The Frankford Festival
is coming to town

By Jon Campisi
Times Staff Writer

It’s time to forget all your worries and cares, Frankfordians, for the ninth annual Frankford Festival is just around the corner.
The event, which drew around 1,500 people last year, will be held this Saturday and offer a variety of festivities for the entire family.
Theresa Hanas, the main street coordinator for the Frankford Community Development Corporation, the sponsoring organization, knows the festival quite well, having attended last year as a community member and returning this year as an organizer.
"I thought it was a great way to bring the community together, to bring everyone out and look at the positive aspects of Frankford ... to show that good things are happening," Hanas said.
Hanas, who started working for the CDC just a few days after last year’s festival, said more entertainment and programs are expected this year.
Musical performances will range from rock ’n’ roll to jazz to rhythm and blues, and dance numbers will be performed by groups such as the No Limit Dance Team, a local hip-hop troupe, and the Timoney Irish Dancers.
There will also be many events geared toward children, such as face painting, T-shirt decorating, balloon-making, a jump rope contest, a fun house and a poster contest.
This year’s theme for the poster contest is Shining Stars of Frankford, and it will offer youngsters an opportunity to draw pictures reflective of what they see as the positive aspects of the neighborhood. The winner of the poster contest will receive a one-week pass to the Frankford Community Y.
The Cavity Busters will also be in attendance. The group, which drives around in a vehicle that resembles the car in the 1980s comedy hit Ghostbusters, will distribute free toothbrushes and floss to children to highlight the importance of proper dental hygiene.
"It’s a big attraction," Hanas said of the Cavity Busters’ participation.
Many volunteers will also be on hand, including members of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, who will set up a rock climbing wall.
This year, thanks to an expanded territory, the festival will coincide with other previously scheduled events, including a flea market at St. Mark’s Church that will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a fair at Frankford Friends School that will be held between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The Frankford Festival itself will take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. along the 4400 and 4600 blocks of Frankford Ave. The main stage will be at the intersection of Frankford Avenue and Orthodox Street under the Frankford El.
The event is free, except for food and drink items that will be available for purchase.
Other highlights of the event will include a sidewalk sale, demonstrations and a plant sale by the Frankford Garden Club, activities by the Historical Society of Frankford, and a chance to network with numerous volunteers from organizations such as Northeast Treatment Centers, the Frankford Business and Professional Association, Third Federal Bank, SPIN Frankford, Frankford Family Support Services and more.
The event will be held rain or shine.
For more information, contact Theresa Hanas at 215-743-6580. ••
Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com