Denali Brown, 6, of Wexford listens as Civil War re-enactor Craig Anderton shows artifacts and talks about the supplies that Union soldiers carried Sunday at the Saxonburg Festival of the Arts.

SAXONBURG — Thousands of people walked the streets of the borough this weekend for the 32nd annual Festival of the Arts.

The event had favorable weather conditions and a large turnout on both days, said event chairman Rick Markovich of the Saxonburg Historical and Restoration Commission.

“Yesterday was more than spectacular,” Markovich said Sunday. “We had so many people here, all of the parking lots we had available for the event were completely full.”

The festival opened Saturday with a 5K run and community walk and featured a well-attended car cruise on Main Street, hosted by the Rodfathers.

The event featured live music and entertainment both days and a large number of craft, food and other vendors who set up shop in Roebling Park, Cooper Hall, along Main Street and North Rebecca Street and in the First Commonwealth Bank parking lot.

The 78th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Company F, a Civil War re-enactment group from Freeport, provided education about the war on both days of the festival.

Re-enactor Craig Anderton, dressed as a Union soldier, played a fife and displayed artifacts such as muskets, nineteenth century money and other supplies soldiers would have carried at the group's encampment along Rebecca Street.

One artifact was a replica of hardtack, a kind of hard biscuit or cracker that soldiers would be given. Hardtack was made from just flour and water and was so tough that soldiers had to soak it in water or soup to render it soft enough to eat, Anderton said.

The muskets were a popular item during the festival, said Vickie Hooks of Company F.

“Everybody likes looking at the weapons,” Hooks said.

The group's mission is to provide education and also to raise money to help preserve Civil War battlefields, she said. They were selling tickets to raffle off a Civil War era-style quilt, with the proceeds to go toward preservation efforts around the country.

Cindy Weaver of Wexford said her family enjoyed looking at the Civil War artifacts and also an old-fashioned spinning display in the park.

“It's nice that the community can have stuff like this. To enjoy and to learn,” she said.

Alicia White of Adams Township said the festival had a lot to offer.

“We spent several hours just browsing,” she said.

Since it is one of Saxonburg's biggest events of the year, the Festival of the Arts is a chance for some Saxonburg-area groups to raise money for projects and efforts throughout the year.

Groups raising money included Knoch cheerleaders, the South Butler Community Library, which held a used book sale, and the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company, which was selling tickets for its Sportsman's Fest, from noon to 7 p.m. this Saturday at the fire company's carnival grounds.

For the historical commission, it is the primary fundraiser for the year. One project it is hoping to take on in the coming year is to buy security cameras for the Saxonburg Museum and Cooper Hall, Markovich said.

The event was made a success thanks to help from volunteers, assistance from the borough, the Saxonburg fire company, Saxonburg fire police, the Civil Air Patrol and others.

Every available vendor location was filled this year. Markovich credited festival vice-chair Hannah Fink for that.

“This is one of the most successful festivals we've had in years,” he said.