MILFORD, PA — Where there’s music, there are people. Last weekend, in Milford that tenet was put to the test, with positive results.

The main streets were filled with chatter and small crowds of listeners and performers playing all kinds of music. Along Broad Street, tents and speakers were set up, with performers singing and playing for those passing by.

The event kicked off on June 10 at the Milford Theater. 10,000 Maniacs were scheduled to open for the weekend-long setlist. Following a medical emergency, their performance was postponed until July 15, and local legends Bobby Kyle and Scott Weis took to the stage in their place. Following that performance, around 47 artists took to various locations around Milford and shared their work and talents.

Milford is known for festivals that attract locals and tourists; however, due to COVID-19, Milford has been unable to host such events recently. This festival is one of the first that has taken place in the last two years.  

“I am very grateful that the music festival was allowed to take place this year, and I feel very lucky to be performing in it,” said Bailey Shay, a member of the DV Choral Society who played on Sunday. “It helps musicians with small discoveries and allows them to reach a larger audience. As a musician, it is many people’s goal to touch people with their music; Milford Music Festival is a prime opportunity for that to happen.”

The event also included an opportunity for vendors to share their work.

Throughout the town, various shops set up tents and tables that exhibited crafts ranging from jewelry to pottery to handmade toys.

“I’ve been doing these festivals for nine years; this is how I get my word out,” said Sharon Senkiew, owner of Luckey Girl Studio, a handcrafted jewelry business.

Through events, vendors and performances — whether it was supporting musicians, buying vendors’ work or coming out and strolling around town — Milford’s community and visitors came together to celebrate the arts.

“It means so much. There are so many people in this area that do cool stuff. Every time I go out to one of these events, I see somebody doing some visual arts, some singing or song-writing. There’s just some incredible talent,” said Lucas Rotman, a performer at the festival.

At some of the performances, crowd members would dance with one another or sing with the musicians, simply enjoying talent in the small-town atmosphere of Milford.

“Sometimes we forget; you don’t have to be some big, famous person to live a creative life,” said Rotman.“I just feel very lucky to be a small part of it. I’m very grateful to the town for having this event. I’m grateful for every town who has this kind of stuff [festivals] to support people like me.”

To see Rotman and Senkiew’s work, look at their Instagrams @lucasrotman7 and @luckeygirlstudio.

Correction: 10,000 Maniacs could not perform on June 10 due to a medical emergency and local artists Bobby Kyle and Scott Weis went on in their place. As of 6 pm, June 16 2022, this article has been updated with that information. The spelling of "Luckey Girl Studio" has also been corrected.