Monday, December 5, 2016

Heating Up a Chilly Night

Burning of the Phoenix (and my face. Ouch.)

A pretty cool hot annual event takes place not too far from where I live. 
It has been one of those bucket list items I can finally cross off the list. 

Street Activities on Bridge Street

It is the Firebird Festival named appropriately for the Phoenix - 
the namesake of the borough of Phoenixville. 

Morris Dancers - The Best Thing on Bridge Street 

Phoenixville drew its name from the Phoenix Iron Works 
which was the business around which the borough grew in the early 1800s. 
Once the iron industry in the United States began closing, 
that was also the end of the Phoenix Iron Works. 
Phoenixville declined. 

A Member of the Playing Mantis Fire Performers 

But like every good suburban town, 
Phoenixville has re invented itself 
with unique shops, restaurants and a historic district...
and a Firebird Festival.  

The Fire Dancers and The Phoenix

Each year for 13 years, Phoenixville builds a huge bird from wood - 
and then burns it down. 
Each year the design of the bird is different. 
Think of all the symbolism you can make from that. 



A Member of the Playing Mantis Fire Performers 

Phoenixville is located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. 



My two cents...if you go: 
The buskars were supposed to be "up and down" 
bridge street, but basically we found only 2  
and they performed in one location on Bridge St.  

I never found two of the fire performing groups. 

There were no maps to help you find locations - 
as an outsider just telling me where something will be held is of little help. 
Handout maps would have been helpful. 

The vendors should have moved their cars so as not to obstruct views 
and help with pedestrian flow. 

I bought a pulled pork sandwich and it was...cold! 

The best part of the night - medieval battle, the fire dancers and the fire - 
are held at a park 1 mile from the street activities. 

Having to hang in a shop to listen to music was a little awkward. 

If I went again I would just go to Friendship Field...
maybe after getting something to eat in town from a restaurant. 

Park in a location to make your exit easy so you will not have closed streets in your path. 
I lucked out with this one! 

Dancing To The Very End

All images in this gallery can be found here. 



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7 comments:

MadSnapper said...

Wow and Wow again. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see this festival. I am a lover of all things fire and this is gorgeous. the fie twirlers are amazing and so is that burning Phoenix.

Tamar SB said...

These are amazing!!! What a way to warm up!

Wayne said...

I had no idea ... The burning Phoenix is pretty amazing. Sounds like a cool idea, but they didn't do such a good job on communicating or planning (lack of planning made for no communicating). Great photos!!

Tom said...

What a wonderful festival of warmth and light.

Mitzi said...

WOW! What a wonderful experience. I can imagine that those burning flames were extremely hot! Excellent photos!

ellen b. said...

Thanks for including the map with the location of this festival and area. You always learn as you go at events like these.

Sarah Huizenga said...

How cool is that!