Annual Mercer Museum Folk Fest

The Folk Fest will not take place in 2010 due to museum construction. The 36th annual Folk Fest will take place in May 2011.

The Experience

The grounds of the Mercer Museum transform into a historical festival setting for this annual Folk Fest, traditionally held the second weekend of May.

Explore the grounds of the museum and watch in amazement as the skilled costumed artisans demonstrate 17th- and 18th-century blacksmithing, spinning, weaving and chair-making. Among the costumed artisans are several who demonstrate the art of cooking using outdoor bake ovens, a squirrel tail oven and a hearth oven.

The genuine reenactments and demonstrations take visitors back in time to witness what a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch baking day was like. Outdoor bake ovens, similar to those at Folk Fest, were used primarily by the German settlers of Upper Bucks County and other areas of Pennsylvania.

A hearth cooking demonstration, featuring authentic 18th-century recipes, will also take place. The festival only uses foods that are appropriate to the time period and season, giving visitors a realistic view of the celebrated times.