Winter Festival’s in full swing

In New Hope and Lambertville

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   LAMBERTVILLE-NEW HOPE — A big parade that begins in New Hope and crosses the Delaware River free bridge to Lambertville, music, dance, plenty of good things to eat and drink, puppet shows, ice carvings done before your eyes, a “roasting” of New Hope Mayor Larry Keller, house and walking tours, theater, art shows and more are features of this year’s Winter Festival.
   You name it and the annual Lambertville-New Hope Winter Festival probably has it. The festival kicked off Jan. 14. Events began again Wednesday, are under way today and will end on Sunday.
   But before getting to the details of some of the festival’s fun, area residents should make a point of trying to help Fisherman’s Mark, a beneficiary of the annual event.
   Fisherman’s Mark is a social service organization, located in Lambertville. Its food pantry helps serve the needs of many area residents. In addition to receiving proceeds from the festival, the Winter Festival Committee is placing donation canisters for non-perishable food at each of its major events.
   Fisherman’s Mark has been helping families across six local counties put food on their tables and advocating for those who need support for over 30 years. In winter months, demand at the food pantry climbs to over 1,000 individuals a month. The reality is that the pantry often runs out of food, said a spokesman.
   A donation of $20 will pay for 105 pounds of food from the food bank to stock the food pantry’s shelves. Any size donation will be appreciated. Donations can be made on the Winter Festival Fisherman’s Mark page.
   Yesterday (Wednesday), things got rolling with the Tapping of the Winter Festival Keg at Triumph Brewing Company on Union Square Drive in New Hope. Triumph planned to serve its exclusive Winter Fest brew.
   At 7 p.m. on Jan. 27, Taste of Winter Fest will be held in the Riverview Ballroom at the Inn at Lambertville Station, which will serve from its Winter Festival Reserve Wine List to complement the food served by area restaurants. Tickets are $40.
   David Uosikkinen and his band, “In The Pocket,” will perform at 8 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Stephen J. Buck Memorial Theatre. Reserved tickets are $35. VIP tickets for $75 also are available. VIP ticket holders get priority seating and will be able to attend a pre-concert reception at the historic Logan Inn in New Hope. This will include cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as well as a meet and greet with members of “In The Pocket.” Their evening will begin with a trolley ride from the theater to the Logan Inn. The return trolley ride will have them back to the theater just in time for the show to begin.
   Set for noon Saturday (Jan. 28), the festival’s parade will march from New Hope-Solebury High School to Bridge Street in Lambertville.
   Live ice carvings will be another highlight. At 11 a.m. on Jan. 28, the master ice carvers, “Fear No Ice,” will transform a big block of ice into a work of art at Lambertville Station on Bridge Street. They’ll do the same at noon the next day at Triumph Brewing Company at 400 Union Square in New Hope.
   For the past 15 years Mayor Keller has been the people’s choice as leader of New Hope.
   On Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m., the community will gather at Occasions in Union Square, New Hope, to mark his tenure with a “Roast and Toast of Hizzoner, Laurence D. Keller.”
   The evening “promises to be a gala event beginning with an open bar and hors d’oeuvres and a sit-down dinner, including herb-crusted Norwegian salmon fillet and pork loin stuffed with spinach and provolone,” said a spokesman. A vegetarian option features Portobello mushroom stuffed with orzo, feta and herbs. Wine will be served with dinner.
   A silent auction will offer prizes for a variety of events and restaurants. The evening will be capped off with the “roast,” presented by numerous local personalities and dignitaries. “This is certain to provide hearty laughs and many memories from Mayor Keller’s years of service,” said the spokesman.
   The roast is being presented by the New Hope Borough Park and Recreation Board.
   Proceeds will benefit the Lambertville-New Hope Winter Festival and the pocket parks in New Hope.
   Tickets for the Larry Keller Roast are $75 and can be purchased at www.winterfestival.net.
   The Lambertville Historical Society will offer free town walks during WinterFest on Saturday and Sunday. Both will begin in front of the Lambertville Station on Bridge Street at 2 p.m. The historic James Marshall House and Museum, 60 Bridge St., also will be open both days between 1 and 4 p.m. Check www.LambertvilleHistoricalSociety.org for more information.
   On Jan. 29, there will be a pancake breakfast at New Hope-Solebury High School from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tickets are $6.50 for adults and $3.50 for children.
   Also on Jan. 29, at 2 p.m., a walking tour of historic New Hope will take visitors back 200 years to life in the small town as it was in 1812.
   The stories of more than a dozen buildings that existed in New Hope then and are still in use today will be featured on the tour.
   Tour guides, Roy Ziegler and Barry Ziff, members of the board of directors of the New Hope Historical Society, will lead the tour for the 10th consecutive year.
   ”We have been thrilled by the crowds that have come out for this walking tour every year,” noted Mr. Ziegler. “There was one year when the temperature was 19 degrees on a Super Bowl Sunday, and we had more than a 120 folks on the tour,” he added. Last year, a large crowd was treated to the history of the Bucks County Playhouse.
   On Saturday and Sunday, from 1-4 p.m., tours of the Parry Mansion, 45 S. Main St., will be presented by knowledgeable docents. An ice sculpture of the mansion will be carved and displayed on the front lawn.
   The walking tour begins in the back yard of the Parry Mansion at 2 p.m.
   A complimentary hot beverage and cookies will be served.
   Admission to the tours is free and donations to the maintenance of the Parry Mansion are welcome.
   One of the most popular events at the Winter Festival is the chili cook off, which, it’s reported, is sold out. It runs from 1-4 p.m. on Jan. 29 at the River Horse Brewery at Occasions, at Union Square in New Hope.
   Many other events and attractions are on tap for the Winter Festival. To find out more, visit www.winterfest.net/schedule.