Leaves are falling. Pumpkin spice is everywhere. Students are back on campus.
Adding to these autumnal signposts, the 1.75-acre Glassboro Town Square park will be the site of weekly fall festivals throughout the month of September.
According to glassboro.org, the purpose of the festival series is to “create attention for Glassboro’s newly built Town Square.”
The first fest was held this past Thursday, bringing together Rowan students and South Jersey locals for a night of food and music in a family-friendly environment.
Laura Collins of Turnersville appreciated the welcoming atmosphere.
“We started coming to the summer series of festivals, and so when they announced the fall one, we knew we’d be back,” Collins said. “Our daughter was only two and a half months old. It was a good way for us to get out of the house and be outside and relaxed.”
Two food trucks — Styke’s Station and I Got Crabs N’ Some — provided festival-goers with dining options.
Constantine Alexakos, director of the Chamberlain Student Center and Campus Activities (SCCA) and the owner of Styke’s Station, noted the student presence at the event.
“The park is so new, this is the first time students have really gotten to see it,” Alexakos said. “I think once Rowan Boulevard gets developed completely and the fences come down, there’s going to be a direct path here, so we’ll start seeing a bridging of the old downtown into the new Rowan Boulevard.”
Senior bio chemistry major Amber Anthony made the trek out to the new park.
“I was excited for it,” Anthony said. “I just wish there were games or something more for kids,” she added, referring to the many families with young children who had come out to the event from around the area.
No festival is truly complete without live music, and Philadelphia band “The Rockets” provided the soundtrack to the month’s first fall fest with selections from groups like Imagine Dragons and Green Day.
Lead guitarist Pete Macartney added a unique sound to the performance with his electric cello.
“People have no idea what it is, and they ask ‘What is that? That’s a really big violin,’” Macartney said.
Concerning the overall atmosphere of the event, Macartney added, “I love it. We’re used to playing at a bar, where it’s all about the party. But here, it’s more family-oriented and people actually listen to you.”
The first fall festival of the year proved to be a success, drawing Rowan students and residents from the surrounding area for a night of fall fun. The borough’s goal — to bring attention to the new Town Square park — moved further along, and will continue to do so with the next fall festival on Sept. 14.
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