Princeton, WV- Celebrate Princeton, an annual summer street fair, will mark its 9th edition this year, and it is set to be an exciting celebration of the past, present and future of downtown Princeton. There will be carnival rides, bounce houses and more for the kids plus a stellar performance lineup, street musicians, an “Impressions of Princeton” art show, quilt show, apple pie contest, car show, scores of vendors, the launch of Memories of Mercer Street- an oral history project, a movie in the park- Back to the Future- and much more.
A full day of performances from bluegrass to folk to gospel, blues and good ol’ rock and roll includes The Carpenter Ants, Clinton Collins Band, Chosen Generation Bluegrass, Tim & Maggie Mainland, Adam Cox & Friends, Distraction, The Graham Twins and Appalachian Youth Ensemble. There will also be several roaming street musicians.
“Impressions of Princeton” art show will be in the Turnaround Concert and Gathering Hall and will feature work by Rita Montrosse, Steve Jessee, Sterling Snyder, Robert Blankenship and Dave Herter. The quilt show, also in The Turnaround, will feature work by Mercer County Quilting Bees. Anyone is welcome to enter the apple pie baking contest. A special panel of judges will award prizes. Those interested in participating should bring their pie to The Turnaround by 10a.m. Mountain Memories Car Show will feature 60+ classic cars. It will begin on 8th street and run all the way down to the end of the block, stopping at Oasis Market, right next to the mural of fiddler Blind Alfred Reed.
Organizers are excited about the launching of “Memories of Mercer Street,” an oral history project. Anyone who has nostalgic memories of downtown Princeton is encouraged to come and be interviewed by local journalist Scott Noble on camera any time from 10am-8pm. Organizers are looking for stories about the heydays of downtown. Stories about movies in the old theaters, shopping at GC Murphy’s, Christmas decorations, etc. are sought. The footage will be housed in Princeton Public Library’s video archive.
Carnival rides will be provided by Myer’s Amusements and tickets will be available for purchase at the event. The Friends of the Library will provide a bounce house, face painting, and free cotton candy for children while supplies last. There will be free books for children courtesy of The Princeton Delphians at the library’s booth.
Princeton Renaissance Project will host a dunking booth in front of the theater with the opportunity to dunk co-chairman Greg Puckett and other community leaders. PRP team members will be on hand to answer questions.
The day will conclude with the movie Back to the Future in the park. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and kick back with fresh popped popcorn. The theme of the event was inspired by Tammie Toler’s Progress edition in Princeton Times this spring entitled “Back to the Future.” Watch for a copy of that excellent historical portrait in the Impressions of Princeton Art Show at the festival that day.
This Celebrate Princeton marks a turning point for the festival. Princeton Public Library has hosted the festival for years, and this year they reached out to team up with The Princeton Renaissance Project. The coordinated effort looks to be an excellent move. Organizers expect the event to grow in great strides this year with much to come in the future.
All events are free and open to the public. Food, art and many other items will be available for purchase. The day begins at 10am and will conclude with the movie in the park at dark. The street will be closed to traffic. For more information on any of these events including a schedule, visit www.celebrateprinceton.com or call 304-425-6425.
WHAT:Celebrate Princeton Street Fair
WHEN: Saturday, June 28th from 10am-10pm
WHERE:downtown Princeton, WV
TICKETS: FREE
INFO: www.celebrateprinceton.com/ 304-425-6425
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