Haverford Township's Illumination 250 Festival packed the Haverford High School football field on Saturday, Aug. 29, with thousands of residents and visitors.
Organizer Tom Kelly projected more than 20,000 people would attend the free, all-day celebration at 250 Mill Road in Havertown, which featured live music, food trucks, a craft village and a choreographed drone show costing upwards of $60,000. Kelly, chairman of the nonprofit Kelly Music for Life, told the Delco Times that private sponsors covered the entire bill. No taxpayer dollars were used.
The drone show featured hundreds of drones and was comparable to productions at Major League Baseball and NFL games, Kelly said. It was also livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Some attendees staked out chairs on the football field nearly 12 hours before the show's scheduled 8:30 p.m. start. Gates opened at 11 a.m., and a dozen performers played genres including fife and drum, country, New Orleans jazz and 1980s oldies.
A 17-member committee spent two years organizing the event. Kelly told the Delco Times the idea started when he pitched the concept to Haverford Township Manager Dave Burman.
"He didn't laugh and he didn't kick me out of his office for some reason," Kelly said. "He let me move forward with this idea and supported it every step of the way."
Burman thanked the volunteers at the opening ceremony, saying two years of planning by a committee under a tent on the grounds made the day possible, the Delco Times reported.
The festival required coordination among the township, the Haverford School District, the police department and the parks and recreation department. One hundred volunteers staffed the event. Volunteer Peggy Murr of Haverford noted that the crew included an 80-year-old from Media.
Jeanne Angell of Discover Haverford, a planning committee member, arrived at 8 a.m. for vendor load-in and expected to stay through breakdown at about 10 p.m.
Visit Delco served as the exclusive presenting sponsor. Rob MacPherson, the agency's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said hotel-tax proceeds funded Visit Delco's involvement. He said the festival stood out as one that could draw visitors from beyond Delaware County, according to the Delco Times.
Graphic designer Nicole Fichera of HTeams created the festival's logo, program and poster. HTeams, which runs the annual Haverford Township Music Festival, was one of several nonprofits involved in producing Illumination 250.
What's next: The 14th Annual Haverford Township Music Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, at 50 E. Eagle Road in Havertown. The free event will feature 16 performances across two stages.
