Thousands celebrate town-gown connection

Thousands of community members and University students flooded Nassau and Witherspoon Streets for the annual Communiversity festival on Saturday.

Jointly sponsored by the Arts Council of Princeton and the University, the day-long affair featured over 160 artists, craftsmen, merchants and organizations.

Attendees sampled international cuisine, listened to live music, viewed demonstrations, perused galleries and participated in arts and crafts activities. Unique offerings such as paella and martial arts demonstrations lined the closed roads, as well as more traditional festival fare such as funnel cakes and cotton candy.

Crowds also spilled onto campus, where a cappella groups sang under East Pyne arch and student organizations organized a "Global Village" to showcase international foods and displays.

Billed as Princeton's largest cultural event — Borough Police anticipated 25,000 attendees — this year's Communiversity comes as the University and the Borough have been butting heads on several issues, including the proposed arts neighborhood and relocation of the Dinky station.

But town-gown friction did not seem to be a problem for several local residents at Saturday's event. "I find the campus really friendly," Princeton resident Steve Forden said. "I think Princeton has got good relations with the town, despite some issues."

Andrea Lyons, another community member, echoed Forden's sentiments, though she added that she sometimes feels cautious about disrupting University affairs. "I don't feel any friction," she said of town-gown relations. "I feel like I don't want to intrude and walk on the campus when paying students are there. But I think the campus is great and beautiful to look at, and it's great that it's here."

Lyons added that she thinks Communiversity helps improve relations between the University and the Borough. "I think it makes people feel more that the University is accessible to them for lots of reasons," she said.

University students expressed similar views about town-gown relations. Will Palley '10, who helped man a booth for Princeton UNICEF on Saturday, said he thinks Communiversity can help diminish any existing animosity between the University and the town.

"I think the town always sees us as a stuffy, snobby, uninterested University," he said. "But I think this really shows the best side of the University — the community and charity focus."

Communiversity also showcased local businesses. Restaurants including Triumph Brewery, Mediterra and Winberie's served small dishes at their booths along Nassau Street. The Triumph booth had honey wheat and Jewish rye beers on tap for $4 a cup. Mediterra sold glasses of sangria for $5 each.

Food was sold at prices lower than those in the restaurants, but Winberie's general manager Stacy Whalen said her restaurant always makes a profit during Communiversity. "It's good publicity and promotions for our store," she said. "Plus, we're part of the community, so anything that has to do with the community, we like to be part of."

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University students said they attended the event for a variety of reasons. "I came for a change in atmosphere," Sophie Kroft '10 said, adding that she welcomed the respite from studying and was glad to escape her dorm for the afternoon.

Sarah Silvergleid '10 said the event gave her a chance to venture past FitzRandolph Gate for the day. "Communiversity was a chance to see the town," she said, "especially since I live down campus in Butler."

Jane Neiman, who has lived in Princeton for six years, was also enthusiastic about Communiversity. "It's the best festival in Princeton," she said. "It's much busier this year, but as good as ever."