2015 pennington day guide

Pennington Day • May 16, 20152

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Pennington Day • May 16, 2015 �

Our event this year is the biggest ever, and 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. This year we are boasting 2 food courts for your dining pleasure with 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. Check out the new Patio on Howe Commons and listen to bluegrass or the acoustic music from the Coffee House stage while enjoying the sophisticated fare offered by all new food vendors.

Pennington Day continues its mission of two key focuses - creating good sustainability practices, and helping to raise the visibility of the arts in our community. We believe that these two elements are not only of great importance, but are in fact, an accurate reflection of the talents and concerns of this town. This year’s theme is “Urban Meets Rural” and will be punctuated by a live demonstration by Trenton artist Leon Rainbow, who will be creating a large painting across the day in Howe Commons. HVArts Council will once again be exhibiting at Howe Commons where you can watch Leon do his work, as well as the works of many other local artists.

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 who I am lucky enough to have been working with for the past three years who make this event happen. We are an all-volunteer staff who work tirelessly to make the day a success for everyone. Thank a volunteer while you enjoy the day! 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+Arts+Sustainability=Pennington Day!

We hope you and your family and friends have a terrific day! Enjoy yourselves, and enjoy our fine borough!

Andy ParsonsPennington Day Event Chair

Welcome back to Pennington Day 2015!

We are very glad you and your family and friends will be with us again!

All editorial supplied by The Pennington Day Foundation.

Pennington Day • May 16, 2015�

It’s a festival for the town, a rite of spring and a blast for children. The sausage sandwiches are the most anticipated culinary delight of

May, however there is a deeper meaning to all that Pennington Day brings to the area. It is a granting force that last year gave away over $1�,000 to individuals and nonprofits in need of funds to enhance their missions. This year Pennington Day will distribute 15 grants.

You can see each of the grants dispersed on the Crossroads Stage during Pennington Day at 11:�5 a.m.

The grant recipients are each given thoughtful consideration. Eagle Scout projects are always the most frequent recipients who take on self-motivated task in order to receive the very prestigious Eagle Scout designation. Troops �1 and �� will have Eagle Scout candidates hard at work building benches, pergolas and Adirondack chairs off of the new Lawrence - Hopewell Trail thanks to their donations from Pennington Day grants.

An organization called FISH (Friends in Service

Here) deliver weekly meals on wheels to our homebound seniors. It is an organization that keeps the funding going through a dedicated group of volunteers day after day in a humble and exemplary way. FISH will receive funds from its Pennington Day Grant to supplement decreased costs or subsidized meals to the homebound along with an emergency food bag if the weather does not allow delivery.

In keeping with the tradition of the humble beginnings of Pennington Day, the good volunteers at The Pennington Fire Department will also receive a grant. The Pennington Fire Department runs an all-volunteer department in a growing area with more and more demands. Their grant will go towards technological needs that are used to keep our people and community safe.

Farmers are the backbone of life here in Pennington and The Hopewell Valley, after all, we live in the Garden State! The Howell Living History Farm is a piece of “living history” that is completely rare and beautiful set right in our own back fields. Each year over 65,000 visitors find themselves

among the oxen, the sheep shearing, the way life was centuries ago. A sustainable farm that helps us remember that hard work yields the best crop of the day. A grant will go to the farm to benefit their potato program which produces over 2,000 lbs of potatoes for area food banks. Potatoes are planted in April and harvested in August with help from over 500 school children and families led by farm

Take Pennington Day For Grant-EDBy Wendy Ward

Continued on page 6

Pennington Day • May 16, 2015 5

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staff, interns and volunteers. The grant will buy the seed, provide a farm experience, teach us all about the earth and feed the hungry in our neighboring towns.

Roaring strong for 60 years is the Hopewell Valley Lions Club, a charitable organization that also benefits service projects in the community. Their eyeglass recycling initiative goes to medical device needs, tools for eyeglass recycling and service to those in need. Their Pennington Day grant will help the Lions see their goal.

Who hasn’t been entertained by our talented Hopewell Valley youngsters at Pennington Day? The Hopewell Valley Youth Chorale will guide our young singers in using their personal instrument to entertain all area audiences throughout the year with their Pennington Day Grant.

