The City of Reading has lost its chance to officially register the name “Pretzel City,” but Mark Ratcliffe wants to reclaim its history. Freeport, Illinois, may have stolen the moniker, but Reading, Pennsylvania, will soon have Pretzel Fest.
Mark moved to Reading from Laguna Beach, CA, more than 20 years ago and has embraced all the city has to offer, including its rich history. “I think I have a great appreciation for Berks County because I didn’t grow up here. Sometimes I think people who grew up here don’t realize what a wonderfully historic, amazing and beautiful area they live in.”
Since his arrival, Mark has worked diligently to become involved in the community. He opened a number of businesses in town, including Hard Bean Coffee, the Plantation Cigar Club and Thirstade Fresh Cafe. Now he’s turning his attention to pretzels.
Mark was working on a rejuvenation project for the Pagoda when the idea for a festival to celebrate Berks County popped into his head. After all, he’s attended festivals across the country celebrating different places’ local heritage. While pondering the identity of Berks, Mark recognized pretzels and beer were a large part of our past and could not think of anything more fun than a festival celebrating the “quirkiness and fun spirit” of pretzels.
A Little Dough. A lot of Fun.
The first annual Pretzel Fest will be held Sept. 28 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading. The event aims to celebrate Berks and its history in a fun, modern way. The festival will include handmade pretzels from a variety of vendors, a craft beer tasting, live music and crafts. Local restaurants are getting involved by creating unique new dishes made with pretzels and beer. Restaurants participating in the event will offer special pretzel dishes on their regular menus throughout the month of September.
For those wishing to celebrate Berks County’s beer history, the craft beer tasting is not to be missed. It’s a modern twist on the old German beer garden and brewing traditions embedded in the local culture. For $30 in advance or $35 at the door, beer lovers can sample 50 beers from a variety of breweries and go home with a commemorative mug and t-shirt. Tickets for the tasting as well as a listing of the participating pretzel vendors and breweries can be found at readingpretzelfest.com.
The First Festival of Many
This year will be the Pretzel Fest’s “sourdough starter.” Thanks to the generosity of Unique Pretzels and the Fightin Phils, Mark was able to turn his festival fantasy into reality, and he hopes to continue to celebrate Berks County’s rich history for years to come. Asserts Mark, “We don’t celebrate where we live nearly enough, and Pretzel Fest is our reason to celebrate.”
For more info visit readingpretzelfest.com
