Boyertown >> The borough 150th anniversary celebration drew the community out onto the streets and into the rail yard on Saturday for a day of festivities.
Predictions of rain did not stop the long-awaited parade. Led by Grand Marshal Stephanie Grace, 19-year-old singer and Boyertown Area High School graduate, the parade began at the high school and wound its way up Philadelphia Avenue toward Chestnut Street.
Parade organizers Lynn Levan and Donald Frey began planning back in January, making the effort to incorporate the town’s storied past into an event that also celebrates the future.
Dignitaries were driven in cars from the 1960s era on loan from local car clubs. Deborah Bertolet, executive director of the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles, said the museum was lending out several vehicles, including a 1952 Masano, designed by local car dealer Tom Masano, a 1913 SVG touring car and a 1942 Ford Army jeep.
“Everything came together nicely,” said Jake Lea of the 150 anniversary planning committee as the block party got underway. “There’s lots going on; everyone seems to be having a nice time.”
This committee began planning back in December, launching the website <boyertown150.com> to keep everyone updated about these special events to celebrate Boyertown’s incorporation as a borough in 1866.
Immediately following the parade, the crowd poured into the Colebrookdale Railroad rail yard, bustling with food and craft vendors, in addition to demonstrations and sales of 150 anniversary memorabilia.
Many attendees took the opportunity to dress in traditional attire from 1866, an idea encouraged by the anniversary celebration’s planning committee.
As a part of the celebration, the Colebrookdale Railroad is running excursions aboard the visiting Steam Engine Viscose Company Number 6. The sounds of a train whistle and the sight of the bellowing steam couldn’t be ignored as they became a part of the party’s landscape. Train tickets are available online at colebrookdalerailroad.com. The steam engine will be in town until next weekend.
The 1966 time capsule was put on display during the block party, however, the contents remained under glass. Once opened, the contents will be on display at the Boyertown Historical Society.
Due to unexpected rust and corrosion, organizers were unable to get the capsule completely open in time for the weekend celebration. A glimpse of the capsule’s contents can be seen through the glass.
The weekend celebration wraps up with a community church service today. This is a nondenominational service set to be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Boyertown at 2 p.m.
While Boyertown’s history dates back to the early 1700s, it was on October 20, 1866, when a group of individuals made a second attempt to charter Boyertown as a borough. While there was a small protest from a group fearing increased taxes, the Berks County Courts approved the request.
This year’s anniversary celebration will officially conclude with a time capsule burial in October.
