NEW WILMINGTON, PA. Art show unites community

The festival is a celebration of heritage and local artistic expression.
By JOHN SKENDALL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- The first New Wilmington Community Arts & amp; Heritage Festival, set for Friday to next Sunday, will celebrate local artists and local ways of life -- and promises to be a whole lot of fun.
There will be plays at Westminster College's Old Main Senior Terrace, poets and storytellers on an outdoor stage, bands, hot air balloon rides, hands-on arts and crafts for children, and, of course, art exhibits -- shown almost exclusively by local artists.
"We are excited to share some of our area's treasures, & quot; said Chamber of Commerce President Tim Kelly.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Sponsored by Westminster College, The Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts and the New Wilmington Area Chamber of Commerce, the goal is to display "the flavor of the people of this area," Kelly said.
Something for everyone
The event is designed to be a "true" arts festival, Kelly said, and one that everyone enjoys.
Wire artists, woodcarvers, clay potters and watercolor painters will give demonstrations of their work.
Performances by a '40s- and '50s-style jazz quintet and a classic rock and blues band are two of 17 scheduled music groups.
"There really is something for everyone," Kelly said.
Trolley tours of the surrounding countryside, sponsored by the New Castle Transit Authority, will run Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
The juried art show will be held at Westminster's McGill Library. The Village Gallery will host artist Robert Griffing, among others.
The main community stage will be in the Jameson Health Place parking lot on Market Street and will feature bands and performers playing everything from gospel music to classic rock.
Heritage emphasis
The festival is the first event of any kind held in New Wilmington since more than a decade ago, when the town held New Wilmington Community Days, Kelly said. The event came about through community interest and has "phenomenal" support from the Hoyt institute, Westminster College and area businesses, Kelly said.
In years to come there will be increased emphasis on the heritage of the New Wilmington area, focusing on the area's agricultural heritage and its historical significance as a stop on the underground railroad, Kelly said.
The festival will extend from downtown Market Street to the 300-acre Westminster College campus. The 39 hours of events will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
There will be face-painting and other activities through the weekend at the Children's Tent, located on the corner of Waugh Avenue and Market Street. Fireworks over Brittain Lake Sunday will close the event.