The festival transforms downtown's Farnsworth Avenue from street into open-air market.
BORDENTOWN CITY -- Despite a weekend of gray skies and scattered raindrops, the city kicked off its 27th annual Cranberry Fest on Saturday.
People turned out by the thousands for the free event that the sponsoring Downtown Bordentown Association describes as one of the largest juried craft shows in the state.
According to the association, this year's weekend-long event is host to over 145 vendors and artisans who are hawking their one-of-a-kind wares -- handmade, vintage and up-cycled items, food and more -- to those walking along one of the city's historic streets.
The festival transforms downtown's Farnsworth Avenue from street into open-air market.
The owner of Me & My Dog Pet Bakery, Saliah Robson, says that she attends around 100 festivals a year while selling her homemade dog treats, but there's a special atmosphere at this one.
"I like this one. It's like a family day," she said as her son, Zakariya Robson, showed off his mother's Pet Pizza Supreme treat.
Ross and Alison Gary, a couple who moved to the city five years ago after happening on the event while house hunting, agreed.
"This sold us on (Bordentown)," Ross Gary said as his two-year son Declan Gary is helped off one of the three ponies at the festival's Kids' Zone.
The festival offers more than family and pet related activities and items. Local restaurants and food vendors move their operations outdoors.
Cooks prepare a variety of foods. Some vendors on hand take the cranberry theme of the festival to heart.
Robin Miller, owner of Indian Mills-based Miller's Cranberry Hot Sauce, makes a variety of flavor combinations, but says her special sweet and spicy cranberry sauce is made especially for patrons at this festival and just one other of the several she attends.
If losing the Ocean Spray factory -- the reason the festival began -- couldn't stop the festival, then dreary weather stood little chance.
This is the third Cranberry Fest since the city lost the factory. As the dreary afternoon weather continued the event showed no signs of slowing down.
Greg Wright may be reached at gwright@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregTheWright. Find NJ.com on Facebook.