in time. Women sit quietly, bent over quilts or spinning and weaving yarn, while men showcase their skills as blacksmiths, metal workers or wood carvers. Children often man the booths, demonstrating crafts that have been handed down for generations. For a week each year, the Kutztown Fairgrounds is transformed into a haven of Pennsylvania Dutch culture and heritage. The festival celebrates the old and the new with demonstrations of early farming and building techniques, a Mennonite wedding and a reenactment of a 19th-century hanging.
This year, the festival, which was the first folklife festival in the country, will celebrate its 60th year. Last year's attendance set a record with 135,000 visitors. Dave Fooks, festival executive director, said the focus on the Pennsylvania Dutch culture continues to appeal to visitors of all ages. "It is not at all uncommon to meet grandparents bringing their grandchildren to see and feel the unique ambiance of the festival, just as they had brought their children years ago," he said. "We regularly get comments such as, 'I was here as a kid, and 30 years later, it's better than I remember. I'm glad I brought my kids,' "
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