5 Things To Do This Weekend In Bucks County

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — It is hard to believe that the last weekend in July is here. While many are headed to the shore or the mountains, others will be enjoying a stay vacation right here in beautiful Bucks County.

The weekend brings plenty of things to do from sipping wine and listening to music on the banks of the Delaware River, to exploring the historic Fordhook Farm (the birthplace of Burpee) and celebrating the 50th annual Puerto Rican Day Festival on the Bristol waterfront.

Wine On the Waterfront At Washington Crossing

On a lazy summer's afternoon, it doesn't get much better than relaxing on the waterfront with a glass of wine. The Friends of Washington Crossing Historic Park are bringing "Wine on the Waterfront" to the banks of the Delaware River in Washington Crossing Historic Park (PA) on Saturday, July 29 from 3 to 7 p.m. The event will feature tastings of dozens of wines from Pennsylvania and New Jersey wineries. Roots to River Farm will also attend and offer its craft aperitivo, a wine-based drink infused with herbs and bitters.

The event will also feature jazz vocalist and trombonist Hailey Brinnel and her quartet. Brinnel is a rising jazz star who recently released her latest album, "Beautiful Tomorrow." Just 27 years
old, Brinnel has performed at acclaimed venues throughout America and Europe. She was a finalist in the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and was named a
finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (jazz category).

Tickets are $45 per person and are available at WashingtonCrossingPark.org/events. Only 850 tickets will be sold, including some designated driver tickets. Tickets will not be sold at the gate. Food and wine (bottles and cases) will be available for purchase during the event, including food vendors Sol Bowl, Harvest Pizza, and Goodnoes Ice Cream. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own food, blankets and chairs to relax along the riverbank. All ticket holders must be 21 or older. IDs will be checked at the gate. No pets, children, or babies are allowed. Wine on the Waterfront is presented by the Friends of Washington Crossing Park and sponsored by Crown Holding Incorporated. All proceeds support educational and historical programming at the park.

The Burpee Open Returns To Fordhook Farm in Doylestown

For the first time since COVID-19 shut the world down, a long-time Doylestown tradition is coming back. The Burpee Open, dating to the 1800s, returns to the grounds of historic Fordhook Farm at 105 New Britain Road in Doylestown Township on Saturday, July 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a rare opportunity to visit the birthplace of the W. Atlee Burpee Company, today one of the world’s foremost home garden seed and plant companies breeding and growing plants and
producing seed worldwide at locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Holland, and India.

The free, fun-filled day will be full of inspiration with special speakers and new and renovated gardens in addition to children’s activities, an all day plant and herb sale (cash only), music, food trucks, and much more.

The lineup of speakers includes: Venelin Dimitrov (a Burpee horticulturalist) at 10:15 in the kitchen garden. Topic: All-Season Extenders with a focus on fall plantings. At 11:30 a.m. Anne Milonis (Penn State Master Gardener) will discuss vegetable gardening at Burpee Hall, and at 1:30 p.m. Jerry Fritz (Bucks County Garden Design) will speak about Stumpery in the Stumpery.

The Burpee Open dates back to the 1800s when it was an annual tradition to open the grounds of Fordhook Farm to the public for a “Farmer’s Picnic.” It is said that more than 500 guests came from the surrounding towns and villages in Bucks County to explore the farm and meet the Burpee master gardeners.

In 1888, Atlee purchased several hundred acres in Bucks County, which he named Fordhook Farm. Within a few years, Fordhook Farm was transformed into a world-famous showcase of experimental gardens that developed outstanding new varieties for American farmers and home
gardeners.

The farm served as the Burpee family home, an outdoor laboratory for horticultural innovation, and a magnet for visiting horticulturalists from around the world. By the 1890s, Burpee was a household name. In 1915, the 200-page Burpee catalog was sent to a million American
gardeners. Today, the land at Fordhook is still used as “trial fields” for the company’s new seeds. Also located on the farm is a kitchen garden where the company grows seeds that are up and coming.

Fordhook Farm in Doylestown. (Courtesy of Burpee)

E.T. Lands On The Big Screen At Historic Newtown Theatre

Everyone's favorite Extra-Terrestrial returns to the big screen on Sunday, July 30 with a special showing of "E.T." at the historic Newtown Theatre.

Prior to the 4 p.m. showing, kids and adults are invited to welcome the Reese's Pieces-eating alien to town with a block-long community bike ride from the Newtown Bike Shop to the theatre. Children (and adults) are encouraged to decorate their bikes with a space theme for a chance to win prizes. Bikers should gather at the bike shop (30 N. State Street in Newtown Borough) beginning at 3 p.m. The one-block bike ride to the theatre will commence at 3:30 p.m. and the movie will begin at 4 p.m. Each moviegoer will receive a small bag of Reese’s Pieces.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, "E.T." is a deeply moving story about a 10-year-old boy named Elliott who befriends a lost alien and helps him find his way home. The 1982 movie introduced the phrase, "Phone Home," to the nation's vocabulary and made Hershey's Reese's Pieces a household candy favorite.

Tickets for the event are available at TheNewtownTheatre.com for $12 for adults and $6 for theatre members and children 12 and under. The Newtown Theatre is located at 120 N. State Street in Newtown Borough. For more information, visit TheNewtownTheatre.com .

(Image courtesy of the Newtown Theatre)

50th Annual Puerto Rican Festival in Bristol Borough

For the 50th year, the sights and sounds of Puerto Rico are coming to the historic Bristol Borough waterfront on Saturday, July 29 from 12 to 8 p.m. at Bristol Lion's Park. The Puerto Rican Festival is free and open to the public. The event will feature live music, Salsa dancing, folkloric bands, cultural workshops, criollo cooking workshops, Paso Fino Horse demonstrations, Plena performances featuring local dancers, craft and novelty vendors, authentic Puerto Rican food vendors, and much, much more. The rain date is Sunday, July 30.

The Bristol Wharf. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

Speakeasy Train Rolls Through Bucks County

Adults over the age of 21 are invited to embark on a 90-minute excursion through the Bucks County foothills and into the surreptitious underbelly of 1920s nightlife aboard the Speakeasy Train. Shady figures will board you onto an early 20th-century parlor car where passengers will enjoy a pairing of three demi-cocktails and delicious canapes, all while taking in the sights and sounds of the prohibition era, the likes of which have not been seen since the passage of the 21st Amendment. Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest! Bust out those newsboys and beaded headbands and join the New Hope-Ivyland Railroad for a roaring good time. Tickets are available on July 29, August 12 and 26, Sept. 1 and 2, 16, and 22. The railroad is located at 32 West Bridge Street in New Hope. Visit NewHopeRailroad.com to reserve tickets.

The New Hope-Ivyland Station. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

For More Things To Do Around Bucks County this weekend, click here.