By Olivia Yepez
The downtown buzzed with energy Sunday as vendors, visitors and musicians crowded the 25th annual Morristown Festival on the Green.
Representatives of AKT Morristown danced rhythmically with event-goers young and old in front of a tent for their company, which will open its first Morristown venue in October.
The business may be new in town, but it was not its first time at the festival.
“We were here last year, so we wanted to come back,” said a spokesperson, Jada-Rae Poku, 22. She talked excitedly about the Anna Kaiser Technique (AKT), a full-body cardio dance and workout.
The studio was among more than 160 exhibitors in attendance, according to the Morristown Partnership, the business group that organizes this festival, and the annual Christmas Festival at the Morristown Green.
Booths for Greater Morristown schools, health agencies, religious chapters, businesses, food destinations and musical ensembles lined the streets around the historic Green, offering thousands of visitors a taste of the town’s treasures.
Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin. Click/ hover on images for captions:
“The weather gods were with us…it could’ve been a record turnout today,” said Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty, squinting in the bright sunshine.
He was pleased to see area universities such as Fairleigh Dickinson represented, as well as local health providers such as the Morristown Medical Center, which was offering screenings.
“These are the things that I think are important for people to see — what we have to offer,” Dougherty said.
Four stages kept the music flowing. Classic rock came from the Heart of Gold Band. Big Hix played country songs. The Tropyband Orquesta had fans dancing to meringue, salsa and cumbia beats. Young songwriters and performers from the Original Music School showed what they can do.
Shorty Long & The Jersey Horns. Video by Jeff Sovelove:
The Swing Tones. Video by Jeff Sovelove for MorristownGreen.com:
A beer tent also proved popular again this year.
“This festival has grown so much since I was little,” said Amanda, 31, a former resident who returned from Atlanta for her birthday. Her favorite part of the festival?
The pina coladas, served in fresh pineapples with a mini umbrella on top.
MorristownGreen.com correspondent Olivia Yepez is a student at Drew University.
Slideshow photos by Jeff Sovelove. Click/ hover on images for captions:
at the 2019 Morristown Festival on the Green. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
