Bucks Culture Fest comes to Newtown. It's a celebration of the diversity of Bucks County

Michele Haddon, Bucks County Courier Times
·3 min read

The inaugural Bucks Culture Fest — an event intended to unite the community, while showcasing a myriad of cultures through live entertainment and interactive learning — will be held at Bucks County Community College Newtown Campus at 275 Swamp Road on Sunday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Arya Haridas is one of the featured performers at Bucks Culture Fest, presenting Bharatnatyam, a classical dance form that originated in southern India. Bharatnatyam requires years of training, which Haridas completed in 2022 with a 3-hour solo stage performance called Arangetram.
Arya Haridas is one of the featured performers at Bucks Culture Fest, presenting Bharatnatyam, a classical dance form that originated in southern India. Bharatnatyam requires years of training, which Haridas completed in 2022 with a 3-hour solo stage performance called Arangetram.

The idea came about last summer, when Angela Nutter, director of Doylestown Juneteenth, approached Jean Dolan, the college’s coordinator of DEI and community engagement, about collaborating on a free family-friendly event.

“I see the changing face of Bucks County and I really wanted to highlight some of those people in our community that maybe don’t feel represented. I also wanted to highlight those who have helped to build our community,” Nutter said.

“It’s about creating community, building understanding and trying to erase stigmas.”

Wanting to extend their reach into several communities, the college and Juneteenth Doylestown have partnered with multiple organizations, including Desis of Doylestown and the Coalition of Natives and Allies, to put on this indoor-outdoor festival.

Coalition of Natives and Allies will be presenting a film viewing and Q&A at Bucks Culture Fest. The film features both indigenous and ally voices providing a historical overview, which includes personal accounts of the three Native women in the coalition.
Coalition of Natives and Allies will be presenting a film viewing and Q&A at Bucks Culture Fest. The film features both indigenous and ally voices providing a historical overview, which includes personal accounts of the three Native women in the coalition.

Darshana Patel, a Desis of Doylestown board member, said she hopes the festival will help in “opening hearts and minds and sharing our cultures and our experiences.”

“In the future, we’d love to grow this bigger and include more communities and get bigger each year,” she said.

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Live performances and more at Bucks Culture Fest

The festival includes live performances, interactive learning experiences, crafts, art, food trucks, and more. Here are the scheduled events to help you plan your visit:

Bucks Culture Fest, which will take place Sunday, April 28, at Bucks County Commmunity College in Newtown, will include feature performances by dancers and musicans, including Mukamuri, a soul artist based in Doylestown.
Bucks Culture Fest, which will take place Sunday, April 28, at Bucks County Commmunity College in Newtown, will include feature performances by dancers and musicans, including Mukamuri, a soul artist based in Doylestown.

  • Community yoga with Arva Yoga, The Quad, 10:30 a.m.

  • Bellydance by Christine, The Quad, 11 a.m.

  • Bharatnatyam dance by Arya Haridas, Linksz Pavilion, 11:30 a.m.

  • Film viewing and Q&A with Coalition of Natives and Allies, Linksz Pavilion, 12 p.m.

  • PKM Polish Folk Dance Ensemble, The Quad, 1 p.m.

  • Pride of Erin Irish Dance School, The Quad, 2 p.m.

  • Musical performance by soul artist Mukamuri, Linksz Pavilion, 2:30 p.m.

  • Live music jam with ShadowGrass, Zlock Performing Arts Center lobby, 1-3 p.m.

  • Bluegrass concert by ShadowGrass, Zlock Performing Arts Center, 3 p.m.

How much does it cost to attend the cultural festival?

Parking and admission to the festival are free and includes all activities with the exception of the ShadowGrass concert, which is a ticket event.

How to get tickets to the bluegrass concert

During the inaugural Bucks Culture Fest, Bucks Live! Cultural Events will present ShadowGrass in the Zlock Performing Arts Center to highlight Americana music.

ShadowGrass, a band made up of young musicians from the Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina and Virginia, will put on a ticketed concert highlighting American music at Bucks Culture Fest.
ShadowGrass, a band made up of young musicians from the Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina and Virginia, will put on a ticketed concert highlighting American music at Bucks Culture Fest.

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The band is made up of young musicians from the Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina and Virginia. The Newtown event is their only Philadelphia region appearance before continuing their tour to Colorado, Nevada, California and the Pacific Northwest.

Tickets for the 3 p.m. concert are $25 and free for BCCC students with current ID, and can be purchased at bucks.edu/tickets or at the box office.

ShadowGrass will also host a free live music jam before the concert in the Zlock lobby, where attendees are invited to bring an instrument to play along with the band.

Will there be food and drinks for sale?

Food trucks and vendors will be on-site with food and snacks available for purchase.

Alcohol will only be served in the Zlock lobby area prior the ShadowGrass concert. All alcohol must be consumed in the lobby or in a beer garden set up just outside the building.

No outside alcohol may be brought in.

“While we are glad to offer a small beer garden experience, we don’t want to detract from the family friendly nature of the rest of the festival,” Dolan said.

Is there a rain date for Bucks Culture Fest?

If the festival is postponed due to rain, it will be rescheduled to Sunday, May 5.

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Reporter Michele Haddon covers local news, small business, economic development, community revitalization, art and culture for The Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier Times at PhillyBurbs.com. Please considering supporting local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks Culture Fest set for April 28 at Bucks County Community College