For those who have not visited The Pennington Farmers Market at Rosedale Mills, where you can explore our local growers and keep you on that New Year’s resolution to eat healthy, organic and local food. Their grant will make it possible for more organizations to showcase their wares. More food

for you - your tummy will thank you.Who among us has not benefited by the tender care

of the school nurse? Our heart of the community, Toll Gate Elementary School, prides itself on having a school nurse who is skillful, professional and knows each child not only by name, but by temperament and ailment (even if it is only PARCC test-itis). The Toll Gate PTO will be receiving a grant which will fund an ice machine for all of those bumps, bruises and injuries that find their way into the nurse’s office.

As you walk through all of the colorful booths on Pennington Day, take a moment to notice the Pennington Churches along the way that were the cornerstone of the community and brought so many to raise their families here. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church at 2�6 South Main Street is located at the center of the festivities and has served the community since 1816. The church will celebrate its 200th anniversary next year. Its grant will go towards painting the exterior of the church and renovations.

Do you have a question on Pennington Day? The wonderful volunteers from The Pennington

Players are happy to assist as they have manned the information booth at Pennington Day for over 20 years. The Pennington Players are a theatrical group that you will also see during clean up days and assisting during the Memorial Day parade. Their grant will assist the group in maintaining costs of their organization.

When the festivities of Pennington Day have faded away, there will always be the local small business owners in the middle of town. America was built on small business owners like these and in this age of big box stores and malls, it’s refreshing to visit the shops, restaurants, banks and salons all run by hard working and enterprising folks who love the town. The Pennington Business and Professional Association supports the common interests of these businesses and helps each reach their goal. The organization will use their grant to support each local business through vital marketing tools such as web, media and events that draw people day after day to the charm, smiles and familiar first name greetings that you hear when you enter their doors.

The funds for Pennington Day grants are compiled through donations from event sponsors The Pennington School, Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty and Capital Health and many generous sponsors listed below:

Pennington Day

Continued from page 4

Main Street Sponsor - $500 - $999Dr. Mark McDonough-OrthodontistHopewell Valley Community BankKaren DeSimone OrthodonticsLong Motor CompanyMayor and Mrs. Anthony PersichilliPennington Family DentistryPennington Quality MarketPrinceton Nassau Pediatrics

Community Sponsor - $50 - $499Art SparksClarke Caton HintzEdye’s NaturalsEva KaplanHopewell Lambertville Eye AssociatesHopewell Physical TherapyHopewell Valley Children’s TheatreHopewell Valley YMCAHTS Tree Care ProfessionalsJennifer MahanKids’ MusicRoundLaw Offices of Alisandra B. Carnevale LLCPennington Montessori SchoolPennington Presbyterian ChurchScience SeedsSteam Works StudioSynergy HomeCareThe Village Learning Center

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Make your way North to Howe Commons to see an entire section of the town dedicated to an art installation of unprecedented scope.

Coming off a successful past year with the Stampede adorning Hopewell Valley with an installation of diversely designed fiberglass oxen, the Hopewell Valley Arts Council is again returning to Howe Commons during Pennington Day for a daylong exhibit of local artists.

The exhibition will be segmented into three parts related to the theme “Urban Meets Rural – Street Play.” In the first part, Trenton-based graffiti artist Leon Rainbow will be working on a large mural painting featuring a street art interpretation of a rural landscape. Rainbow designed the “Jersey Strong” graffiti-style ox during the Stampede and will now apply his style to images of cornfields, barns and other rural settings familiar to Hopewell Valley.

An art walk exhibit featuring works by 12 to 15 local artists including a portrait artist, watercolorists, acrylic painters, oil painters, decoupage artist, wood- worker, and a ceramic artist also will occur throughout the day. Some artists will

Urban Meets Rural in Street Art Exhibition

by Andrea Fereshteh

sell their work, others will be creating works on site and all will be available to interact with Pennington Day attendees.

