People enjoy live music at the Ambler Arts and Music Festival on June 16-17, 2023.
Ambler – Preparations are underway for the 2024 Ambler Arts and Music Festival, with tens of thousands expected to descend on the borough next weekend.
The 13th annual event kicks off Friday, June 14, at 6 p.m. in downtown Ambler. The free event will continue rain or shine. It is scheduled to take place on June 14 from 6 to 11 p.m. and continues on Saturday, June 15 from 12:30 to 11 p.m.
“It’s so much fun,” said Ambler Avenue Manager Elizabeth Wahl Kunzier, adding, “There’s a lot to do and a lot to see.”
“Everyone came outside, all our restaurants came out, which was great. A lot of our shops and boutiques were open on the sidewalks,” she continued. “You can spend hours walking up and down Butler Avenue, looking at stuff and listening to music, and it’s free.”
Hosted by the Borough of Ambler, Ambler Main Street and the Rotary Club of Ambler, with approximately two dozen volunteers helping out throughout the event, it has become a long-standing tradition that has grown in popularity over the past decade .
The two-day festival consists of multiple sections showcasing art, food and music in Ambler. It runs along Butler Avenue from Race street to Main street. Music stages will be set up at the Ambler Savings Bank and in the borough’s Cavalier parking lot. Other attractions will be located along part of Ridge Avenue and along Cavalier Drive.
Attendees can stroll through Ambler, peruse vendor tables and visit local businesses. Some 86 artisan vendors will sell many types of crafts, jewelry and photography. The festival will also feature two beer gardens, accepting cash and cards. Food trucks sell items including delicacies such as lobster rolls, grilled chicken, chips and bacon.
“It’s fun. You can have a beer. We have a beer garden inside the music venue,” Wahl Kunzier said.
As for the music, “Yellow Moon” will kick off Friday, followed by “Disguished as Saints” and “Triple Rail Turn,” according to the lineup posted on the event website. Two Rocks Rye will kick off Saturday’s festivities, followed by Mostly Harmless Band, Ndichu, Pixie Twist, Variable Elements, The Verdict Reggae Soca Band and The Alter Ego Experience.
Festival-goers can bring their own chairs, according to the event website, and Wahl Kunzier credits event sponsors for stressing the importance of finding talent to enhance the festival experience.
“Because we have great sponsors, we can afford to pay for really good bands. So we’re able to provide high-quality entertainment. I mean, these guys are professional, really good musicians. So I think It’s an attractive place and it’s all different types of music so everyone can get something they like.
“I mean, late last year, my 20-something (kids) were doing (improv) with my peers late at night and everyone was dancing,” she continued. “So I think it’s an all-inclusive community event. I think there’s something for everyone…”
Planned road closures will be in place ahead of the event, with partial road closures on Poplar Street, Cavalier Drive and Ridge Avenue taking effect at 12 a.m. Friday. Butler Avenue will be closed from Main Street to Lindenwold Street on Friday at 2 p.m. Wahl Kunzier said the road was expected to reopen around 3 a.m. Sunday after the festival.
Wahl Kunzier suggested attendees park at train stations near Fort Washington and Penryn and take a train to Ambler. No coolers or glass bottles allowed. Visit amblerfest.org/2024-music-fest/ for more information.
