By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
It will be a busy weekend in Princeton this week, with the Memorial Day parade and dedication ceremony on Saturday, followed by the grand opening of the Community Park pool complex and a re-enactment of the Battle of Princeton on Saturday and Sunday.
The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. on Nassau Street, and a dedication ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at Princeton Borough Hall.
The parade will be highlighting Operation Shoe Box New Jersey, an organization that collects and ships items to service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It will feature veterans groups, marching bands, civic and youth groups, all marching to honor those who have died in military service to their country.
Among the nearly three dozen participating groups are: the Princeton Borough and Princeton Township Police and Color Guard; American Legion Post 76; Princeton Girlchoir; Princeton First Aid and Rescue; MacGregor Pipe Band; Colonial Musketeer Fife & Drum Corps; Burlington City High School Band; Hightstown Marching Band; Bushwacker’s Drum and Bugle Corps; 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment; local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops; Little League and Girls Softball Association teams; and a Patriotic Bike Brigade for Princeton school youngsters.
All current active duty or veteran service men and women throughout Central Jersey are encouraged to walk in the parade.
The parade begins at Princeton Avenue and Nassau Street and then heads down Nassau Street to Princeton Borough Monument Plaza.
Cmdr. Frank M Seguin will be featured speaker at the ceremony. He enlisted in the Navy in 1980, and he is currently the commanding officer of Fleet Readiness Center East/Aviation Support Detachment site stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
The wreath will be placed at Monument Plaza in honor of Michael Kenwood, the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad volunteer who lost his life last year during a dangerous deep water rescue attempt during Hurricane Irene.
Small American flags will be distributed free to children along the parade route. These and other parade expenses are paid by the Spirit of Princeton, a charitable nonprofit group of local residents dedicated to bringing the community together through a variety of civic events, such as the Memorial Day parade, Flag Day ceremony, Veterans Day ceremony and Independence Day fireworks.
Donations to Spirit of Princeton are welcomed. To donate, go to www.spiritofprinceton.org
People may drop off donated items in special bins at Borough Hall, Township Hall and First Baptist Church of Princeton for Operation Shoe Box. Spirit of Princeton volunteers will convene at the Princeton Senior Resource Center behind Borough Hall to pack items at 11:30 a.m. on May 26 after the ceremony.
Volunteers from the community will be able to pack a box and write a message on a card. Donations to cover the cost of shipment can be made by check, notation of “Op Shoe Box Princeton” in the memo line. Mail to Operation Shoe Box New Jersey P.O. Box 273, Somerville, NJ 08876.
Donated items, which must be small, non-aerosol, and in their original packing, include: lip balm, sun block, wipes, bug spray, soap, shampoo, deodorant, powdered drink mixes, granola bars, snack packs of pretzels, peanuts, trail mix, crackers, packets of oatmeal, hot chocolate, cans of tuna and fruit (pop tops), microwave popcorn bags, socks, batteries, gum and candy.
The parade and ceremony will take place rain or shine. No political campaigning is allowed in the parade. Participating veterans can park at Borough Hall. Shuttle service is available to the parade start.
Spectators can have breakfast before the parade or after the parade at the Princeton Rotary Pancake Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Palmer Square Green.
For further information (609) 430-0144.
Also on Saturday, Community Park Pool will be hosting a grand opening ceremony beginning about 11:45 a.m. after the conclusion of the Memorial Day ceremony at Borough Hall.
There will be two ribbon cuttings at the complex, one at the gate and another at the family bay pool.
Raffle tickets will be distributed to those wanting to go down the new slide.
The pool will be free for all entering after the grand opening until 3 p.m.
A special FreeB bus will take parade goers from Borough Hall to the Community Park Pool immediately after the parade and ceremony conclude.
The third Memorial Day event will be reenactments of the Battle of Princeton, the first in more than a decade.
The mock battle, which is based on the one in 1777, will begin with the soldiers and cavalry moving into place about 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
John Koopman, a professional re-enactor, will be portraying Gen. George Washington.
Demonstration of 18th century military drills and maneuvering will also be held both mornings.
At 12:30 p.m. children will be given the opportunity to meet Gen. Washington, enlist in the Continental Army and practice drilling.
Gen. Washington will also be marching in the Princeton parade in the morning.
The public is welcome from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and the event is free.
This will be the first reenactment of the Battle of Princeton held since Dec. 2001 held on the battlefield site since the 225th anniversary event.
On Saturday afternoon, the Princeton Battlefield Society will be offering a special tour of the battlefield about 4 p.m., there is no charge for the tour.
Refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the event.

