Celebration Of Peace This Weekend At Buckingham Friends

LAHASKA, PA — The 24th Annual Bucks County Peace Fair unfolds on the grounds of the historic Buckingham Friends Meetinghouse in Lahaska on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by Bucks County Quakers, the fair will showcase local organizations dedicated to peace, social justice, care of the environment, healthy living, and other causes of interest to area residents. Exhibitors include the League of Women Voters, the Appalachian Mountain Club, the African American Museum of Bucks County, and more than 30 others.

Throughout the day, artisans and fair-trade vendors will be selling hand-woven fabrics, ceramics, wood turnings, paintings and photographs, and eco-friendly wares from around the world. Games and activities for all ages from toddlers to seniors will be available, including a self-powered “Peace Train” for the youngest and a dunking tank for the daring.

Headline entertainers will include bluegrass band Tookany Creek; singer/songwriters Mindy Murray, Jonathan Sprout, and Paige Melton; and kids’ songster EcoMan. A variety of traditional and vegan/vegetarian food will be available along withthe fair’s homemade chili, which claims to be among the best in the county.

A special feature of this year’s fair is the participation of Special Olympians, who will be practicing for upcoming bocce competitions and offering bocce lessons to Peace Fair visitors.

Special Olympics Bucks County provides year-round sports training and competition to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and is one of 54 active county and city programs serving a growing body of 13,000 athletes in the areas of sports, health and leadership.

A highlight of the fair is the large circus tent located near the Meetinghouse where the U.N. Association will once again be hosting its Heritage Display. Families will be wearing costumes from their ancestors’ country of origin and offer a look at local customs.

At the Heritage Table at last year's Peace Fair.

Guests are invited to tour the Meetinghouse, a national landmark built in 1768. As a model for Quaker meetinghouses across the country and a focal point for some of Pennsylvania’s earliest settlements, the building has been named by National Park Service one of the finest examples of meetinghouse architecture in the Delaware Valley, and it has been virtually unchanged in the last two and a half centuries.

A poetry reading, featuring current Bucks County Poet Laureate Tara Tamburello, will take place behind the Meetinghouse at midday, and fairgoers of all ages are urged to bring their original poems to the open mic at the end of the program. Another popular feature of the fair is the recycled book sale, where some folks spend much of the day hunting for hidden treasurers to take home.

The fair runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., is handicapped accessible and free to the public, and is located “next door” to Peddler’s Village. Serving more than 60 vendors and exhibitors, as well as several thousand visitors each year, the Peace Fair has become a tradition for Bucks-Mont families looking for a fun-filled, beautiful fall day where they can also learn about how organizations and individuals are promoting peace and social justice locally and around the world.

A youngster prepares to make his mark on last year's Peace Fair mural.