Newtown's Market Day Draws A Crowd Despite A Few Raindrops

NEWTOWN BOROUGH - A cold front swept through late Saturday morning dropping the temperature and bringing a passing shower to Market Day, but the predicted rain out never materialized leaving organizers smiling and attendees thankful.

Throughout the morning and into the afternoon, visitors strolled through the quaint, tree-lined streets in and around the Half Moon Inn as a day of historic exploration and treasure hunting unfolded in the heart of historic Newtown, melding 21st century America with Colonial times.

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-dipping and horse drawn wagon rides by Hutch Hamilton of A Better Way Farm in Wrightstown.

Hutch Hamilton takes Market Day visitors for a ride down Congress Street.

The Newtown Quilters Guild shows off two quilts.

Bill Dooley and the Coyotes perform outside the Court Inn. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

Throughout the day, visitors browsed past booths chocked full of handmade crafts along Court Street, Centre Avenue and Mercer Street.

A group of people gathered around chair caner Frank Mayr of YellowHouse Workshop in Yardley as he weaved strips of wicker through a chair seat. Nearby, members of the Newtown Quilters Guild were selling raffle tickets for a chance to win two of its handmade treasures. Proceeds will benefit the guild’s many charities.

The Half Moon Inn, built to impress the businessmen and the British commissioners who came to the county seat, served as the centerpiece of the day’s activities as Bill Dooley entertained out front with acoustic, toe-tapping roots music.

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

A series of loud pops, accompanied by white puffs of smoke, filled the air with the smell of sulfur as a group of onlookers applauded in appreciation.

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.

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 hand cut floral arrangements and bundles of hydrangea branches grown locally by Lee Gittens of Newtown Township.

Frank Mayr of YellowHouse Workshop in Yardley demonstrates chair caning.

The Newtown Library Company held a used book sale during the event.

Bob Pollet won the corn shucking contest and a Craig Hackett painting.

Bryson Pulak of Wrightstown competed in the corn shucking contest.

Just down the street at Court and Mercer streets, six visitors competed in a corn husking contest and a chance to win a Craig Hackett original painting.

Bob Pollet of Newtown left his competitors in the dust, ripping through nine corn husks in one minute to win the competition.

Barry Fleck, the president of the Newtown Historic Association, couldn’t have been more pleased to see people back on the streets of Newtown and enjoying Market Day following last year’s rain out.

The weather forecast again played havoc with the event as organizers were again confronted with whether to move forward with Saturday’s event or to move it to Sunday.

With higher winds and colder temperatures in the forecast for Sunday, the historians decided to take their chances and to hold the event as planned.

“It has turned out to be a wonderful day,” said Fleck.”We’re very fortunate that the weather has worked out for the most part. It’s all for a good cause. Somebody must be looking down on us.”