Beary Loved offers romance, fun
Boyertown event featured music, themed drinks, DIY bouquets, streetside poetry, caricature and silhouette art, photo ops
Couples enjoyed a romantic and fun Valentine’s date at Building a Better Boyertown’s Beary Loved: A Valentine’s Stroll Through Boyertown event on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 12.
Free to attend, the new event offered couples a variety of musical performers, DIY bouquets for sale, streetside poetry, couple caricatures and silhouettes, photo opportunities, themed drinks and food trucks stationed throughout Boyertown.
“We’re really excited to host this event and show off so many great shops, attractions, and restaurants in our town,” said Jillian Magee, Main Street Manager. “Many people travel for their Valentine’s Day plans, but so many don’t know that we have an amazing opportunity for the perfect Valentine’s Day weekend right here in Boyertown.”
This new Building a Better Boyertown event was inspired by how much the community loves Boyertown, said Magee.
“The passion that the community feels is something special and we thought that a Valentine’s Day event would be a great way to welcome people outside the community to come into town and see just why we love it here so much,” Magee said.
Rachel DiScala and Gabriella DiScala of Exeter enjoyed checking out the “A Schitt’s Creek ‘Schitty’ Valentine’s Day pop-up shop inside Stellar House Gifts.
A walk through Lover’s Lane and Tunnel of Love offered photo opportunities. Taking advantage of taking their photo together, Heather Hafer and Tom Keating grabbed a quick kiss while Evelyn Claus, 7, sat in front of them at the “You Auto Be My Valentine” Photo Op in a one-of-a kind, experimental, 250 pound, 4 cylinder car that started as a 1952 Masano.
For those ages 21 and older, Valentine’s Daythemed drinks were offered at the pop-up bar, Love Potion No. 9, setup at the Colebrookdale Railroad Rail Yard.
Samantha Pearson and Troy Pelesky poured specialty drinks that Pearson names like Red Hot Love Hot Chocolate, Blushing Bear Wine, and A Warm Embrace. Her ‘LOVE’ beret is from Stellar House Gifts.
For those who like flowers for Valentine’s Day, Jessica Mader and Deb Laird from Society Blooms with DIY offered bouquets for sale at the Rail Yard while Justin Fava and Stephanie Grace performed Country Pop music.
Couples, including Philadelphia couple Tyhebe Brew and Katherine Ares and Atlantic City couple Garen Arargil and Lindsay Andros, enjoyed a “Romance on the Rails” Colebrookdale Railroad ride.
Musical performances and dancers were stationed throughout Boyertown along with special activities for couples to enjoy.
Cindy DePietro played a gothic style folk harp outside of Studio B Art Gallery while Courtney Sell created couple caricatures and Emily Byrne created couple silhouettes.
“I see a line drawing in my head and cut it out,” said Byrne who has been creating silhouettes for six years.
For those who enjoy sharing poetry for Valentine’s Day, poet Vincent Tavani of Phoenixville crafted one-of-a-kind custom poems. Also, Marshall James Kavanaugh, Dream Poet For Hire, typed personalized, spontaneous typewritten poems.
The Music Studio of Patricia Keith’s Honor Choir and Berks Vocal Arts performed Singing Valentines to serenade seniors at Chestnut Knoll in Boyertown. The Honor Choir is an auditioned ensemble for gifted middle school and high school singers from Chester, Montgomery and Berks counties. The Vocal Arts program was created for singers looking for inspiration and challenge, increased rigor, complex music.
Building a Better Boyertown hopes to make the stroll a monthly First Friday event with the first to be held March 4.
“Our hope is that with the draw of this event, many of our small businesses will benefit and encourage people from outside the community to come back again and again to explore what we have to offer,” said Magee. “With the success of this event, Building A Better Boyertown plans to turn this into a monthly First Friday event, which is something that the community has been requesting for quite a while.”
For more information about Building a Better Boyertown, visit www.buildingabetterboyertown.org.