Scarecrows, Discount Dining To Be Part of Buy Local Month

Candace Braun

Borough merchants are busily preparing for their second annual Buy Local Month, to be held throughout the month of October. Restaurant and store discounts, a scarecrow contest, and poetry readings at the Writers Block will accompany this year's festivities.

In keeping with the fall season, the Borough Merchants for Princeton will be holding a scarecrow contest in town all through October. Residents will be able to vote on their favorite scarecrows, and at the end of the month, prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the Arts Council's Halloween Parade on Thursday, October 28.

The scarecrows will be mounted to lampposts along Nassau Street, and may extend onto other streets if participation grows. Both the parade and scarecrow contest are open to anyone who would like to participate, said Kathie Morolda, president of the Borough Merchants for Princeton.

"We're hoping the momentum will build once the scarecrows are out," she said.

For more information on how to enter, stop by the Cranbury Station Gallery at 28 Palmer Square East, or call (609) 921-0434.

Returning this year, "Prix Fixe" week will take place from Sunday, October 10, through Thursday, October 14. Patrons may purchase meals for a fixed price of $15 for lunch at the Alchemist & Barrister, Peacock Inn, Winberie's, Mediterra, Teresa's Cafe Italiano, and the Ferry House. Dinners can be purchased at a cost of $25 at Mediterra, Blue Point Grill, Yankee Doodle Tap Room, and Teresa's Cafe Italiano.

Authors James McPherson, George Hagen, Bill Simons, and Naomi Drew, as well as Poets Paul Muldoon and James Richardson, will all be part of the Writers Block events throughout the month of October.

In addition, "Breakfast at the Park" will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. every Sunday throughout the month at the Writers Block, courtesy of Cox's Market and Small World Coffee. A fashion show and sample sale featuring evening wear by Victoria/Kit Kat and accessories by HVC Studio will also be part of the month-long festivities.

A silent auction for the Writers Block follies will be held on Saturday, October 30. However, the Writers Block may survive through the holidays, said David Newton, vice-president of Palmer Square Management. For more detailed information on this and other Writers Block events, visit www.princetonwritersblock.com.

Other October events will include the Princeton Historical Society's new exhibit, "Princeton Recollects," based on writings in Recollector, a 1970s Princeton publication. The exhibit will begin on October 14.

The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce will present a lecture on Einstein by Dr. Paul Nurse, president of Rockefeller University, on October 28, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Dodd's Auditorium.

Buy Local Month will conclude on Saturday, October 30, with a noon opening celebration for the library's plaza. While the Borough has not yet selected a name for the plaza, Actress Reese Witherspoon, a descendant of the Rev. John Witherspoon, has been invited to attend the event.

A square dance with fiddlers will commence at 12:30 p.m. Food and other activities for the day have not yet been selected.