Buckingham Township's Parks and Recreation Commission will review its first-ever Night Market series and start building a 2027 budget at a Tuesday, Oct. 6, meeting at 7 p.m.

The three-event Night Market run at Holicong Park drew crowds on July 31, Aug. 28 and Sept. 25. Each evening featured about 45 vendors, food trucks, live music and a free Kids Zone with bounce houses, face painting and balloon art, according to the township's event announcement and Patch reporting. The Bucks County Housing Group also collected non-perishable food donations at the events.

Commission member Lisa Braud, who spearheaded the series, told Patch ahead of the Sept. 25 finale that the first two markets "exceeded every expectation."

The series was new for Buckingham. Organizers described the concept at a May 27 Board of Supervisors work session as a combination of Buckingham Day in the Park and Police National Night Out, reshaped into an evening format to draw residents who don't typically use the parks and connect them with local farms and businesses.

Tuesday's posted agenda calls for a feedback and improvements discussion on the series, plus a review of the Night Market budget and plans for 2027. The commission will also prepare a draft 2027 Parks and Recreation budget for presentation to the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 15.

The budget discussion comes as the commission finds its footing. Supervisor Mike Bateman, the board's liaison to the commission, said at the May 27 work session that the panel "has sat dormant for 8 years and has no usable data" on resident preferences. The Board of Supervisors interviewed more than a dozen candidates for commission seats at a March 25 work session before reconstituting the body.

One question that could surface in 2027 planning: alcohol sales at park events. At the May 27 session, Chairman Maggie Rash said she was "inclined to stick with the current policy of no alcohol in the parks." Supervisor Jon Forest agreed but said the issue could be revisited next year, according to meeting minutes.

A standalone parks and recreation survey was also tabled in May at the advice of the Bucks County Planning Commission, which recommended waiting until after the township's Comprehensive Plan survey. That survey was targeted for September 2026, with results expected by late 2026 or early 2027.

The commission's draft budget is due to supervisors on Oct. 15.