Annual Memorial Day parade to be held May 28
By Lorraine Sedor, Special writer
The annual Drug Free Fair takes place tomorrow, Saturday, May 19, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Cranbury School.
The fair allows kids and parents to learn more about preventing drug and alcohol abuse while having lots of fun provided by local organizations.
The fair is sponsored by the township Municipal Alliance on Drug and Alcohol Abuse. The Alliance also invites parents to spend an hour learning how to talk to their children about drugs and alcohol.
Participate in the “15-Minute Child Break” parent webinar from the comfort of your home. This webinar will be offered at two different times Monday, May 21, at 9 a.m. and again at 7 p.m.
Register at www.drugfreenj.org/2012_cranburychildbreak/.
Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer is just a few days away!
The annual Cranbury Memorial Day parade, organized and run by the Cranbury Lions Club, will be held Memorial Day, Monday, May 28.
The parade begins at 1 p.m. on South Main Street and Station Road and will feature local veterans, bands — marching, pipe and drum and polka — Civil War re-enactors, decorated bicycles, antique cars, floats, firefighting and first aid equipment and a number of marching groups.
Following the parade, a brief memorial service will be held at Memorial Park next to the Cranbury firehouse.
Prior to the parade, at 11:30 a.m. in Brainerd Cemetery, members of the New Jersey Civil War History Association will conduct their annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Civil War Monument in the cemetery.
Re-enactors in Civil War uniforms and women in period dress will take part in the impressive 30-minute ceremony in memory of those soldiers from the area who were in the Civil War.
And beginning at 12:45 p.m. John Chambers will sign copies of his new book, “Cranbury, A New Jersey Town from the Colonial Era to the Present,” in front of the Cranbury History Center, 6 S. Main St.
The book is $29.95, and checks should be made payable to Cranbury Landmarks Inc.
The Gourgaud Gallery will host a one-night art exhibit, featuring nearly 30 paintings by the late George Stave.
This event, “An Evening with George,” will be held in the Gourgaud Gallery Friday, June 1, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The public is invited to view these privately owned paintings and visit with the families, who loaned the pieces. The exhibit was curated by Mr. Stave’s wife, Mabubeh Stave, as a memorial to her husband, and it offers a rare opportunity to see Mr. Stave’s work from private collections.
The exhibit will be on display for one night only so the June gallery exhibit can be installed.
The Strawberry Festival, the other unofficial start of summer, takes place Saturday, June 2, from 4 to 8 p.m., rain or shine, at the First Presbyterian Church on South Main Street.
An advance sale family pass (maximum of six people) is available for $20 and $4 for each additional person at the church office or during Sunday coffee hour until May 27.
The day of the festival, the family pass will be $25 with individual tickets priced at $8 for adults and children and $6 for seniors. Passes and tickets include: strawberries, cake, ice cream, live music, games for all ages, face painting, clown, quoits, tours of a firetruck and police car, pony rides and many more surprises.
The festival is a great value for the whole family! Hamburgers, hot dogs and soda are sold separately for those who want a bit of savory before the shortcake!
The festival is sponsored by the board of deacons to benefit the deacons Benevolence Fund.
It’s time to sign on for Vacation Bible School at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury.
This year’s theme is SonRise National Park.
VBS will be held the week of July 30 through Aug. 3 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Children entering 4-year-old preschool through sixth grade are welcome.
Registration will continue through May 29. Forms may be found on the church website, cranburypres.org, or in the church office.
Additional information can be found on the church website or by contacting VBS Director Daune Arsnow at 448-6181 or Cassandra Khazem at 448-7425.

