Old City Fest Hits Philly Streets

by Stephen Maiale

The fourth annual Old City Fest was held this Sunday, Oct. 8, to celebrate the culture and handiwork of Philadelphia’s historic district. Locals and tourists alike all came out to enjoy the massive variety of food, crafts and entertainment of Old City Philadelphia. In spite of a little bit of rain and gloomy weather, the festival went on in full force without any cancellations.

“There were some concerns about the turnout today,” says Jaime Moreno, a 26-year-old frequenter of the previous Old City Fests, “but the crowd is just as big as last year’s fest.” 

Thousands came out to enjoy the delicious offerings the festival had, ranging from savory pork dumplings to IPAs on draft and even ice cream sandwiches. A full listing of the salivating options that were available at this year’s Fest can be found on the Old City district website: http://oldcitydistrict.org/events/old-city-fest-food-drink-2017#.WdzQv1uPKUl. 

Festival goers were able to relish the local treats while appreciating the plethora of performances being held at the event. The fest had live music featuring local artists such as Chill Moody and Ernest Stuart, as well as street performers providing entertainment like sword juggling, plate spinning and even a very strange yet charming avant-garde dance piece. Such performances grabbed the attention of attendees, gathering them up in circles around performers so they could experience the culture of Old City Philadelphia first hand.

Those at Old City Fest weren’t just experiencing the culture of the district, but also the rich history contained within its stones and architecture. Old City, like its name suggests, is home to some of Philadelphia’s oldest buildings, and among them is one of Philadelphia’s most popular attractions: the Betsy Ross house. Standing at almost 300 years old, the Betsy Ross house is a testament to Old City’s rich history and to the strength of the nation which helped keep it standing with more than 2 million Americans donating to the cause of restoring the house in 1898, according to http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flaghome.html. 

Old City Fest organizers didn’t want people to go home empty-handed either, as the fest had plenty of shops selling locally made goods for visitors to take home as gifts or souvenirs. Merchandise ranged widely from jewelry to fashion to paintings to metalworks and other creative handicrafts showing off the skills of Philadelphia’s artists and craftsmen.

Jeffrey Rosen, creator and candle-maker at Rosen & Co, states his goals at Old City Fest, “I love the calming feeling of burning a candle, tasting the fragrance it brings to the room. I just want to bring that same feeling to others, and Old City is the best place I could ask for to do it.”