Festival draws crowds of proud Cranbury citizens to streets
By: Jessica Beym
Seated in lawn chairs on the grassy edge of a North Main Street home on Saturday, brothers John and Carl Giambrone had prime spots for checking out the rows of antique cars that glistened in the afternoon sun.
Their seats also gave them and the other members of the Central Jersey Antique Car Club a chance to watch the hundreds of people who packed the street for the annual Cranbury Day celebration.
"We’ve been coming here for years," said John Giambrone, of Hamilton, as he looked out over the bumper of a 1966 white Pontiac Firebird with a polished chrome trim. A swing tune blared form the dashboard radio of the convertible as he talked and joked with his friends. "There’s always lots of spectators and it gives us a chance to show off our cars and all our hard work."
For others, Cranbury residents in particular, the day has a number of meanings.
It’s day for rummaging through the many yard sales, shopping for a new piece of jewelry, or finding a favorite used book. It’s a day to socialize with the neighbors, catch up about the end of summer, and chat about the first days of school.
And for most, it’s a chance to spend the day with family, enjoy the sun, and live music and array of barbecue food.
Leaning over a table of knick-knacks, old glasses and pottery, South Main Street residents Sonja and Mark Bianchi sifted through the items at the United Methodist Church’s rummage sale. The treasures they often find is one of the main reasons they keep coming to Cranbury Day every year, Ms. Bianchi said.
"I always find something at the antique store or at the rummage sale," Ms. Bianchi said. "We come every year. This is what Cranbury is all about a small-town atmosphere and everyone’s out to have a good time."
Between Westminster Place and Scott Avenue, North Main Street was limited to pedestrians only for the daylong event, which ran until 4 p.m. Parents pushed their little ones in strollers as teenagers rode past on their bikes. Others walked along, casually, stopping at the various booths set up by business owners and local organizations.
Cranbury Police officers held their posts at the intersections on North Main Street where traffic was blocked and redirected. Other uniformed policemen, including Chief Jay Hansen and Capt. Ed Kahler, walked along, enjoying the warm weather.
"It’s always a nice day for Cranbury Day," Chief Hansen said as he stood next to his family.
Under one tent, Andrea Kaplan, the eighth-grade adviser at Cranbury School, manned the students’ bake sale stand as the students strolled the street with baskets of homemade goodies such as brownies, cupcakes and cookies. The proceeds of the sale will go to their end-of-the-year activities, including a trip to New York for a Broadway play and dinner.
"I told the kids they had to do the baking," Ms. Kaplan said as she set up eighth-grader Max Dickey with a basket of cookies.
Up the street, Girl Scout moms Cyndi Coppotelli and Sofia Milner were armed with crayons, glitter and stickers to decorate thank-you cards that would be sent to returning service men and women.
"We’re doing great," Ms. Coppotelli said. "We even had (U.S.Congressman) Rush Holt stop by to make a card."
Each card was personalized with the soldier’s name and a hand-written message. Both parents and children showed their support by decorating cards, Ms. Coppotelli said.
"It’s typical Cranbury," Ms. Coppotelli said. "Everyone has shown a wonderful amount of support."
The soldiers weren’t the only ones who were getting support from the residents.
Across the street, customers peered into the windows of Pantina Home, a home-furnishing store located where Cranbury Paint and Hardware used to be. The store is just a few weeks away from opening and customers are eager to see what’s for sale, said co-owners Suellen Waters and Jamie Sims. The owners stood in front of their new window display which they had finished setting up by 11 p.m. the night before and handed out dried flowers with a coupon attached to soon-to-be-customers.
"People here have been so positive," Ms. Waters said. "We’ve met so many great people today. They seem to be in shock at the transformation."
Also new to Cranbury Day this year was Ashes to Ashes, a band comprised of teenagers from Robbinsville and Cranbury. The band members were tuning their instruments for an afternoon performance in front of the PNC Bank.
Fourteen-year-old Brandon Stewart, who plays the drums and lives on Marilyn Drive, said the band was excited to play a list of classic rock hits from Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, as well as an original song dedicated to the soldiers in Iraq.
Sporting a shirt that said, "I love rocker boys," his mother, Celeste, said she was thrilled to see her son performing on Cranbury Day.
"We’ve been coming to Cranbury Day since he was in a stroller," Ms. Stewart said. "It nice to see all the community organizations out here and see what the museum has to offer. It’s a great day."
Aside from the music and the food the Lions Club grilled up burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches, and Hannah and Mason’s as well as Teddy’s also had lunch for sale there was plenty of fun going around.
The Board of Recreation offered pony rides and a giant slide in the parking lot of Town Hall and the Cranbury Arts Council and Gourgaud Gallery Committee sponsored an art contest. Six-year-old Katie Thomsson placed first in the student division for her pastel drawing of a rabbit, and Lauren Scott was the first place winner in the adult category for a black and white portrait piece.
The winner received gift cards to Utrecht Art and Drawing Supply and tickets to the Cranbury Art Council’s candlelight concert set for Sept. 30.
The Mothers’ Club also had a stand for kids to make their own necklaces, which Griggs Road residents Sophie and Vivian Zahorcak particularly enjoyed, said their father, Vladimir.
"This is our second year here," Mr. Zahorcak said. "There’s lot of excitement, especially for the kids."