“The Hopewell Valley Arts Council is so happy to be part of Pennington Day again this year. Pennington Day is such a great Hopewell Valley and Mercer County tradition,” said David Miller, the recently named executive director of the Hopewell Valley Arts Council. “We are thrilled to feature the Arts through the creation of the large art mural by Leon Rainbow and our Artist Walk showcase of local talent.”

Howe Commons will be a treat for all of the senses with delectable offerings from food trucks and other restaurants at the new Patio at Howe Commons and bluegrass band the Blue Wave Ramblers who will be performing at Stage � in the center of Howe Commons, treating exhibit attendees to the sounds of a five-piece musical act.

For more information about the Hopewell Valley Arts Council visit www.hvartscouncil.org.

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A fire that took hold of the majestic O’Hanlon Hall over �5 years ago still has the people who lived through the disaster in awe that

no one was hurt. Most of the residents were clad in only pajamas and sent abruptly into the frosty January night to seek shelter in the town by the mercy of town residents. It was a time much less in touch than we are today, with no “one call” system, no texting alerts – cell phones hadn’t been invented but the blaze still lives in all older Pennington resident’s like a viral video.

Pennington Day was a small community festival that began to raise money for the Pennington School’s devastated O’Hanlon Hall. Today, the green where the old brick façade once stood is still referred to as “O’Hanlon” but only Old Main remains. The resilience of the school resonates through the good will that the

town and school have towards each other. When you live in a town that was once touted as the smallest town in New Jersey, the residents and the businesses need to stick together. Just such a notion was what spurred the idea of Pennington Day which continues �5 years later. Bigger than the small community picnic, Pennington Day has become a community festival for not only the residents of Hopewell Valley, but for people who flock to this quaint hamlet from far and wide.

You can still see the symbiosis between the school and the town as you wander the streets of Pennington Day today. The private school is a dependable and generous event sponsor each year of the festival. Their booth, which will showcase new Summer Programs, the Global Studies Program and Haiti Solar Suitcase Mission trip, can be found at the Crossroads area in

By Wendy Ward

Town and Gown celebrating a prodigious bond for 35 years Pennington School Fire sparks

a community tradition

Continued on page 13

their token Red Raider Black and Red. Further down Main Street near the Coffee House Stage and Howe Commons, you will stumble upon a very colorfully decorated bus affectionately known as the Bird Feeder.

The Pennington School Junior Class will be selling delicious cupcakes out of the bird feeder as their first major fundraiser for their senior year. The cupcakes are crafted by scratch by expert baker and former Pennington School parent, Elizabeth Secrest.

The Bird Feeder is a de-commissioned bus that was designed and painted by the Art Club under the direction of Art Teacher, Caroline Hall. The seniors

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hold the “keys” to it and can use it at home games to sell items to fundraise things like a class trip, class gift, and prom. Emma Bouton and Satchel Cortet will be selling the cupcakes, both town residents and class officers – they jumped at the chance to be involved in Pennington Day from a bird’s eye view.

The Pennington School campus will be a buzz of activity this summer, as Pennington faculty will lead a variety of summer programs that are open to the public. Led by town resident and Pennington teacher Jeff Eckerson, the programs include a variety of options in the arts, sports, and academic enrichment. For a complete list of camp offerings, go to www.pennington.org/summerprograms. Every 5th to �th grade student can find something they will enjoy on The Pennington School campus this summer! So Hopewell Valley residents, sign your child up today and avoid driving to camps in the summer – biking is encouraged!

An especially busy weekend for not only the town but the school as well, Pennington School will be celebrating Alumni Weekend with activities that will bring former Pennington Students from near and far to the town. Alumni Weekend actually includes Pennington Day festivities on its schedule and encourages alumni to patronize the booths and the businesses in the town.

Soon Pennington School will have a small exhibit that will showcase a model and many photos of O’Hanlon Hall. Pennington School will work closely with the Pennington Fire Department and local schools to produce the exhibit which should be on display on campus in the fall, because acknowledging our history is important to the town and to the school.

