BUCKS COUNTY, PA (January 25, 2023) Bucks County, Pennsylvania is gearing up for an exciting new year filled with attraction openings, new exhibits, and family-friendly festivals.

Coming off a successful 2021, demand for overnight rooms continued strong into the new year and the winter of 2022. Throughout spring, visitation was still strong, but began to normalize. With the increased cost of gas and goods, along with a return to cruising and international travel, summer overnight visitation was below 2021 levels. Bucks County finished strong during the holiday season as occupancy levels returned to 2019 and 2021 levels. Year-over-year overnight room demand was slightly down at 2.1%.

According to STR, 2022 average daily hotel rates surpassed 2021 levels by 12.2% and revenue per available room, a key indicator for hotels, was up 9.1% for calendar year 2022. 

Visit Bucks County finished the year strong reaching some major digital milestones. VisitBucksCounty.com received more than 5 million pageviews and social media and video platforms garnered more than 123 million video views. The newly established Visit Bucks County TikTok channel also grew by 83 percent in just 6 months with more than 15,000 followers driving awareness to a new audience.

A visit to Bucks County is a must in 2023! To help you plan your trip, Visit Bucks County has rounded up a list of what is on the horizon in the coming year.

Hotels & B&Bs

The Inn at Fox Briar Farm

  • Inn at Fox Briar Farm opens their family farm to the public in Doylestown.  The Inn at Fox Briar Farm is the restored home of the Jamison family. Each of the eight bedrooms in this incredible farmhouse is named for a family member who lived there decades ago. 
     
  • Stay in-style in Bristol’s new Boutique Hotel. Bristol Borough approved plans for The Radcliffe, a new, nine-room, boutique hotel.

Entertainment

Bert and Ernie Splashy Shores

  • Splish Splash at Bert & Ernie’s Splashy Shores. Coming to Sesame Place Summer 2023! Set sail to this fun-filled Sesame Island adventure area with water umbrellas, buckets, jets, bobbles, a spraying tower and more.
     
  • Be the first to try rare and unique wines at the Lounge at Frost.  Located inside the former Bobby Simone's Restaurant and Bar at 46 East State Street, The Lounge at Frost is an upscale “New York-style” public Martini lounge on the first floor and a private, members-only lounge upstairs. Their claim to fame in Doylestown will be rare, unique, high end fine wines that you can’t get anywhere else.

Arts & Culture

Bristol Riverside Cabaret

  • Cabaret is BACK at Bristol Riverside Theatre. In March 2020, Cabaret was forced to shut down due to COVID-19. Three years later, it’s coming back to the BRT stage! Kander and Ebb’s Tony Award-winning musical features one of Broadway’s most memorable scores, including “Money Makes the World Go ‘Round,” “Willkommen,” “Maybe This Time,” and “Cabaret.”
     
  • Get a ticket to an exhibit at the James A. Michener Art Museum. From March 4 through July 30, the James A. Michener Art Museum will exhibit "Mid-Century to Manga: The Modern Japanese Print in America."
     
  • Washington Crossing Historic Park completes massive restoration.  The $8.7 million project has preserved 17 structures that are part of the Washington Crossing experience.

Events & Festivals

Peddler's Village Stories in the Sand

  •  Peddler’s Village is bringing the beach to Bucks with “Stories in the Sand”. Peddler’s Village will feature six large sand sculptures depicting popular scenes from well known storybooks, giving a new meaning to the perfect ‘beach read’!
     
  • Light up the skies with the Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce. This summer marvel at the anticipated Drone Show that will brighten the New Hope skies.

Wedding & Event Venues

Terrain at DelVal

  • Plan your wedding at Terrain Gardens at Del Val. Located on Delaware Valley University’s property, Terrain offers an idyllic natural setting where nature’s elegance blends with farmhouse-inspired architecture. Terrain will be opening for weddings in Summer 2023 with their retail store and café set to open this Spring.
     
  • Eat, play and now STAY at Parx Casino. The Casino received approval on a 300-room hotel in Bensalem.  

Wineries and Breweries

Waters Edge

  • California based Waters Edge Winery to expand franchise to Bucks County. Set for a Spring 2023 opening, Doylestown Waters Edge Winery and Bistro will feature an 84-seat bistro, kitchen and standup wine bar on the first floor and a tasting room and wine production facility in the basement. Plus, a wine club and you can purchase wine by the glass or by the bottle.
     
  • Aviator Vineyard and Winery to “soar” into AGA Farms. Get ready to sip and celebrate the opening of Perkasie’s newest winery in Spring 2023, which will be located at AGA Farms.
     
  • Get ready to enjoy new brews at Broad Street Brewing. Scheduled to open Spring 2023, Broad Street Brewing looks to expand the brewery scene in Bristol. 
     
  • Get ready to pair wine and chocolate all February long at Chaddsford Winery. Visitors will get to experience wines unlike ever before with intimate, semi-private tasting rooms, themed tasting sessions, expanded outdoor seating, and a private Wine Studio.
     
  • Yardley Distillery is on the move to Morrisville. Currently the Distillery is selling out of La La Lobster, and will open their own storefront in 2023.

Restaurant Openings

The Borscht Belt Delicatessen

  • The Borscht Belt to open its newest location in Newtown. This beloved Jewish delicatessen will be crossing the bridge over from Jersey to serve up all your favorites in their brand-new Newtown storefront.
     
  • Transport to the Mediterranean at Árdana. Opening in Winter 2023, owners, Mike and Antoni Christou are bringing their talents and good food back to their former hometown, Newtown. Their mission is to showcase the beauty of the native Mediterranean style of eating known as “meze,” where the meal is shared amongst family and friends.
     
  • Blue Point Grill will open their second location in Summer 2023. This Family-run seafood restaurant that has been in business in Princeton for over 30 years will now place roots in Newtown., They will feature a "fish house", menu that will change daily, reflecting an assortment of the freshest catch.
     
  • Summer just got a lot sweeter with Newtown Ice House. The owners of Yardley Ice House will bring their classic and unique flavors of water ice and soft serve ice cream to their second location, opening in Spring 2023.
     
  • Steam Coffee Company opens in Spring 2023 along the Newtown Trail Rail.  Expect coffee, ice cream, acai bowls, smoothies as well as delicious baked goods and grab and go items, perfect for walking the trail.

 

In case you missed them, there were other openings in the fourth quarter of 2022 in Bucks County:

Visit Bucks County

VBC Logo

  • The Visit Bucks County (VBC) Board announces new additions and reappoints members for 2023. VBC Board reappointed Moses Reidenbach with Sesame Place. The Board welcomed three new members: Gail DeHelian with SpringHill Suites Quakertown, Emily Harris with E Harris Marketing, and Carrie Nork Minelli with Parx Casino.

New board members

Missed our What's Ahead in Bucks County 2023 webinar? Watch here. 

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Visit Bucks County (VBC) promotes travel to and within Bucks County, Pennsylvania. As the County’s official destination marketing organization, VBC drives visitation, increases overnight stays and fuels the local economy by promoting all there is to see and do in Bucks County. VBC supports local businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry, including lodging, attractions, restaurants, retail, events and more.  Annually, Bucks County welcomes 7.58 million visitors, generating $986 million dollars in economic impact and supporting a total hospitality workforce of more than 25,000 jobs.