EMMAUS, Pa. — Thousands of people packed downtown Emmaus on Saturday as the borough continued its three-day Emmaus 250 Celebration, marking America’s 250th anniversary with live entertainment, historical demonstrations and family-friendly activities.

Main Street was transformed into a festival destination, with live music filling the air as vendors, community organizations and local businesses lined the streets.

The free event featured food and drink vendors, a classic car show, children’s attractions and interactive activities, including a rock-climbing wall.

“It’s a festival that honors the past, present and future of not only our nation, but our community,” Emmaus Borough Manager Shane Pepe said.

The celebration also highlighted the borough’s rich history through demonstrations hosted by the Emmaus Historical Alliance, where visitors watched blacksmiths, artisans and historical reenactors bring the area’s early history to life. Some attendees even had the opportunity to meet a reenactor portraying George Washington while learning about America’s founding.

“The historical items, I would say those are pretty useful,” said Asher, who attended the festival with his stepfather.

Pepe said the event has brought significant traffic to downtown businesses and organizations.

“We’ve had thousands of people come through today, just patronizing our community, our downtown, our different organizations, our different vendors,” he said. “It’s great for the community, and it’s great for our economy.”

For many visitors, the celebration was about more than entertainment.

“We moved here about three years ago, and this is the best little community around,” said Stefanie Doll. “Everybody is kind to each other and really wants to support each other, and we just love Emmaus so much.”

Saturday’s festivities conclude with a performance by the M80 Party Band, followed by a drone and laser light show at Emmaus High School’s football stadium.

The celebration continues Sunday at Community Park with an ecumenical worship service beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The day’s events will also feature live music, food vendors, family activities, a petting zoo, bounce houses and discounted admission to the Emmaus Community Pool, bringing the borough’s three-day anniversary celebration to a close.