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So much to see at The Crossroads Stageby Andrea Fereshteh

Local Dance Troupe Continues to Inspire After 35 Years

Pennington Dance Company director Nancy Warner recalls watching the Pennington School fire from her home five miles away when it occurred �6 years ago. When Pennington Day was later organized to raise funds for the school, Pennington Dance was invited to perform and has continued doing so annually ever since. This marks the �5th year Pennington Dance has performed at Pennington Day.

The company will perform from 12 to 12:�5 p.m. at the Crossroads stage at the intersection of Main Street and Curlis Avenue. Their �5-minute program features ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and pre-school dance numbers to Broadway, swing, Motown, classical, and Latin music.

More than �5 dancers ranging in age from � to 18 years old will perform. Choreographers include Pennington Dance teachers Taylor Miller, Jenny Pictured from the 2014 Pennington Dance Company Pennington Day performance of “One Jump” from Aladdin are (from left to right):

back row - Peyton Subhan (Pennington), Chloe Lamond (Pennington), Chloe Margulis (Pennington), Corrinna Weyhrich (Pennington); middle row – Sophia Parsons (Pennington), Julia Klysinkski (Hopewell), Faith Dunham (Pennington); front row – Gillian Lee (Pennington), Faith Doldy (Pennington)

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Gladney, Ashley Miller, and Nancy Warner. Student choreographed pieces will be performed by Arielle Kline, Lena Ondreyka, Faith Doldy, and Alastair Donofrio.

Under Warner’s direction, the nonprofit dance troupe offers young dancers the opportunity to experiment with their own choreography and to have additional performance experiences beyond the annual recital. The company performs annually for residential nursing homes and the Pennington Business and Professional Association’s Holiday Walk. The company also has performed for the Lambertville Shad Festival and the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parades.

The company’s Pennington Day performance is free and open to the public. For more information visit the Pennington Dance booth/tent at the “Crossroads”

during Pennington Day, contact Director Nancy Warner at (60�) ��-�5�6 or visit www.penningtondance.com.

Martial Arts Demo by Victory TaekwondoVictory Taekwondo opened its Pennington studio in September 200� and

recently opened a second studio in West Windsor. Taekwondo, which is a national martial art of Korea, combines the skilled application of punches, kicks, blocks and dodges with bare hands and feet.

Overseen by Master Sang Hee Kim, classes are broken up into sections. During a class students will stretch, spar, learn self-defense, practice forms, work on techniques, and often times do cardio or muscular workouts. Children’s classes are similar, but are designed to be doable for young children. The children’s



program includes an emphasis on concentration, confidence, discipline, courage, self-control, and focus.

In 2005 Victory Taekwondo began an annual tradition of holding demonstrations to benefit non-profit organizations. The demonstrations are done by the demo team, which is comprised of the most committed and best students at the studio. The students train in a variety of techniques that are complex and are designed specifically for demo teams. Currently Victory Taekwondo holds between 2 and � demos a year.

The current demo team is made up of 1� dedicated students who practice every week to coordinate and perfect their routines. Every year, team prepares a special routine choreographed to music for Pennington Day. Be sure to stop by the Main Stage at 1:50 p.m. to catch this year’s demo and visit www.kickkim.com for more information about Victory Taekwondo.



RockcitalAdd the words “rock’n’roll” plus “recital” and you

get a “Rockcital,” the brainchild of local musician, teacher and Judo instructor Mike Tusay.

A former chemistry and physics teacher at Hopewell Valley Central High School, Tusay boasts a lifetime passion for music and teaches around �0 students throughout Hopewell Valley. Though his first instrument was drums, he became adept at all forms of rock instrumentation. He now plays guitar, drums, keyboard, bass guitar and harmonica. Tusay has been playing professionally for 1� years and hopes to continue to do so for the rest of his life.

To create the rockcital, Tusay says, “I go to kids houses and rock out with them. Then after a few weeks I get a group of them together and we can play the song. Once we have enough songs, we put on a concert.”

Rockcitals are comprised of a mix of local grammar, middle and high school students. To find out more information, visit www.facebook.com/Rockcital or www.miketusay.com.


