Building a Better Boyertown (BaBB) is a nonprofit main street organization based at 3 East Philadelphia Avenue in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. The group works on downtown revitalization, historic preservation, small business support and community programming within the Boyertown main street district in northern Berks County. It was founded in 2002 by local residents and business owners who wanted a coordinated approach to filling storefronts, maintaining historic buildings and drawing visitors into the borough's commercial core.
The organization draws on the framework of the National Main Street Program and technical support from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, a model that organizes revitalization work into four areas: organization, design, promotion and economic vitality. BaBB has structured its volunteer committees along those lines, adding committees for events and for the Arts and Activities Alliance. Day to day operations are handled by Main Street Manager Ellen Martignetti and Event Planner Krista Gross, with Theresa Heist serving as board president. The office phone number is 610-369-3054.
Physical Improvements Downtown
Much of the organization's long term work has focused on the built environment of Boyertown's downtown.
On the financing side, the organization administers an Anchor Building Revitalization Grant Loan and a revolving loan fund. Because loan repayments cycle back into the fund, the money is reinvested in additional downtown projects rather than spent once.
Parks, Trails and Green Space
Several current projects address the fact that Boyertown, unlike many older Pennsylvania boroughs, does not have a traditional town square. The Volunteer Community Fountain is a pocket park off Philadelphia Avenue at the entrance to the Colebrookdale Railroad, built around a restored Victorian fountain. It is dedicated to Boyertown volunteers past, present and future, as well as to benefactors Charles and Mary-Lou Haddad.
It is intended to provide green space and an informal gathering place in the heart of the business district, and is named for the former mayor and BaBB founder Marianne Deery.
The Iron Valley Trail and Nature Preserve is the organization's largest ongoing land project. The long range goal is a trail network linking downtown Boyertown to the Schuylkill River Trail. Phase 1 consists of a roughly one mile loop passing through the Borough of Boyertown and Colebrookdale Township.
Events and Seasonal Programming
BaBB produces four major annual events that together drew about 15,000 attendees in 2025. Sponsorship packages for all four are managed through the Eventeny platform.
- Boyertown Farmer's Market: held on the first and third Thursday of each month from June through September in the parking lot of the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles at 129 South Reading Avenue. Each market features a rotating mix of vendors, a featured food truck and live entertainment.
- Boyertown Oktoberfest: a fall festival now in its nineteenth year, scheduled for Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12.
- Chillin' on Main: a winter celebration set for Saturday, December 5, 2026, beginning at 11:00 AM at 3 East Philadelphia Avenue, with food, family activities and seasonal festivities.
- Coming out of Hibernation: a spring downtown event scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2026. Supporting sponsors have included Boyd and Karver, Diamond Credit Union, the Boyertown Area YMCA and LCBC Church.
Public Art and the Bear Fever Project
Public art has become one of the more visible markers of Boyertown's identity, and BaBB supports several pieces and programs. Murals in the district include "A Special Kind of Place" and the State Theatre mural, both by Robert L. Williams, and "A Better Bear" by Philadelphia artist Chris B Murray.
The Bear Fever Project, launched in 2003, has placed more than 80 life sized decorated fiberglass bear sculptures throughout the Boyertown area. Each bear is individually designed, and collectively they function as an informal walking tour of the borough and surrounding communities. The project is among the longest running community art initiatives of its type in the region.
Business Support and Partnership Tiers
The organization maintains an online local business directory covering Boyertown area merchants, dining, shopping, lodging and attractions. Businesses can claim and manage their own listings through a free Locable account, and partners receive badges on their listings corresponding to their level of support.
Annual partnership tiers are structured as follows:
All tiers include a badged listing in the business directory and recognition in the organization's newsletter. BaBB also publishes a bi-weekly e-newsletter and hosts a community events calendar where local businesses and organizations can post their own events at no charge through Locable.
Volunteers and Recognition Programs
Volunteers carry a significant share of the organization's workload through its six committees: Organization, Design, Promotions, Economic Vitality, Arts and Activities Alliance, and Events.
The Tree Committee administers the annual Heritage Tree Award, which recognizes a notable specimen tree in Boyertown. Entries are judged on health, mature size, aesthetic appeal, rarity and contribution to a property's visual value. The 2026 award went to a Northern Red Oak at 144 Schaeffer Street.
For those who want to support the organization while representing the town, BaBB offers a line of Boyertown branded apparel sold exclusively online through BleacherYeti.