The Montgomery FunFest is returning to the Princeton Airport for a fifth year of amusement rides, obstacle courses, music and art.
The event on Sept. 15 is organized by the Montgomery Business Association (MBA) and designed to bring together local businesses, non-profits and the Montgomery Township community.
“From the beginning of the day to the end of the day, we expect to have 10,000 people attending. We really want to celebrate Montgomery,” announced Jean Robinson, Montgomery FunFest chair. “We have non-profit organizations, school groups and businesses. It is really the best of Montgomery coming together.”
The annual festival will take place at the Princeton Airport in Princeton from 12-5 p.m. and feature more than 130 vendors, according to officials.
“We encourage our vendors to be interactive. We needed a lot of space to host this event and the airport provides that for us. It is just a great venue to hold everything we want to do for the day,” Robinson said.
The MBA uses proceeds from the day to award five scholarships totaling $5,000 to graduating high school seniors from the Montgomery High School.
“In the past year, we approached the school about also sponsoring one student to either a community school or technical school. The board focuses the scholarship money towards need and achievement,” Robinson said.
The scholarships come out of the MBA’s Montgomery High School Senior Scholarship Fund.
Robinson said the FunFest takes a year to put together and said the event started from an idea she had.
“I made the suggestion to have a festival that would bring the community and businesses together on a larger scale for Montgomery. My husband is a musician, so I had attended festivals in other towns,” she said. “I had gathered ideas on how festivals worked like this in other communities. I felt that this is something the Montgomery community could benefit from. I wanted this to be a great way to bring the community out.”
Robinson explained that the most important period is the 24 hours prior to the event.
“A lot of work has to happen. There are a lot of moving pieces,” she said. “We have to have strict rules to make certain the event is well run and people are safe. We have to get all the vendors in and set up that Sunday morning. We also have to create safe pedestrian ways and keeping the shuttle buses going takes a lot.”
Those who attend can experience a ride in a helicopter, climbing a rock wall and take part in the triple slide. Fire trucks, planes and classic cars will be on display during the day event.
The Montgomery High School band and dance team are set to start off the festival. Live music entertainment will also be provided from local bands, such as Fitz and the Cats, The Shaxe and GoodWorks.
“We have been successful in previous years and people know it. For a non-profit organization like ourselves to take on an undertaking of this size is a testament to how we have set things up for the day,” Robinson said. “This really has been my brainchild with my family and key individuals.”
She said the day is about creating something for everyone.
“I want people to have fun and be able to celebrate the great community in Montgomery. People will get to know their neighbors better and get to know their community better,” Robinson said. “I am someone by nature who brings people together and joke that this is the biggest party I throw. I view this day as a gift where people can enjoy and appreciate one another.”
According to officials, all day amusement wristbands are $20, which will not include the rock wall and wrecking ball amusements. VIP parking will be sold for $15 on the day of the event, and $5 parking is available in the grass on Airpark Road. Free parking is also available across the street from the Princeton Airport at the Wall Street Office Park.
Officials said shuttle buses will be available to ferry attendees from the free parking area to the welcome tent at the festival.
“Life is sometimes challenging and a lot is going on in the world. Taking time to appreciate all of those in the community is a real benefit of the day,” Robinson said.
For more information about the Montgomery FunFest, visit www.MontgomeryFunFest.com.