On Friday, July 31, the 200 block of West Main Street became an outdoor cafe for Dinner on Main, part of Kutztown’s bicentennial celebration.
Bicentennial Committee Chairman Craig Koller said, “One of the great things about Kutztown is the variety of restaurants we have in our little town. For the bicentennial celebration, we wanted to showcase our restaurants and throw a big outdoor party at the same time.”
All of Kutztown’s restaurants were invited to participate, with eight restaurants putting food kiosks on Main Street: Betty’s; Camillo’s Italian Restaurant, Pizzeria & Bar; K’town Pub; Kutztown Fire Company; La Cocina Mexicana; Pop’s Malt Shop; Spuds; and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. All the participating restaurants created special menu items for the event, focusing on smaller plates so people could enjoy items from several restaurants.
“We really wanted people to try food from several places so they could see what each has to offer,” said Koller. “The restaurant owners were very enthusiastic about Dinner on Main from the very beginning. They wanted to be part of the bicentennial celebration, and Dinner on Main was the perfect way for them to do it.”
The event ran from 6 to 11 p.m. with music provided by The Stony Run Group and T-Flo and Friends. A special birthday cake and cupcakes displayed in the form of the bicentennial logo were made by Barbara Smith. At 8 p.m., the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Kutztown, lead by Miss Kutztown Bicentennial Erica Yurvati and Lil’ Miss Kutztown Bicentennial Mary Hess. Decorations were organized by Marilyn Baver, with Janet Leiby making quilted table runners featuring the bicentennial logo. The trees and tents were draped with lights while the full moon bathed the sky overhead. The Kutztown Garden Club contributed seven planters to augment the four planters decorating Main and Whiteoak Streets.
“An event like this took a lot of preparation and planning,” said Koller. “The restaurants were cooking for days. The enthusiastic crowds we had for the train rides, the walking history tour and the ice cream social forecast a large crowd for Dinner on Main, and we got it. We had a short period of time to set up all the tents, tables and chairs for the event, then take everything down when it was over so we could re-open Main Street by 11. Thankfully, we did our homework and had a clear plan on what needed to be done. Shena Corrado was the keystone to this plan. A huge help was Ludwig Funeral Home who lent us some tents, and St. Paul’s U.C.C. and the Kutztown Area Historical Society lent us tables. Plus, so many people at the event helped us clear the street by 11:30 p.m. I’m sure the Kutztown Police Department appreciated the efficiency.”
While no official estimate of the number of people in attendance was taken, Main Street from Noble to Whiteoak was full of people for most of the night.
