For the first time since 2019, the Kutztown Folk Festival will be held in its true form, with a host of family activities, shopping opportunities, seminars, foods and more, July 2 to 10 at the Kutztown Fairgrounds. (Kristen Harrison/The Morning Call)

A showcase of Pennsylvania Dutch culture finally makes its return.

For the first time since 2019, the Kutztown Folk Festival will be held in its true form — with a host of family activities, shopping opportunities, seminars, food and more — July 2 to 10 at the Kutztown Fairgrounds.

Here’s everything you need to know about the return of the popular festival:

What: The Kutztown Folk Festival is the oldest continuously-operated folklife festival in America. Like most big-scale festivals, the pandemic forced the Kutztown festival to be virtual, both in 2020 and in 2021, featuring an online Quilt Auction and Quilt Store, contests, recorded musicians, and demonstrations by craftspeople and artisans.

When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, July 2 to 10

Where: The Kutztown Fairgrounds, 225 N. Whiteoak St., Kutztown

How much: Admission is $16 for adults; $6 for students (13 to 17 years old); free, children 12 and under; $40 for a weekly pass. Online ticketing is encouraged. Credit cards are accepted and encouraged at all gates.

Accessibility: The Kutztown Folk Festival is ADA-approved and wheelchair-accessible. Wheelchairs and scooters are available for rent. Advance reservations are highly recommended. Call Kutztown Area Transport System at 610-683-3012.

Can I bring my pet? Pets who are up-to-date with their shots are permitted. All pets must be leashed and cleaned up after at all times.

Something fresh is coming to the festival this year.

The Fresh Fest Market will feature vendors offering healthier food options, local craft beers and specially crafted cocktails with local ingredients. The market will be in a designated area on the fairgrounds, known as The Grove. You’ll also find some educational presentations, kids’ activities, and entertainment.

In addition, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary staff will be on hand to educate and entertain on the Fresh Fest Stage. They will have a live bird of prey with them and you can learn more about the adaptations and natural history of raptors.

For the first time since 2019, the Kutztown Folk Festival will be held in its true form, with a host of family activities, shopping opportunities, seminars, foods and more, July 2 to 10 at the Kutztown Fairgrounds. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

Of course, it wouldn’t be a festival without all the delicious, decadent, eat-till-you-need-to-nap-it-off Dutch foods.

Visitors make their selections in the Quilt Barn at the Kutztown Folk Festival. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call )

The Quilt Barn is a must-see.

It’s a place to enjoy an arresting array of more than 1,500 stunning, hand-crafted quilts and wall-hangings in every imaginable color and size.

Quilts, available for purchase, range in size from king-size to crib-size, and many of them are made by local Mennonite women. The annual quilt auction will be held at noon July 9.

Along with the festival’s five stages of entertainment, you can:

Along with those activities, the festival is full of fun for kids. The Children’s Farmyard Theater will present puppet shows, sing-alongs, story time, magic, a ventriloquist, and more. Kids can also enjoy craft and play areas.

Always popular is the Children’s Petting Zoo where kids and adults can feed and pet the farm animals. New this year are additional hands-on activities for children, including puppet making, more sing-along music, and barn star drawing.

At the seminar stage, you can learn more about the Dutch dialect, traditions, hex signs, and more. The festival works closely with the Kutztown University Pennsylvania German Heritage Center, as well as educators from the university and the surrounding area.

Speaking of history, you can watch a re-enactment of the “Hanging of Suzanna Cox.” It’s a dark chapter in local Pennsylvania Dutch history.

The 30-minute re-enactment centers around Cox, who was sentenced to death for killing her baby. (There’s a dummy in the noose of course.) Cox was arrested and, after a one-day trial, she was found guilty of murder and hanged in what was the last public execution of a woman in Pennsylvania. The crowd at the hanging in what is now City Park in Reading was estimated to be about 20,000.

If that’s a bit too dark for you, you can also watch an Amish wedding, learn more about early farming techniques or take part in a country auction.