By Donna Boone, Landmark Towns Coordinator

As summer winds down, the Landmark Towns of Bucks County welcome Autumn with a full calendar of fairs, festival and fun events for the entire family. The boroughs of Bristol, Morrisville, New Hope and Yardley, invite you to share in some of Bucks County’s great bounty of artisans, entertainers, and vendors.

September kicks off in Morrisville with the annual Labor Day Auto Show and Mayor’s Picnic. Visit Williamson Park on North Delmorr Avenue from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM for an afternoon filled with music, vendors, games and a car show organized by the Delaware Valley Road Runners Car Club.

The New Hope Arts & Crafts Festival always draws a crowd to this great canal town.

Bring your own lawn chair or blanket on September 18th and enjoy the sounds of musical guests Earl “Speedo” Carroll and the Cadillacs (see video below), Larry Chance & The Earls, The Original Orlons and The Tymes at the annual Bristol Borough Doo Wop in the Park.

The weekend of September 25th and 26th is host to two outstanding fall festivals, Yardley Borough’s Harvest Day, and New Hope Borough’s Fine Arts and Crafts Festival.  Artists and crafters show their wares on Afton Avenue and throughout Buttonwood Park for the 41st Annual Yardley Harvest Day. From 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM enjoy the musical entertainment and food vendors while perusing the handmade crafts.  The 17th Annual New Hope Fine Arts & Crafts Festival brings an amazing display from over 150 artists on Saturday the 25th from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Sunday the 26th from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. This prestigious event features the work of premier artists and craftspeople.

The Yardley Harvest Festival features arts & crafts vendors, food, entertainment, and more.

While visiting these fairs and festivals, make sure to check out the local merchants and restaurants as well. Many offer specials and discounts during the events. For more information on fairs, festivals and fun in the Landmark Towns, visit our website, www.landmarktowns.com.

For a week in late July, 350 cyclists from across the nation made their way through eastern Pennsylvania as part of the 2010 Greenway Sojourn, sponsored by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC).  During the sojourn, which has grown into a very large and popular event, cyclists pedal dozens of miles each day and enjoy meals and activities provided by the RTC with the help of local organizations. Sojourners typically camp at predetermined sites along the way, but they do enjoy some nifty conveniences—like a set of portable showers on the back of a flatbed truck!

Sojourners camp outside Allentown's American on Wheels

Starting out from Philadelphia, this year’s group pedaled along the Perkiomen Rail-Trail and Schuylkill River Trail for three days. Arriving just north of Reading, they piled into buses for a short trip to the northern reaches of the Corridor at White Haven, Carbon County. From White Haven, the cyclists followed the long stretch of D&L Trail through Lehigh Gorge State Park. At the end of the park, they used the new Carbon County trail section to access Historic Jim Thorpe via the Nesquehoning Trestle.

The 2010 Greenway Sojourn passed through 250 miles of PA's finest land.

After spending a day in Mauch Chunk Lake and the museums and restaurants of Jim Thorpe, the cyclists-come-swabs took to the low but pleasant waters of the Lehigh River for a rafting trip. They spent the night camping inside and around Allentown’s America on Wheels, where–in addition to the regular museum exhibits–they were regaled with photos of D&L Trail projects, an eclectic bicycle display, and the music of folk singer Jay Smar.

In Easton, DCNR Secretary John Quigley helps rededicate the Delaware Canal.

The next morning, the sojourners followed the canal towpath between Allentown and Easton, where they participated in the long-anticipated rededication and reopening of the Delaware Canal. DCNR Secretary John Quigley was on hand to celebrate the completion of extensive flood repairs and watch as water from the Lehigh River once again filled the canal. After grabbing some ice water and baggies of the D&L’s famous trail mix, they continued down to the towpath. After biking 50 miles that day, they camped on Bull’s Island in New Jersey’s Delaware & Raritan Canal Park. Sticking on the east bank of the river for the final leg of their journey, the sojourners headed for Trenton, where they hopped a short train ride back to their starting point near Philadelphia. In all, they traveled 250 miles of rail trails, towpaths, and roads.

Sojourners pass on the towpath, as kayakers embark on the rewatered canal.

D&L staff helped with various aspects of the sojourn, from laying out the route to sponsoring water breaks to providing entertainment at evening camps. It was a great experience for all of us who were involved. More importantly, the work of the RTC brought 350 cyclists to the D&L Trail and allowed them to experience the natural and historic resources that make the Corridor such great place. We hope they enjoyed their stay!

Click here to download the 2010 flyer.

Hard to believe it has already been a year since the last Coal Miners Heritage Festival, but  on July 11 the the No. 9 Coal Mine & Museum in Lansford, PA will put on their 3rd annual festival.  For those of you who have missed it the first two years, don’t make the same mistake again!  From 10 AM – 5 PM, you and the family can enjoy mine tours, music, food, historic interpretation and demos, arts and crafts, and children’s programs.  This festival always draws a crowd.  Come out and see why.