Those seeking the kind of fun typically found at the shore need not brave the traffic to find it on Oct. 3, when the borough will serve as the host to the 52nd annual Metuchen Country Fair.
The Metuchen Chamber of Commerce is the host of the event.
This year’s theme is “Boardwalk Arcade,” which means that the more than 150 Metuchen Chamber members and nonprofit groups participating will outfit their booths accordingly for attendees to enjoy. “It’s a fun day,” said Maggy Cook, chairperson of the event and chamber member. “And I think … what’s unique [is] that you don’t have a bunch of vendors from someplace else.”
A truly down-home extravaganza, the Country Fair showcases businesses and organizations from throughout Metuchen. It allows those from the borough and beyond to become better acquainted with the community, according to Cook.
“We get people from, really, all over the area,” she said. “While we think of it … as a Metuchen event, people from other places really like it, too.”
And there’s plenty to like. Along with boardwalk-style games to fit with the theme, a host of activities, foods and entertainment make the fair complete.
Metuchen High School’s concert choir will kick off the festivities with the national anthem.
The Black Belt Institute will provide a karate demonstration, and performances by troupes from various local dance schools will offer entertainment. Children will have the opportunity to make some moves of their own in a bounce house offered by the YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge and South Amboy.
“We try to make it a really interactive, fun event,” Cook said, adding, “A lot of the booths will be having activities for kids to do, for adults to do.”
Part of the impetus for making the various booths fun and fitting with the year’s them is the competitive aspect of the fair. The chamber gives out a number of prizes in different categories for the biggest standouts each year. The categories this year will be “Execution of Theme,” “Most Interactive” and “Special Youth Group Award,” according to Nicole Chinchar, executive director of the chamber.
“We encourage them to really get into the spirit of the theme and make their booths fun and interactive,” she said.
In return for their efforts, first-place winners in each category receive a $250 cash prize; second-place winners receive $100; third-place winners receive $50; and honorable mentions receive $25.
A special award for “Chamber Member Contributing the Most to the Spirit of the Fair” is marked with a plaque to be awarded to the winner.
“Each of the Metuchen high school classes have their own booths,” Cook said, adding that the students not only seek to win prizes, but also to raise money for various school-related events, such as prom.
Food offerings run the gamut from the cuisine of borough restaurants to more fairish fare, provided by community groups like the Boy Scouts and the Mt. Zion Lodge, according to Chinchar.
“We have church groups during bake sales,” she said, adding, “The PTO Brownie Barrel is always a popular one.”
Some restaurants will serve as hosts to booths at the fair, while others welcome fair patrons into their establishments for a sit-down meal. Breezes Café & Grill even creates the ambience to match the Caribbean fare at their booth, according to Chinchar.
“Not only do they always have food, but they usually have a steel-drum band, which is fun,” she said.
Aside from the varied festivities each year brings, the sheer longevity of the Metuchen Country Fair is a part of its charm, Chinchar said.
“That’s actually what people like about the Country Fair … the history of it,” she said, adding, “I’ve attended it, I think, since the year I was born.”
The Metuchen Country Fair is set for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Oct. 3 and will be held along Main, Hillside and New streets in downtown Metuchen. Rain dates are Oct. 10, 17 and 24.