Annual Phoenixville Firebird Festival set for Saturday
PHOENIXVLLE >> The Phoenixville Firebird Festival is set to make its annual return this weekend.
Beginning in September, volunteers began constructing the giant wooden mythical bird in preparation for this weekend’s festivities.
This week, volunteers are putting the finishing touches on the work of art before the celebratory burning during what will be the 15th year of the annual festival.
The festival started in 2004 as a way for Phoenixville to celebrate arts and culture in the community and once again, on Dec. 8, crowds will gather at Veterans Field, 192 Mowere Road, to partake in the unique tradition that keeps bringing people back.
“Our first year we had about 150 people and it grew over the years to now 20,000 people, changing it from a participatory to a spectator event, yet there is still a tremendous pride of our festival, that gets many involved,” reads the Firebird Festival website. “The festival allows for multiple creative contributions, which is a goal of ours. We celebrate our human creativity, and what we are capable of.”
But there’s more to the event than just the burning itself.
The day features a downtown pub crawl from 12-6 p.m. that will include most downtown pubs. Throughout the area, there will also be street performers and musicians with a procession featuring drums and the Firebird Dance Ensemble at 6:30 p.m. The procession will head up the bike path from the Foundry building to the burn site.
At the site, family friendly activities will begin at 4 p.m. and will include bouncing castles, smaller scale phoenix burnings and performers.
The official lighting of the phoenix will take place at 8 p.m.
For more information about schedules and events related to the Firebird Festival visit firebirdfestival.com