GUEST COLUMN
By Andy Parsons
Welcome to Pennington Day, May 17, 2014!
We are very glad you and your family and friends will be with us! Pennington Day is the type of small-town street fair that is a very familiar and comfortable piece of Americana that is so cherished in this country. The colorful exhibits, the music of performers and the smells of delicious foods all weave together to create a hopeful and celebratory atmosphere. Similar events are a common component in much of our region, and it is a popular way to enjoy our communities together in the great outdoors. It is a wonderful tradition, and we are proud to contribute our unique style, and add to that tradition.
Pennington Day’s nucleus began over 30 years ago as a fundraising event for fire damage at The Pennington School. The event proved so successful and popular, that it has repeated itself almost every year since. Over the years, the recipients of the raised money have become local groups and individuals who apply for grants for worthy local causes. These grants recipients have ranged from environmental groups looking to help preserve parklands, to Eagle Scout projects that are done to improve the community. There are many folks looking to contribute their ideas and talents to the community, and this event is a way to help them achieve such goals.
Our event offers over 100 vendors offering all types of interesting merchandise. We are pleased to present three different stages along the event, presenting entertainment of all types — from bands and singers, to dancers and theatrical performers. Our food court offers over 20 different vendors, who will bring everything from traditional street-fair food (such as sausage sandwiches and corn-dogs), to more sophisticated fare, such as sushi and gourmet vegetarian dishes. There is plenty for the children, too — face painters, bouncy houses, pie-eating contests and many other favorite attractions for your whole family.
An event as long-running and venerable as Pennington Day has seen many changes over time. In recent years, the Pennington Day board has added to its mission two key focuses — creating good sustainability practices, and helping to raise the visibility of the arts in our community. We believe these two elements are not only of great importance, but are in fact, an accurate reflection of the talents and concerns of this town.
The focus on sustainable practices was turned into action by the addition of the “Green Street” portion of the event in 2012. This section of the event along Main Street is reserved for businesses with bonafide sustainability practices to display their services as a group. It is a way of acknowledging the growing presence of “green” companies in our area. For 2014, we now have over 30 green vendors lining “Green Street” and are excited at the proliferation of these types of companies in the area.
Also, last year’s event featured a major attempt to collect all recyclable waste produced by the event — not a small task for an event that draws upwards of 10,000 visitors! This effort provided large, obviously placed recyclable containers along the event path. The borough maintenance department made an excellent effort to adjust their already difficult task of cleaning up after the event, to ensure that the recyclable materials were collected separately. We look to further that success this year! So please remember to put your recyclables into the marked containers.
The added focus on arts was not difficult to imagine. There are many talented performers and artists in our town. Hopewell Valley, in general, has begun to blossom into an arts-rich community. Central High School is starting its magnet school program for performing arts this year, as an example. But the arts flourish in so many other ways in Pennington. too — dance schools and theater companies, outdoor concerts and art shows. In fact, there is so much talent in the immediate area, that a new organization has been formed to help organize these fine talents.
The Hopewell Valley Arts Council was born last year with a mission that includes creating a large group of all types of talented local artists to have a central place to use their gifts and to help educate and mentor younger artists on the rise.
This year, Pennington Day is proud to have partnered with the HV Arts Council to create a bold, new exhibit at Howe Commons on the north side of the event. This exhibit will feature the “Stampede” — a collection of life-size fiberglass oxen that will be decorated by local artists and then later installed permanently at locations throughout Hopewell Valley, including several in Pennington Borough.
These sculptures will be the featured display at the exhibit, which will have artists doing live demonstrations decorating their oxen.
The exhibit also features other works of these artists along the brand-new “ArtWalk” at Howe Commons. This vibrant exhibit will be like an event within the bigger event. So please don’t miss this exciting new chapter of Pennington Day, and help to support the arts in Pennington and Hopewell Valley!
Pennington Day is firmly embedded in the identity of this borough. It is locally referred to as the first real sign of summer approaching, and its mid-May event date ensures that the entire event is framed by the lovely shade trees that are blooming and full of green along our Main Street. We are proud of our borough, and this event is an excellent way to highlight not only its charming aesthetics, but also the genuine hospitality and talents of its residents.
Those talents include the fine people with whom I have been lucky enough to work the past three years — people who make this event happen. The efforts of these very dedicated folks are living proof that the best projects in life are the collaborative ones. And this is always a truly collaborative effort — Community plus Arts plus Sustainability equal Pennington Day!
We hope you and your family and friends have a terrific day! Enjoy yourselves, and enjoy our fine borough!
Andy Parsons is event chairman for Pennington Day