BLAZE OF GLORY
Thousands of visitors attend annual Firebird Festival
PHOENIXVILLE>> A crowd of more than 15,000 people gathered in Friendship Field Saturday night to watch Phoenixville’s Firebird rise from the ashes in a stellar blaze of glory.
The 13th annual Firebird Festival did not disappoint, as the nearly 30-foot wooden Phoenix statue burned brightly against a backdrop of a dark, winter sky.
The Firebird Festival is held each December as a way to celebrate the coming winter solstice, and also to acknowledge the rebirth of the town itself in recent years. The wildly popular festival continues to resonate with town residents, as it reflects the revitalization of Phoenixville from a depressed former steel town into a thriving arts and culture destination spot. The festival continues to grow each year, attracting thousands of people from all over the Philadelphia region.
Festivities began in the afternoon along Bridge Street with many live entertainment acts performing, which included musicians, jugglers, clowns, magicians, fire spinners and dancers. Additionally, art exhibits, crafts and food stalls were set up for all to enjoy. At 7:30 p.m., the whimsical Firebird Parade, complete with the colorful dancers and drummers, began its march from Bridge Street up to Friendship Field, carrying torches to light the Firebird. The event culminated in the lighting of the giant wooden Phoenix statue, an inspirational moment for all to witness.
“The intention is to have as much color and excitement as possible, to have something for everybody,” said event creator Henrik Stubbe Teglbjaerg. “Once we moved uptown, I felt we lost a lot of the energy from downtown. We want to bring the excitement and emphasize the downtown again. That’s where we used to have our festival.”
Bridge Street, he noted, was shut down for the afternoon as vendors set up tents.
“To me, the festival is an excuse to be creative with one another,” he added. “It has so many facets and ways to work together on something much larger than ourselves. It’s trying to figure out how to look beyond our own world and also create something we all can get involved in. I see that with Firebird Festival. It
gives a way to reach out to more people. We have too many individualists in our society here and it is nice to break that pattern.”
Teglbjaerg works extensively for months to organize the many varied aspects of the festival. He also builds the statue itself, along with a team of volunteers. He noted all the wood used to build the stature this year was donated by different supporters of the festival. Construction on the Fire- bird began in early October and continued until almost the day of the festival. Hidden in the design of the statue is a kiln for ceramics. Every year, as an extra project, clay birds made at a Phoenix Village Art Center are placed inside the statue to be fired as the phoenix burns. Sunday morning, the ceramic birds are then retrieved from the ashes.
This year, the 27-foot wooden Firebird stood with enormous embracing wings. The statue was designed by 18-year-old Aidan McDowell of Skippack.
“I’m into designing and have been helping for the last two years,’’ McDowell said. “I looked at all the designs it has been over the years, and I decided on this shape. It was different. My dad and I have always been into feathering the wood and enjoyed that aspect. So with this, we were able to do a lot more feathering and a lot more coverage. We could put a lot more design into it.”
His father, Robert McDowell, is also a volunteer and has assisted with building the Firebird the past few years. He noted the how the arts and culture scene in Phoenixville is supported with each Firebird Festival.
“It just has such a draw,” the elder McDowell said. “No matter what spectrum you are on — whether you are completely entrained in the ideas of rebirth, or whether you’re just here to watch it burn, there is something for everybody. The symbolism of what this means and what has occurred with Phoenixville, since its inception. This is its 13th year. It’s incredible.”
For more information and to get involved next year, visit firebirdfestival.com.