Central Schwenkfelder Country
Fair - An annual Fall Event
Coming in September
Central Schwenkfelder Church Fair
Offers a Fun-Filled Day in the Country
An old-fashioned Country Fair with activities for the whole family
will be held at Central
Schwenkfelder Church in Worcester on Saturday, September 16 from 10:00
a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
An annual event since 1951, the church's Country Fair will be held on
property which is
adjacent to the main church building, which is along Valley Forge Road
(Rt. 363), just north of
Skippack Pike (Rt.73).
The fair's country atmosphere will be enhanced by the fact that many
of the main activities will
take place in several historic farm buildings, including a barn, granary
and carriage house. Over the
years, the Country Fair has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars
to benefit charities, both local and
worldwide.
In addition to a variety of fair activities, there will be musical
performances throughout the day, including The North Pennsmen, the renowned
Lansdale-based barbershop choral group, and Central Schwenkfelder Church's
Brasswind Choir, a 32-piece brass band of church members. Musical performers
will also include Nancy Moyer of Souderton, and Doug and Wendy McClure
of North Wales.
There will be other entertainment going on throughout the day, including
an Antique and Classic Car Show and a quilting demonstration. Fair visitors
of all ages will enjoy taking part in an
old-fashioned "Cake Walk," a game where participants walk
till the music stops, and the person in the lucky spot gets to take
home a delicious cake. Another of the fair's highlights is the creation
and sale of artwork by several area artists.
Children will be entertained throughout the day with a variety of game
booths. Hayrides and pony rides will also be available, as well as face-painting.
Bargain-hunters won't want to miss the Country Fair's barn full of clothing
"reruns" and used
books. The clothing sale will include selections for the whole family,
and offers a "boutique"
atmosphere with display areas and dressing rooms. Shoppers can get additional
savings during this
booth's "bag sales" which will be held throughout the day.
Some of the most popular items are
women's vintage clothing and "almost new" children's clothing.
The Book Stall will offer over 1,000
titles, including used hardcover books, paperback novels and children's
books.
More bargains can be found at the fair's "Attic Treasures"
sale. Household items such as old
china and silver, kitchen tools and utensils, serving dishes, baskets
and linens will be available. A special section of the sale is devoted
to vintage jewelry. And children in attendance won't want to miss "Kid's
Treasures," an area of the sale which includes used puzzles, games,
and toys.
At 11 a.m., the fair's auction will begin. A wide variety of items will
be put on the auction
block -- furniture, tools, appliances, computers, bicycles, antiques
and collectibles, to name a few.
The fair's "Country Market" will offer a wide variety of home-cooked
and handcrafted items.
Take a taste of "Piccalilli," a traditional Pennsylvania German
salad of pickled vegetables, which will
be available for sale. Homemade jams, jellies and pickles are also available,
as well as freshly
harvested produce. The talents of church members will also be evident
through the variety of
handcrafted items available, including unique holiday decorations, woodcrafts,
and jewelry.
At the "Fresh Flowers" booth, you will see the beautiful
bounty which has been freshly cut
from many area gardens. You can select from an amazing variety of flowers,
either to take home
loose, or which have been made into arrangements ready to brighten up
your dining room table.
Delicious food will be available throughout the day at the Country Fair.
Lunch offerings will corn-on-the-cob, and chicken-corn soup. Also available
for snacking throughout the day are lemon sticks, soft pretzels, funnel
cakes, freshly baked pies, cotton candy, popcorn, and Freddy Hill Farms
ice
cream.
And after a busy day at the Country Fair, you can take home a barbequed
chicken, for a simple but delicious supper.
The Country Fair's Bakery is a popular stop for home-baked snacks like
cookies, brownies and
other treats. You can also take home cakes, breads, fruit pies and the
fair's specialty, Shoo-Fly pies.
For those visiting the fair who are interested in learning more about
Central Schwenkfelder Church, there will be guided tours offered, and
there will also be a display depicting the heritage of the Schwenkfelders.
Central Schwenkfelder Church is an ecumenical protestant church which
is one of six
Schwenkfelder Churches in the United States. All are in the Philadelphia
area, because the
Schwenkfelders came to William Penn's colony in the "New World"
in the early 1700's in search of
religious freedom. The name "Schwenkfelder" comes from the
fact that the church traces its roots to
the doctrine of Caspar Schwenckfeld Von Ossig, a 15th century scholar,
theologian and preacher.
Although few of the churches' members today are descendants of the
original settlers, they have been
attracted to the Schwenkfelder Church by its emphasis on Christian diversity
and tolerance.
Entrance to the fairgrounds will be off of Valley Forge Road. For further
information, call the
church office at (610) 584-4480.
Click HERE for directions
and more information on our Country Fair Page!
