The Moorestown Business Association will host its annual Moorestown Day Festival, a long-standing tradition in the township, on June 4.
The Lincoln Technical Institute will provide free parking and shuttle service throughout the day that will drop attendees off on Main Street, site of the festival.
This year’s event is chaired by association board member Julia Applegate and co-chaired by Evelyn Stevenson. Applegate, who is the assistant director of community outreach for Moorestown Friends School, has been with the MBA for five years, but has served on the board for three. Although she currently lives in Philadelphia, Applegate has close ties to the community.
“I grew up in Moorestown, so I have sort of always been familiar with the event,” she said. “And so when it became an opportunity to run it (Moorestown Day), I offered my help and have been helping since.”
A tradition since 1974, Moorestown Day will feature merchant and vendor booths and local Main Street restaurants such as Luna Y Sol and Maurizio’s Bistro. Entertainment for families will include a Kids’ Zone near the Chester Avenue end of Main Street, and music will be provided on the Community House lawn.
Applegate noted how this summer’s festival will look different from previous ones.
“This will be a slightly smaller event, I think, in part because we weren’t sure what exactly would happen with the pandemic,” she explained. “ … But we do plan to have about 200 vendors on the street between Moorestown businesses, local businesses around Moorestown and artists, or art-oriented businesses who would like to sell their items.”
The event comes on the same day as the annual Scott Coffee Moorestown Rotary 8K Run, which starts at 8:30 a.m. in front of the Community House.
“Every year that Moorestown Day happens, it is kicked off by the Scott Coffee Run,” Applegate said. “We actually close down the street, but for the first two hours of the street being closed, that run is organized and takes place and then after the run is over, Moorestown Day opens up.”
The Moorestown High School Madrigals will also perform on Moorestown Day at the Community House lawn and MoorArts, a nonprofit that supports the fine and performing arts at township schools and in the community, will sponsor the school district’s art show at the Community House library room.
Applegate reflected on having the event again – in pre-COVID form.
“I think the first sort of taste of things being almost back to normal was our Autumn in Moorestown event this year,” she acknowledged. “It was about as normal of an event as it could be, and it felt great to see people back on Main Street and happy to be a part of a community-wide celebration of the town.”
“I am very excited to see everyone back and interacting with each other.”
The festival begins at 9 a.m. on Main Street.
