OcTrolleyFest 2019
October 8, 2019
Happy OcTrolleyFest! This Saturday, 10/12, the 14th annual OcTrolleyFest takes place at Darby Borough! This all-day event starts at 10:30a at the Darby Library at 1001 Main St. in Darby. Festival-goers can make scarecrows from recycled materials, meet with historical figures, and check out other fun surprises!
At 11:30a, take part in a guided walking tour of some Darby’s Mills, the site of the birthplace of film star W.C. Fields and Darby's 1904 Warren Pony-Truss Trolley Bridge that served two trolley lines in Darby’s John Drew Park, named after civil rights and transportation pioneer John Mott Drew.
At noon, a wreath will be placed on the grave of baseball and civil rights pioneer Octavius Catto at Eden Cemetery, just up the hill from Darby — land that was the birthplace of famed botanist John Bartram.
From 2p-4p, space permitting, take a free ride on a vintage streamlined PCC trolley car through 350 years of Darby history. Pennsylvania's first water-powered grist mill, Printz’s Mill, is one of many historic sites to take in. Board the PCC at Darby Library.
Throughout the day, you can view the Trolley Mural at 9th and Main as well as the “Trolley Art” at Sharon Bank, all made by children from the area. Take in the fall air on self-guided tours to a number of Darby’s other many historic sites.
At 5:30p, near the Darby Transportation Center at 9th and Main, board the SEPTA Route 11 Trolley (fare or SEPTA Key required) for a guided trip to Philadelphia’s City Hall and the Octavius Catto Memorial.
OcTrolleyFest started in 2005 as a celebration of transportation heritage and community. It was focused on the first trolley to come to Delaware County from Philadelphia in 1858, when they were still pulled by horses. In the past 161 years, there have been quite a few advances in public transportation!
Since OcTrolleyFest began, it has expanded into a regional celebration of the remarkable transportation network connecting us with each other and with historic sites throughout the region. As co-creator of OcTrolleyFest John Haigis likes to say, "Remember: in Darby, every day is Trolley Day and the journey is the show!" There is so much history in Darby to take in!
Get there on SEPTA! Appropriately, the Route 11 Trolley takes you within five minutes of Darby Library. Or Plan Your Trip here!
