Thousands of people packed the streets of Bristol Borough yesterday to see the Budweiser Clydesdales make their rounds through the town. Parked cars filled the lots behind Mill Street, the grass around the municipal building on old Route 13, and any other available spot leading into town. Pockets of people sat outside their homes along the route and around places like St. Ann’s Church, while many set up on Mill Street.
There, businesses like TrainPops Attic and Calm Waters Coffee stayed open past their usual hours to accommodate the residents and visitors who came out early to claim their spots.. The sidewalks and parts of the street were jam-packed with people well before the hitch made its way down the main drag. Many stayed for more than an hour as the horses came to rest near the Mill Street Wharf, taking photos with the team.
To commemorate the event, the Raising the Bar Committee announced a photo contest to find the picture that best captures the event from the town’s perspective. The committee will award $50 to the photographer who best captures the Clydesdales, crowd and Bristol itself. The photo will be displayed at the Centre for the Arts and used on future promotional materials.
The Clydesdales will make a few more stops in the area this week, with one-horse appearances in Richboro and Bensalem on Thursday, Sept.8 and a full-team visit to New Hope on Saturday, Sept. 10.
In an announcement after the event, Raising the Bar President Bill Pezza thanked Joe Morris of Gretz Beer, Chief of Police Steven Henry, Matt Cusano, Merle Winslow, Pete Faith, George Waldron, the Borough crew, Fire Chief Herb Slack and the local fire departments and fire police, Borough Council, Mayor Pat Sabatini, the Raising the Bar Committee and the volunteers who all worked together to make the day a success.
“No words needed to describe how awesome this day was for Bristol Borough with the best people and the best visitors one could hope for,” he wrote. “So proud of our town.”
For information on the photo contest, visit www.facebook.com/BristolBoroughRaisingTheBar. For information on the upcoming Clydesdale appearances, visit www.visitbuckscounty.com.
