Whiskey Rebellion Festival returns for 12th year
The Whiskey Rebellion Festival will be held this weekend in downtown Washington.
Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
Dave Budinger and Laney Seirsdale, senior docents at the Bradford House, in the museum’s garden.
Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
Dave Budinger and Laney Seirsdale, senior docents at the Bradford House, in the museum’s garden.
The Whiskey Rebellion Festival takes place this weekend in downtown Washington
In this 2022 file photo, George Cholak, a Meadow Lands native, ties a ribbon around the liberty pole during the Whiskey Rebellion Festival in Washington.
A juggler on stilts balances his clubs on top of each other while performing for the crowd at the Whiskey Rebellion Festival in Washington last year.
Reenactors from the Woodville Experience in Collier Township line up to protect a character who was tarred and feathered during one of the demonstrations at the Whiskey Rebellion Festival in Washington in 2022.
The cast of the Whiskey Rebellion Festival marches down South Main Street in Washington during the parade during the 2022 festivities.
The Whiskey Rebellion Festival is returning to Washington — tar, feathers and all.
The Bradford House Historical Association will bring the event back for its 12th year on Friday and Saturday, and even returning rebels will have something new to look forward to.
Take, for instance, the new Meeting House at 182 S. Main St. in Washington.
“The Meeting House … is a new building for the Bradford House, and it’s a completely open floor plan. We are having demonstrators in there,” said Tracie Liberatore, the executive director at the Bradford House. “The demonstrators are thrilled, because it’s air conditioned.”
The festival will begin Friday night with the Whiskey & Spirits Walk from 6 to 9 p.m. It will be $50 per person, and only open to those 21 and older. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Main Street Pavilion.
Most activities will take place on Saturday, kicking off with a parade at 10:30 a.m. The Whiskey Rebellion parade is organized by the Washington Business District Authority and will begin at the intersection of Main and Chestnut streets.
Liberatore said the history groups will be more at the forefront of this year’s event. There will be 16 groups, the most that have ever been featured at the Whiskey Rebellion Festival.
“Two of the history groups — Meadowcroft and Rivers of Steel Heritage Corridor — are bringing blacksmiths,” Liberatore said.
The “mercantile area” in Strawberry Alley will feature 12 vendors selling whiskey or history-related merchandise. According to Liberatore, this is another area where the Bradford House has expanded the offerings.
“Vintage Grace Boutique, which is a fairly new boutique in Washington County, they’re going to be coming with their themed products to match the festival,” Liberatore said.
Street theater will again be a major part of the festival. Liberatore said the final act for this year’s performances will indeed feature tar and feathers.
“We get a lot of calls (asking) if there will be a tar and feathering this year, and there will be,” Liberatore said.
The Bradford House works with several local organizations and city officials to make the Whiskey Rebellion Festival happen each year. Liberatore praised the work their partners put into the event.
“It’s a great group of community members coming together for this. We are the largest festival in Washington County, and it is all 100% volunteers,” Liberatore said.
The Whiskey Rebellion Festival is certain to draw a large crowd. Liberatore is always happy to see people come together for a celebration of local history.
“It excites us, because what it’s doing is it’s bringing awareness to the history of the region, and bringing money to the food trucks and local vendors. It’s good for everybody,” Liberatore said.
For additional information, and a full schedule of events, visit whiskeyrebellionfestival.com.