Market Day Brings The Past Alive In Historic Newtown Borough

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA —Partly cloudy skies and comfortable autumn temperatures combined to bring out the crowds for this year’s Market Day.

Organized by the Newtown Historic Association, Market Day revives a Newtown harvest season custom where, long ago local farmers brought their crops to town to sell and enjoy a day of festivities and contests that culminated with a horse race down State Street.

While there were no horse races on Saturday, there was still plenty to see and do, from a Colonial encampment to candle making and wagon rides by Hutch Hamilton and his team of Belgian horses.

Throughout the day, visitors browsed past more than 90 booths chock-full of handmade crafts lining Court Street, Centre Avenue and Mercer Street.

Members of the Newtown Quilters Guild were selling raffle tickets for a chance to win one of its handmade treasures. Proceeds will benefit the guild’s many charities.

In front of the Half-Moon Inn (Court Inn), Bill Dooley and the Coyotes were filling the street with a toe-tapping eclectic mix of old-time fiddle tunes, old jazz, old blues, and more.

Bill Dooley and the Coyotes performing in front of the Half-Moon Inn. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Market Day visitors learn how a cannon was fired during a Revolutionary War encampment behind the Half-Moon Inn. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Hutch Hamilton and his team of Belgian horses give rides through the streets of historic Newtown. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Photo by Jeff Werner)

(Photo by Jeff Werner)

Dockside performs classic rock at the Callahan Research Center on Mercer Street. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Members of the 1st Crossing Volunteers staged a Revolutionary War encampment. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Inside the historic Half-Moon Inn, costumed guides led tours through the building, offering a glimpse into the past when Newtown was the Bucks County seat of government.

In the lush backyard and gardens behind the Half-Moon Inn, members of the First Crossing Volunteers demonstrated open hearth cooking, how Revolutionary soldiers dressed for battle and how they loaded and fired their muskets.

Out on Court Street, stationed in front of the Half-Moon Inn, members of the Newtown Historic Association shared stories from Newtown’s past and sold postcards, Newtown history books, and other gift items to benefit the association.

And overlooking the intersection of Court Street and Centre Avenue were members of the Countryside Gardeners who meet at the Half-Moon Inn and who care for the backyard gardens, which are among the most beautifully kept in town. The members reported brisk sales of their freshly handmade floral arrangements.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Newtown Historic Association.

Mark your calendars for these upcoming programs.

Trowels and Tribulation

In 1781, when Newtown Borough was the seat of county government, the infamous Doan Gang robbed the Bucks County Treasury building located at 35 South State Street in Newtown. On Oct. 22, the 245th anniversary of the robbery, the public is invited to join archaeologist Matt Bielecki to explore findings from a recent archaeological dig at the site of the former treasury building. The event is free for members. Non-members are also welcome to attend, and donations are always appreciated.

The History of Archambault Square

The public is invited to attend a program on Joseph Archambault and Archambault Square on Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Half-Moon Inn. Archambault was one of Newtown Borough’s most remarkable figures in 19th-century history. He was a former member of Napoleon Bonaparte’s entourage as a young man and followed him into exile before moving to Newtown. Once in Newtown, he became a prominent businessman, landowner, and community leader. He worked in several trades, including watchmaking and dentistry, and eventually owned and operated the Brick Hotel, one of Newtown’s most historic landmarks. He built the house on Archambault Square in 1837 at 115 Washington Avenue, where it remains one of Newtown’s most historic residences. This is just one of the homes featured on the 2026 Holiday House Tour in December. The program is free and open to the public.