Frenchtown holds its annual Riverfest on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, noon to 6 p.m.
By Al Warr
Town festivals attract throngs of people. Lots of music, street activities, shops and restaurants come together to focus attention on a town.
Everyone knows the value of branding. People return again and again to the brands they know and love. Festivals help brand a town. Being walkable adds to Frenchtown's attractiveness.
Frenchtown is about to hold its annual Riverfest. It's set for Sunday, Sept. 4, noon to 6 p.m. The festival is a celebration of Frenchtown's location by the Delaware River.
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"The street fair includes five different bands playing different types of music," said Mike Tyksinski. He's the point man in organizing and coordinating Riverfest attractions.
A portion of Bridge Street will be closed to traffic. Strollers can watch as artists fill canvases with paint and as crafters turn out their special creations. Environmental and educational exhibits and demonstrations, popular in past years, will be expanded this year. And, of course, activities for the kids are included.
"New at last year's Riverfest was the paper boat festivities on the river," said Tyksinski. "And this will be back, much bigger than last year."
Paper boats are folded into shape from a large piece of paper. If you don't know how it's done, help will be available. And then you can cheer on your creation as it floats, dipping and weaving, down the Delaware.
"People like to dress up as birds," he said. "We're bringing them together and holding a bird parade down Bridge St." Back by popular demand will be the Star City Tribal Bellydancers. In addition, there will be live animal performances, he added.
Street vendors will crowd Bridge Street, offering a variety of goods. Food vendors will entice visitors with a variety of barbeque, beef and chicken, kettle corn, snacks, drinks, and more. Or take a guided tour of Frenchtown to learn more of its colorful history.
Visitors are encouraged to bike to the event, and their bikes can be parked in a special location offering safety. Motorists get free parking.
About 2,000 visitors showed up at last year's Riverfest. More are expected this year.
For more information, visit DelawareRiverTowns.com and find Frenchtown Today on Facebook.
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Bridge Street is lined with stores, shops, studios, and restaurants. But there's much more to Frenchtown. It's where several roads come together.
Side streets are filled with more attractions. Race Street ends at Bridge Street while Harrison Street heads north and turns into the Frenchtown-Milford Road. Trenton Avenue heads south as Route 29. Then there is Route 12 leading to Flemington. All in all, walkable Frenchtown is at the center of its universe.
These side streets are chock full of attractions. One is Mike Tyksinshi's Frenchtown Home Hardware & Outdoor. It's at 11 Kingwood Ave. (Route 12). In addition to helping organize Riverfest, he operates this destination store.
"I bought this place four years ago," he told me. "And four months ago I doubled the size of the store."
This place is much more than a hardware store. Here visitors can find sun hats, kite supplies, fishing supplies, charcoal grills, paints, canning and gardening supplies, arts and crafts, toys, lumber and much more.
For more information, call 908-996-2283 or visit FrenchtownHardware.net. Also Facebook.
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Betty Ogden is the widely-known owner of The Spinnery. This shop is located at 33 Race St. It's all about the ins and outs of spinning, weaving, knitting, and dyeing.
"During Riverfest, I'll be offering a session on dyeing with flowers that grow along the Delaware River," she said. "People can dip pieces of yarn into three dye pots." Plants used include goldenrod, poke berry, and jewel weeds.
Ogden teaches classes for both beginners and advanced learners. Examples are the overshot weaving sessions that begin on Friday, Sept. 16, and the Learn To Knit class on Sunday, Sept. 18.
For more information, call 908-996-9004 or visit Spinnery.net. Also on Facebook.
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Julia Rose operates Grouse Studios at 17 Race St. She's been here for the past six years and works with Jen Finicchio of J. Feather Design.
"We'll be having an open house for Riverfest," said Rose.
Grouse Studios offers a mix of handmade jewelry, collectibles, and antiques. These include corner cabinets, dressers, mirrors, lamps, pottery and glassware.
Jewelry selections are earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and other items made from copper, sterling silver, brass and bronze with semi-precious stones.
For more information, call 908-996-4562 or visit GrouseStudios.wordpress.com. Also find on Facebook and Instagram.
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Bret Cavanaugh Modern Design studios are located at 750 Frenchtown-Milford Road. He specializes in using natural materials to create original and contemporary designs for residential and commercial applications.
"I design, build and fabricate using wood and metal to produce custom furniture and architectural pieces," he explained. He creates on site or in his workshop or a combination if necessary.
A Hunterdon native, Cavanaugh has been in the business for more than 20 years. His work combines old world craftsmanship with modern design, including wood carving, carpentry, leatherwork, metal fabrication and welding.
He can design and fabricate an individual piece, such as a conference table, or develop whole lines of furniture, outfitting a board room into a coherent whole, including cabinetry. He recently held a furniture showing at Manhattan's Javits Center.
"In design, you capture emotion," he said.
Call to make an appointment before visiting, 609-851-5605 or visit BretCavanaugh.com. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
Al Warr can be reached at 610-253-0432 or AlWarr16@gmail.com