By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
From local bands to local restaurants and local businesses — all will be on display for Montgomery Township residents at the Montgomery FunFest, set for Sept. 13 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Princeton Airport on Route 206.
The community festival, which backers hope will attract visitors from Montgomery Township and surrounding towns, aims to highlight the retail and service businesses in the township at a family friendly event, said Montgomery FunFest co-chairs Jean Robinson and Todd Royer.
Admission is free. The cost to park at the Princeton Airport is $5 per car, but there is free parking available in the parking lots at the office parks across Route 206, opposite the Princeton Airport.
The goal of the event is connect individuals, families, schools, local businesses and non-profit organizations to celebrate the community, said Mr. Royer. He chairs Montgomery Township’s Economic Development Commission, which is one of the event sponsors.
“The idea (behind Montgomery FunFest) is to bring the community and the businesses together, and have fun doing it. We want to showcase the best that Montgomery has to offer,” said Ms. Robinson, who sits on the Montgomery Business Association’s board of directors.
Many businesses have a storefront, but there are also many services that do not have a retail presence — which means that many people do not know about them, said Lorette Pruden, co-founder and president of the Montgomery Business Association. FunFest is one way to introduce them to the public.
“This is (also) a way for people to get to know what’s going on in town,” Ms. Pruden said.
While businesses will have booths set up at the Princeton Airport, there will be plenty of “fun” in FunFest and more than enough for people to do, its backers said. There will be lots and lots of food from local restaurants, such as Sahara, Ya Ya Noodles, New World Pizza, Alfonso’s Pizzeria and Restaurant, Thomas Sweet and the five eateries that makeup the Terra Momo Restaurant Group.
Kettle corn, cheesecake on a stick, ice cream, sushi, Gyro, falafel, Chinese food, tacos and funnel cake also are on the menu. The food truck Oink and Moo will serve beef and pork barbeque to hungry visitors, while a farm-to-table feast is on tap inside the main hangar.
There will be plenty of music, too, from local bands that include the GoodWorks, Acoustic Road, Fitz and the Cats, Dangerous New Highs, Perfectly Sharp and the Shaxe. Tuna Balloon also will be making an appearance at FunFest. The Montgomery High School drum line is scheduled to perform, too.
Children’s activities include face-painting, pony rides, games of skills, an inflatable obstacle course, a football toss, sand art and henna tattoos. There will be demonstrations of yoga and taekwondo. School groups and dance studio students will show their skills.
Since youngsters — and some oldsters — are drawn to fire trucks, they will be able to explore a fire truck and an ambulance, courtesy of Montgomery Volunteer Fire Co. No. 2 and the Montgomery Emergency Medical Service.
And for those who stick around to the very last hour or so, there is an opportunity to go on a hot-air balloon ride.
“There will be more than enough for families and visitors to do and eat,” Ms. Robinson said.