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Hopewell Valley Quilters are planning another exciting show for this year’s Pennington Day exhibition. Quilts featured in the show will represent the great variety of styles that quilt admirers love, from

beautiful traditional patterns to contemporary works of fiber art. This year’s show, to be held in the Toll Gate Grammar School cafeteria, will

feature several special exhibits. Entry to the show, held rain or shine, will be on the north side of the building.

Hopewell Valley Quilters will display their “challenge” quilts, inspired by the theme of “upcycle,” a term recently coined to describe the practice of reusing and re-purposing items. These small wall hangings incorporate old or discarded materials that have been transformed into something beautiful. Quilt makers have historically upcycled fabric scraps and usable parts of worn clothing to make quilts. A display of scrap quilts, both antique and contemporary, will complement the upcycle challenge display.

Members of the Hopewell Valley Quilters work amongst quilts during last year’s exhibit. The winning quilt from the 2014 Pennington Day quilt exhibit.

by Andrea Fereshteh

Another special display of quilts utilizing vintage linens may inspire viewers to take out those old doilies and napkins they have inherited. Another display will feature quilts created using hand-dyed and hand-painted fabrics.

Viewers also will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite quilt in the show. The Viewers’ Choice Prize has been donated by Pennington Quiltworks. Admission to the quilt show is still only $1.00 and proceeds will benefit Pennington Day.

Hopewell Valley Quilters is an informal group that has been meeting for more than �0 years. The group meets both in the daytime and in the evening in the Hopewell Township branch of Mercer County Library. All are welcome. More information about the quilt group will be available at the show.

For more information about the show, contact quilt show Chairperson Nancy Breland at 60�-��-252� or [email protected].


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Go Green at Pennington Day Green Street

by Andrea Fereshteh

A whole section of Pennington Day is devoted to teaching visitors about local ways to go green. According to Margret Van Vuuren, a member of the Hopewell Valley Green Team who helped coordinate and recruit

vendors to Green Street, the event gives local organizations and volunteers an opportunity to interact with the community about environmental issues.

“We hope visitors will come away with a positive sense of what steps, small and large, they could take to reduce their foot print on the earth,” she says. “We also would like people to realize that ‘being green’ can have a direct effect on their health and well-being – we are part of the environment!”

Vendors representing issues including home energy and green painting, locally produced food and body products, gardening, open space and water management, transportation, biking and recycling will be on site. Representatives handling environmental issues for Hopewell Township and Pennington Borough also will be present.

The Green Street team offers a few tips for incorporating environmentally friendly practices from Green Street vendors in your everyday life:

Use eco-friendly paint with fewer or no volatile organic compounds. These paints are better for the environment and your health! Find out more from Greenleaf Painters.

Pennington Day Recycles! Drop plastic bottles and aluminum cans in the racks provided by the Mercer County Improvement Authority. For recycling questions, visit MCIA.

Visit farmers markets and celebrate the local food of Central Jersey! Local produce and honey are available at Blue Moon Acres, Pennington Farmers Market and Yellow Bee.

Ever considered “Going Solar”? Discuss your options with Exact Solar.

Add native plant species to your garden. Native plant species have adapted to local physical conditions and require less maintenance than introduced spe-cies (little or no irri- gation, fertilizers or pesticides, and no fre-quent cutting). Find out more at Toadshade Wildflower Farm.

Grow some vegetables in your backyard. Don’t know where to start? Hillcrest Urban Gardening can help you turn your yard into something delicious!

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Getting Around: An added Food Court will delight your cravingsby Wendy Ward

With so much packed into one square mile, here is your guide to seeing everything that interests you, knowing where to

meet up and not exhausting yourself in the process:For starters: The Patio at Howe Commons is the

new food court area that has been added to the Northernmost entrance of Pennington Day. This area features delicious area restaurant offerings from Rita’s, Nomad Pizza and Food Trucks with Jersey Pork Rolls and Jersey Devil Barbecue. For a power start to your day, try an Arlee’s Raw Blends Juice or Salad.

Now that your stomach is happy, it’s time for a walk through the dogwood blossoms on Howe Commons to discover Hopewell Valley Arts Council and visit the Leon Rainbow Art Installation – spray painting participants encouraged!

