This Looks Like Fun: WXPN Welcomes Delaware Canal Music Festival

NEW HOPE, PA – If high gas prices have you looking for things to do closer to home this summer, you might want to circle July 23 on your calendar.

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Friends of the Delaware Canal have announced plans for its First Annual WXPN Welcomes Delaware Canal Music Festival. And it's looking like a pretty cool way to spend a summer's day at Tinicum Park, 963 River Road, in Upper Black Eddy (18972).

From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. the festival will showcase local bands, artisans and craft merchants, many fun activities for children and a delicious assortment of food vendors.

The event is designed as both a way to bring out the community and to generate support for the organization and its mission to preserve the historic canal and its surroundings.

“We are thrilled to present this wonderful outdoor event to the community," said Michael Ginder, executive director of the Friends of the Delaware Canal. "The music festival is a great way to showcase our local talent — musical, artistic, culinary — and to celebrate the natural beauty of our area. We are looking forward to a fun and exciting day for families, friends, and neighbors to come out and enjoy the festival, while supporting the efforts restore, preserve, and improve the Delaware Canal and its surroundings.”

The lineup of musical performances includes:

• Boris Garcia
• Barley Juice
• Pure Jerry
• J.B. Kline Band
• Blue Wave Ramblers

"The bands are a mix of reggae, blues, bluegrass and more. There's a Jerry Garcia cover band. There's a Celtic rock band," said Ginder. "It's going to be a good variety of music."

Food and drink vendors include:

• Local Harvest Pizza
• Mama Dees Empanadas
• Momma D’s Lunch Box
• Reinier Clabbers Famous Falafel
• Jeremy Simmers Gourmet Cookies & Coffees
• Vivat Alfa Winery
• Crooked Eye Brewery

In addition to the food and music, there will be many craft merchants and artisans at the event spanning a full range of offerings from quilts to tie dye to leather goods, jewelry, clothing, hats, paintings and fine arts, keychains, leather goods, vintage, soaps, printed material, stained glass, and much, much more.

Face painters and magicians will be on hand to entertain the younger attendees.

Tickets are $25 per person with children under 12 admitted free of charge. For $60, you can purchase your event ticket and enroll in a one-year membership to the Friends of the Delaware Canal (a savings of $5). To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.fodc.org.

The Friends of the Delaware Canal is an independent, not-for-profit organization working to restore, preserve, and improve the Canal and its surroundings.

For 40 years, the Friends have accomplished many projects including several authentic Camelback Bridge Restorations, installation of 9/11 Memorial Benches in honor of local victims, installing granite Mile Markers, and so much more. Many of these projects were funded entirely by the Friends members and supporters, and many projects required sweat equity. For more information visit www.fodc.org.