Thousands Jam Sycamore For Another Successful Newtown Welcome Day

NEWTOWN, PA — The sights and sounds of Welcome Day filled the streets of Newtown on Sunday as the community celebrated the “18940.”

From Jefferson Street to Durham Road, thousands enjoyed a day filled with live entertainment, fun and games, vendors and plenty of food on a very crowded Sycamore Street.

Sponsored by Capital Health, the event was presented by the Newtown Business Association (NBA) to shine a spotlight on the Greater Newtown business community and to welcome people to town to explore the community's many businesses.

Welcome Day organizers and volunteers. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

This year's event was held in memory of Riki Brennan, an NBA member who died in December after a courageous battle with cancer. For the past 20 years, she took an active role in helping to plan Welcome Day.

"Riki, this one's for you," said Welcome Day co-chair Fred Poritsky who opened Sunday's event with a moment of silence in Riki's memory.

Brennan's former colleagues were also there from the Newtown Veterinary Hospital where she worked as an office manager. They were gathered at the NVH booth at the opposite end of Sycamore Street.

“She would be honored knowing that today was dedicated to her. She would also be happy with the turnout,” said her former co-worker Meredith McGann. “She loved being a part of the Newtown Business Association and Welcome Day. For this year not to have her with us is bittersweet but she would have absolutely loved it.”

The staff from the Newtown Veterinary Hospital.

Welcome Day was dedicated to the memory of Riki Brennan.

The Council Rock Coalition for Healthy Youth teamed up with the Council Rock Education Foundation to present a Welcome Day information booth.

A guitarist with Springbrooke performs at Welcome Day.

From late morning until the close of Welcome Day, all along Sycamore Street the energy on the street was palpable.

From Durham Road to Jefferson Street, live entertainment electrified the street and music filled the air including Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison” performed by Springbrooke.

Welcome Day co-chair Rob Howell of WSFS Bank dubbed Welcome Day 2024 “fantastic.

“The music, the food, the vendors - everything has been great so far. We couldn’t have asked for anything better. It rained this morning, but now it's sunny and gorgeous. The rain didn't stop people from coming. I'm happy to see so many people here,” he said.

At Silo Drive and Durham Road, members of the Newtown Fire Association were sharing fire prevention tips with the community.

Just a few feet away, representatives from the Newtown Township Police Department were educating parents about scams and handing out fun activity packets to the youngsters.

At the other end of the street, representatives with Capital Health, the event’s main sponsor, were giving tours of its mobile clinical training facility.

The Capital Health Welcome Day crew. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

Capital Health brought its Advanced Simulation Training Center to show the public. The mobile simulation lab provides state-of-the-art, multi-disciplinary clinical training for physicians, nurses, emergency medical service providers and other staff.

Nearby, Matt Peters, the owner of the local Weed Man franchise, had a front row seat for Welcome Day. His business is located on Sycamore Street in the heart of the action. He was dressed up as Weed Man, the superhero, ready to fight weeds of any kind showing up on the lawn.

Just outside of the festival area, on the grounds of the Historic Presbyterian Church, Welcome Day visitors took a step back in time to the days of the American Revolution.

Members of the 1st Crossing Volunteers, home-based at Crossing Community Church, staged an encampment on the historic church grounds, which included Colonial games, musket firing demonstrations and hearthside cooking.

Visitors who took a look inside the church learned that it is the oldest church in Newtown dating to 1769. They also learned that in 1776 it was commandeered by General George Washington for use as a hospital, a jail and a P.O.W. “camp.”

After the Battle of Trenton, several hundred Hessians were held there before they began their long march to Philadelphia where they would be exchanged for American soldiers.