My blogs can be used as a type of summary for festivals in the south and central New Jersey area. I think I have featured at least 10 or so. Definitely the Jamboree up in Waretown, NJ was probably my favorite but I enjoyed the Country Living Fair at Batsto, NJ immensely and it is only about 10 miles away from me! I love the idyllic setting and the history behind it. This year the fair was a huge success. Possibly the down economy helped to make it a hit this year---a big bang for your entertainment buck. A buck? Heck, it was free! The state struggles with the upkeep of the state parks so I was wondering why they didn't charge maybe 2 dollars because it was worth it. There probably was more than a hundred cars in the lot and people were still filing in bumper to bumper for a 1/4 mile or more. It had to be a record crowd but it still felt comfortable unlike the Cranberry Festival in Chatsworth, NJ that had people challenged at times to even take a step forward. I remember going to this festival many years ago and it was about 1/10 the size and very quiet and rustic. The weather was fantastic with peak fall colors all around.
http://www.batstovillage.org/default.htm
The woman below was explaining a bit of trivia about the violin. Telling the man that the fiddle is the same instrument as the violin but it is played differently and sometimes the strings are plucked.
There were antique cars and even had them riding through the grounds:
Old or new, I love red trucks:
This guy was burning red cedar shakes with a Batsto Village Brand. We stayed in a line to get one of the boards for $1. I have the board in my living room now and it makes the whole house smell of cedar. I hope the smell does not dissipate.
There were antique motors sputtering, locomotive whistles blaring and an airplane engine with its propeller whirring. There were artistic renditions of the Jersey Devil and old metal toys. Of course the Batsto Mansion could be toured and the gift shop is always great there. I bought a Peterson's Bird guide for our area and a historical book on Hammonton, my hometown, by the Arcadia Publishing company. You can always recognize an Arcadia book. The distinctive style is done with a sepia toned photograph and is usually written by a novice author and local historian. Every town in New Jersey must have at least one Arcadia book published. I have a few myself and usually they go for under 25 dollars.
http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/?gclid=CKjXpJ7KnbMCFUid4AoddgMACA&ef_id=oIVOwAPAziIAAETr:20121026015719:s
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