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This summer, festival lovers, film buffs, and horror movie fans alike will head to the historic Colonial Theatre (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460) to take part in the Colonial’s 25th annual Blobfest. From July 12 to July 14, the three-day festival pays homage to the theatre’s starring role in the 1958 classic Steve McQueen film, The Blob. Phoenixville’s favorite movie monster oozed into town more than 60 years ago after the Colonial Theater was featured in the famous 1958 film during a scene where a large crowd runs out of the theatre to escape the renowned blob. Since then, the Colonial has celebrated the film and all things sci-fi horror for a quarter century.
The weekend-long celebration attracts thousands of people to the area each year and is jam-packed with unforgettable live performances, special engagements, tours, and more. Fans can begin the weekend on July 11 with a special Blobest Eve screening of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John’s classic movie musical Grease, which features a scene at a drive-in movie theater playing The Blob.
The festival officially begins on July 12 with a frightfully fun Blobfest 2024 Stage Show and Run Out. Attendees will be able to enjoy an original, live stage show featuring Baltimore-based horror host Aurora Gorealis of Shocktail Hour, live music performed by Beach Creeper, Shorty’s Short Film Contest, and an audience re-enactment of The Blob’s famous ‘run out’ scene. Following the run-out, guests will be invited back into the Colonial for the theatre’s Blob Ball, an after-party hosted by LuLu Boutique & Gifterie where guests will dance the night away to live music dressed in some of their favorite 1950s attire.
On July 13, the quirky fun continues with the electrifying Blobfest Street Fair, beginning at 11:00 a.m. The free fair, which shuts down most of Main and Bridge Street, features more than 70 sci-fi and horror-themed vendors, live bands, a fire extinguisher parade, and a Blobfest Merchandise tent where attendees can purchase unique gifts and goodies. Inside the theatre, multiple screenings of the original and Spanish-dubbed versions of the 1958 The Blob and its 1988 remake will be available for festivalgoers to attend throughout the day. In honor of the 25th anniversary, a second Blobfest Run-Out will be held following the 6:30 screening of The Blob. At 2:00 p.m., guests of all ages can cosplay their way to the parking lot at Main & Bridge Street to see festivalgoers decked out in their best and boldest Blob-themed looks on the Costume Contest catwalk.
“2024 is a special year for Blobfest. This year, we come together not only to celebrate the history of the filming of The Blob, but also to celebrate Blobfest itself – for the endurance and growing popularity of
the festival over 25 years,” says Jennifer Carlson, the Colonial Theatre’s executive director. A quarter of a century of Blobfest is a testament to the event across multiple generations. Similar to the teenagers saving the day in The Blob, it is because of creative and can-do volunteers that Blobfest became a reality and has continued 25 years strong.”
The festival’s final day, July 14, kicks off with the 7th Annual Blobfest 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon. Hosted by RUNegades, the annual running event celebrates and supports the historic Colonial Theatre, which received its cinematic claim to fame after appearing in The Blob. The half marathon is the newest addition to the already popular 5K, 10K, and kids’ fun-run. After the races, participants can look forward to a final screening of The Blob, the 1972 sequel film Beware! The Blob featuring a live riff by Matt McGinnis, Joel Hodgson, and Emily Marsh, and the 1954 black-and-white monster film Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D.
For more information and tickets to the 25th annual Blobfest, please visit
www.thecolonialtheatre.com/blobfest/
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