Downtown Doylestown closes to traffic next weekend for the 35th Doylestown Arts Festival, running Saturday, Sept. 12, and Sunday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The festival is free and held rain or shine.

More than 170 juried artists will fill the streets with painting, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, glass, drawing and woodwork, ranging from students and community art groups to established professionals. Five stages carry live music at the entry points to the festival, spanning classic rock, jazz, folk and alternative, with a food court and beer garden in between.

Demonstrations run throughout the weekend, including glass blowing, pottery wheels, scarf dyeing, tintype photography and face painting.

Sunday brings the Bucks County Classic, which sends pro men’s, pro women’s, amateur and kids’ bike races around the festival’s borders.

The event draws more than 20,000 people. Anyone driving should plan ahead, since much of downtown closes and street parking fills early. Free parking is available at the Union Street and Court Street garages, CB West High School and Lenape Middle School.

The festival began in 1991 as a one-block event put together by a small volunteer group of business owners and residents. It is now run by a volunteer committee of Discover Doylestown.