Pennington Day 2025 brought sunshine, crowds, and community spirit back to the streets of the borough on Saturday following early-morning rain that quickly gave way to a beautiful day for the thousands of people that descended on Pennington.
The annual street festival, founded in 1980 in response to a devastating fire at The Pennington School, has grown into a beloved celebration of local life, with proceeds supporting nonprofit and civic organizations throughout Hopewell Valley. On Saturday, thousands turned out to eat, shop, dance, sing — and pet plenty of dogs.
One of the day’s biggest hits was the return of the Pennington Day Dog Show, a longtime crowd favorite that had been on hiatus. More than 20 dogs strutted their stuff before a cheering audience and a panel of celebrity judges including Pennington Mayor Jim Davy, local veterinarian Dr. Wendy Schotland, and Toll Gate Grammar School Principal Melissa Lauri. Awards were handed out for longest ears (won by a basset hound), best trick (a skateboarding pup dressed as a UPS delivery dog), and many more categories.
The main stage and surrounding blocks were buzzing with musical and dance performances by local students and community groups. The Timberlane Middle School Jazz Band, dancers from local studios, and a variety of musical acts kept the energy high throughout the day. Inflatable bananas, aliens, and hammers bobbed through the crowds as kids claimed their prize from the Kids Zone.
The arts were out in full force this year. St. Matthew’s hosted the annual quilt show, featuring everything from traditional patchwork to contemporary fiber art — including the colorful unveiling of Toll Gate Grammar School’s sea-life-themed quilt, created with artist-in-residence Janneke Van Der Ree and spearheaded by art teacher Justine Rosikiewicz. Over at the Pennington Presbyterian Church, the juried art show included a special exhibition curated by Hopewell Valley Central High School junior and Girl Scout Juliana Noto as part of her Gold Award project. Her student art showcase featured works by 13 high school artists, giving young creatives a professional platform and sparking hopes for an annual tradition.
Back outside, more than 100 booths lined South Main Street, including civic groups, small businesses, food vendors, and nonprofits. The Pennington Fire Company kept busy at its grill station with sausage and pepper sandwiches while longtime resident Beverly Mills continued her beloved 30-year tradition of making and selling strawberry shortcake. And if you were looking to adopt a cat or dog, local organizations including ARF of Mercer were on hand with adorable adoptable animals.
Proceeds from the event will be distributed as community grants to 14 local organizations, supporting a wide range of projects across Hopewell Valley. This year’s grant recipients include the Down Syndrome Association of Central New Jersey, the Pennington Public Library, the Hopewell Valley Youth Collective, the Pennington African Cemetery Association, and the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, among others.
As the streets cleared and tents came down, Pennington Day closed out another successful year — equal parts block party and fundraiser — with its purpose as clear as ever: support what matters and have a great time doing it.
Photos by Seth Siditsky
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
