Trifter

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Hundreds of people jam the wooden benches at the Main Stage outside the Quilt Barn. When the auction starts, the quilts are displayed on large wooden dowels by helpers in red suspenders. The ends of the dowels are handed up to men standing on ladders so that the quilt can be viewed by everyone in the audience. The backs of the Best of Show quilts are also displayed so that those sitting close enough to the front can see the exquisite stitching. Then the auctioneer begins his fast-talking. It’s exciting to watch bidders drive up the prices of quilts: an appliqué quilt from Lebanon County featuring Pennsylvania Dutch-style bird, heart and tulip motifs sold for $3,100. From over 2,000 handmade quilts stitched by local quilters, 100 are chosen as outstanding. From these, twenty-four are given top honors, and among these, four are labeled Best of Show. I make the trip to Kutztown on the second Saturday of the festival because that’s when the exciting quilt auction takes place.

Many of the 120 juried craftspeople at the festival demonstrate their crafts. Across from the Quilt Barn, calico-clad quilters demonstrate their art and invite visitors to sign a quilt patch to be incorporated into the annual Visitors’ Quilt. Attendees watch signed patches being sewn together, then sandwiched on top of batting (the fuzzy filling) and a backing fabric. These layers are secured in a frame and held together by tiny stitches called quilting. There are demonstrations of glass-blowing, pottery-throwing, and soap making. A few thousand worker bees behind plexi-glass showed us how they make honey. Unique local crafts are also featured. Scherenschnitte is a Pennsylvania German craft of cutting delicate, intricate designs in paper. Top hex sign painters come to the Kutztown festival to show their art. Redware is a special kind of pottery made from clay common to Southeastern Pennsylvania that contains iron. Many items feature Fraktur, the distinctive Pennsylvania German calligraphy. I was able to get a jump on my holiday shopping here at the festival. Almost everyone enjoys a one-of-a-kind handmade gadget or objet d’art. Many of the crafters exhibiting at Kutztown will ship your purchases or do mail or phone orders afterwards.

“Guten Essen!” Sampling the delicious home cooking is one of the joys of the Kutztown Festival. I passed on the delectable pickled pig snout, but thoroughly enjoyed my tasty potato cakes, apple dumplings and lemonade. The ice cream and strawberry shortcake are scrumptious desserts or snacks for a hot July day. It’s hard not to learn about Pennsylvania German culture at the Kutztown Festival. There are periodic living history demonstrations on marriage and hangings (not related), farm tools and machinery, and cooking. While listening to various brass bands, fiddling, and folksinging, I threw back a couple of ice-cold authentic birch beers. There is a wide array of kids’ activities including a hay maze, a mule-drawn carousel, puppet shows, storytelling, and sing-alongs. All but the seriously allergic visitors enjoy the petting zoo and extensive livestock exhibits. You’re not just learning about Pennsylvania German culture, you’re living it! (By the way, Guten Essen means Good Eating!) Check out www.kutztownfestival.com for more information.