After your soul has been fed sufficiently with inspirational works of art, it’s time to head down Green Street to the vendors that are all about the environment and sustainability. Get your Garden State veggies at the Pennington Farmers Market.

Get your photo taken at the Mercer Me booth. Mercer

Me is an online source for local news. Publisher, Editor and Founder, Mary Galioto says “We’re not just collecting and reporting news, but interacting, promoting and supporting the groups and causes that make this community so great.” The Mercer Me booth is just one of the examples that makes being in a small town so special with a direct connection to everything that matters to the residents of this area.

Make your way south and visit each booth on the way, especially Sponsor’s Row, where each booth in this area is the reason that Pennington Day happens every year. Their large donations ensure that the community grants are able to be distributed to worthy organizations and individuals. See who was able to benefit from the sponsor’s generosity this year and receive a grant at the Crossroads Stage at 11:�5, and stay tuned for the ultimate crowd pleaser, the Pennington Dance ensemble! A group of colorful and energetic performers who will light up the day with their talents!

Your ambitious kids might be ready for the Annual Pennington Day Pie Eating Contest at noon in front

of the Toll Gate Food Court. The smell of the food court holds you in a trance until you can wait no longer! There are over 20 different food vendors just waiting to quench your every craving, from Sausage Sandwiches to Funnel Cakes. There is now a direct correlation to how many booths you have to visit in order to walk off those calories, so get moving! Take it nice and slow and head into the Toll Gate Grammar School to see the annual Quilt Show. The Quilt Show is an astonishing collection of hand stitched American Art that will make you warm and cozy.

Still have more calories to burn? More bands from bluegrass to rock await throughout all three stages until �:00pm.

The entire town is abuzz with something special to see at every booth. There are games and demonstrations and an entire day to take it all in.

To really stay connected throughout the day and to be in touch with special surprises, like our Pennington Day Group on Facebook www.facebook.com/PenningtonDayinMay or follow us on Twitter @PenningtonDay1


Memories of everyday life in Pennington

What’s the real magic in Pennington Day? It’s the town of Pennington. Once noted as New Jersey’s smallest town – a farm town in the middle of the busiest state lays a sleepy hamlet. It is the type of

town where the kids who walk to school know every crack in the sidewalk, and stop to pick up acorns on their way.

Some of the houses in the center of town are centuries old with histories that run deep. This used to be a town with a “luncheonette” where you could find the lone police officer affectionately named “Chiefy,” after he would take his long and necessary break from crossing the school children at the one light in town.

How appropriate that Pennington Day celebrates the Pennington Library’s �50th anniversary today with a grant. There are memories of the old library on Main Street - you can still see the house near the Jamboree Stage. Mrs. Pennington would work there and she knew every child by name.

This was a place that was so untouched and quiet that during sleepy summer months, the only movement in town would be kids riding their bikes down to the pool with towels slung around their necks. The occasional horse would be ridden into town through trails that looped through farms that stand today, thanks to the protection of the citizens of the area.

Just a few decades ago, the older houses on the main crossroads of town housed enormous families - most had 5 children, some even had 12! The names of these families stand on parks and street signs throughout. This would make for an rousing youth, never at a loss for someone to play with, deep into the night. Children would lie under starry skies at night telling their secrets and wishes until someone’s mother would ring the triangle signaling that it was time to all go home.

In the movie Field of Dreams, the character Terence Mann explains, “The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces… it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again.” The same Pennington that has held up foundations of families for over � centuries has not changed much for the families of today. The children still shout with joy and terror on long games of manhunt on soft summer nights, they still ride their bikes to the pool, and walk to school collecting leaves and acorns on the way.

Maybe that’s why so many have returned to raise their own children after growing up here. It’s part of our past, it was once good and is again. Pennington Day encapsulates all of this into one special day of giving, exploring the local artisans and seeing neighbors and friends.

Pennington Day has long been the day where you enjoy your inaugural taste of festival food of the season while your bare feet feel the pinch of flip flops for the first time. Enjoy this small town for what it was, what it is and what it will always continue to be, a small town community with a big idea for fun.


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