Community Center Festival Draws Residents, Businesses

The Martinsville Community Center hosted its first annual Fall Festival at the Center on Saturday, attracting a total of 500 people. 

The purpose of the festival was to provide a venue to connect the residents and businesses of the Martinsville section of Bridgewater. The festival included live music provided by the Quarry Lane Band, food from Quik Mart and Pizza Brothers and children's games and activities, including pumpkin painting

About 15 local vendors had their own displays at the festival, and there were performances by Gotta Dance, the Guitar Hut and USA Karate Academy. 

The festival also featured a reminiscing session, entitled "I Grew Up in Martinsville," that was let by resident Judy Coddington Hecker. Many "old timers" attended and shared their memories of Martinsville and the good times they had as children. 

Patricia Valentine Whitacre was on hand to autograph her recently released book, "Martinsville and the Washington Valley." Books were for sale with all profits supporting the renovation of the community center. 

In addition, the community center was joined at the festival by other organizations that serve the Martinsville area, including the Bridgewater Township Police Department, the Martinsville Volunteer Fire Department, the Martinsville Volunteer Rescue Squad and the Somerset County Historical Society. 

—Martinsville resident Jane Gandolfe