Kutztown Folk Festival
The Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Festival is an annual celebration held in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, typically occurring from late June to early July, encompassing the July 4th holiday. This vibrant festival showcases the arts, crafts, farming traditions, and culinary delights of the Pennsylvania Dutch, who are descendants of 18th-century German immigrants seeking religious freedom. The festival offers a unique glimpse into the cultural heritage of this community, particularly reflecting the traditions of the Amish, although they usually do not participate due to their beliefs about worldly activities. Established in 1950 by the Pennsylvania Folklife Society, the festival has grown to attract significant attendance, with figures around 75,000 reported in the late 1990s. Attendees can explore a variety of folkways, including music, dance, and handcrafted goods, celebrating the rich cultural tapestry of the region. The event serves not only as a showcase of traditional practices but also as a means to foster appreciation for the historical context and diversity within Pennsylvania Dutch culture.
Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Festival
One of the country's most written about festivals is the Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Festival held annually in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The dates can vary, but traditionally the festival begins in late June, ends in early July, and includes July 4. The celebration centers on the arts, crafts, farming methods, food, and folkways of the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch.
The Pennsylvania Dutch, who today inhabit the farm regions of southeastern Pennsylvania, are descendants of the Germans (Deutsch, which sounded like “Dutch” to English-speaking Americans) of various religious sects who flocked to Pennsylvania in the early and mid-1700s. War-weary and persecuted, they were attracted by the promise of religious freedom in the colony, which the idealistic Quaker William Penn had established in 1681. Today's Amish are descendants of these early settlers, and due to their religious beliefs they avoid using electricity, telephones, and automobiles; drive about in horse -drawn carriages; refuse to take oaths or perform military service; and dress somberly in the garb of their ancestors. Men wear black coats, broad-brimmed flat hats, and beards if they are married. Women wear long skirts, aprons, high-button boots, and bonnets. The Amish do not usually participate in the Kutztown festival, however, since they consider it too worldly for their beliefs.
The Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Festival first took form in 1950, two years after the nonprofit Pennsylvania Folklife Society, which sponsored it, was founded by Professors Alfred L. Shoemaker, Don Yoder, and J. William Frey. Attendance has fluctuated over the decades, and was approximately 75,000 a year in the late 1990s.
Dmochowski, Keith. "Pennsylvania Dutch Tradition Alive and Thriving at Kutztown Folk Festival." Reading Eagle, 5 July 2022, www.readingeagle.com/2022/07/02/pennsylvania-dutch-tradition-alive-thriving-kutztown-folk-festival/. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Edwards, Corey A. "Don't Miss the 73rd Annual Kutztown Folk Festival." The South Mountain Inn, 13 May 2023, thesouthmountaininn.com/2023/05/13/kutztown-folk-festival-2023/. Accessed 1 May 2024.