The Doylestown Arts Festival celebrated its 32nd anniversary on Sept. 9 and 10. Despite forecasts for heavy storms, thousands made their way to the free-to-attend street festival, while the weather held out just long enough for the highly anticipated event to take place. The weekend-long festival brought visitors from near and far while supporting over 150 independent artists and dozens of musicians and local businesses. The event once again spanned across downtown Doylestown, lining State Street, Main Street, Oakland Avenue, Hamilton Street, and adjacent parking lots with art, music, and activities. Throughout the event, countless moments of collaboration, friendship, and kindness helped to facilitate an environment of positivity and a space where everyone could come and enjoy the celebration of creativity. Thank you to everyone who puts a whole lotta heart and energy out to create one of the absolute best opportunities for independent artists and makers to connect with (the) community, said Tari Zarka, a local glass artist. For many of the participating artists and local businesses, the festival was a massive success. Early reports indicate that sales were once again strong, showing that large-scale events can have major and long-lasting economic benefits to the community. In addition, the festival featured a range of local cultural destinations and arts organizations, helping to raise awareness and strengthen their position in the region. Doylestown, you never disappoint. Thanks for showing up with your friends, your families, your dogs, your kiddos, and your interest in supporting artists from a wide range of disciplines, said Jan Powers, one of this years artists. The all-volunteer organizers and committee responsible for the festival worked for over 10 months to carefully plan and execute the annual tradition, which is made free to the public in partnership with Discover Doylestown, The Borough of Doylestown, and dozens of local businesses, organizations, and residents. Behind the scenes of the festival, over 130 volunteers worked from before dawn until well after the crowds had gone home to make sure the event ran smoothly. We remain in awe of this community and their seemingly tireless support of the local and regional art, music, and cultural scene. We took a gamble on the weather and we were rewarded with an incredible weekend of creativity and connection, said Paul Boger, who directs the event with his wife, Kris Boger, in a volunteer capacity each year. For 32 years, the Doylestown Arts Festival has upheld its mission of spotlighting Doylestown and Bucks County for its commitment to art and culture, supporting local artists and businesses, and raising the accessibility of the arts for everyone in the community to experience. With another successful year in the books, the Doylestown Arts Festival continues to be a highly respected festival both locally and throughout the region, drawing massive crowds and support. Home to over 8,000 residents as well as the Michener Art Museum, Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, TileWorks, the County Theater, and a robust downtown of galleries, restaurants, and locally-owned shops and boutiques, Doylestown is nationally recognized as a destination town. The Doylestown Arts Festival is made possible by a small volunteer committee of Discover Doylestown and is presented by the Thompson Organization. For more information, visit www.dtownartsfestival.com.