Visitors will get a unique chance to participate in an art project at Pennington Day this year.
Pennington Day will take place Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Centered on the intersection of E. Curlis Avenue and Main Street, Pennington Day highlights what the borough of Pennington and all of Hopewell Valley have to offer. The event consists of activities for children, more than 100 booths, nonprofit groups and food vendors. This year’s EARTH theme at Pennington Day incorporates a live installation courtesy of the Grounds for Sculpture.
Pennington Day features three stages of live entertainment, including local bands and dance troupes that perform throughout the day. The action covers Pennington’s Main Street from The Kid Pavilion behind Toll Gate Grammar School with children’s activities, through town to Howe Commons on the northern end of Main Street. There visitors can find Grounds for Sculpture and live music. Last year, Pennington Day hosted more than 10,000 visitors.
The Grounds for Sculpture’s display is called, “The Wheel Project.” The project explores how the arts create community, and also addresses issues of sustainability. The object is to create art with whatever materials are available; repurposing found donated materials into sculptural forms. In this project, used bicycle wheels and other round repurposed objects are festooned with colorful materials previously collected by the volunteers at GFS. This event is interactive, and any interested Pennington Day visitors are welcome to participate. The sculptural forms created across the day will be arranged into a temporary installation onto the Howe Commons to create a community sized art installation full of colors and shapes.
Now in its 33rd year, Pennington Day began as a small community picnic that was organized in 1980 to raise funds for the Pennington School after a devastating fire. It has evolved over the years into a polished, yet still community-sized event that continues its charter to give back to and help strengthen its community. The Pennington Day Board of Directors raises funds that they dispense each Spring in the form of community grants. In March 2012, 14 community grants were awarded to local non-profits to support their various missions. In addition, a Signature Grant was awarded during the summer to the Friends of Historic Pennington, a new group supporting the preservation of historic downtown Pennington.
For information visit the Pennington Day website at penningtonday.com.
