Over 40,000 students, community members and visitors gathered for a day of balloons, funnel cake and face-painting at the annual Communiversity festival on Saturday in downtown Princeton.
Spread throughout the University campus, Nassau and Witherspoon streets and Palmer Square, the event featured over 200 artists and merchants from campus and the tristate area. It also included live entertainment from local bands, orchestras and dance groups, as well as novelties such as a bouncy castle, an organ demonstration and a yoga class.
For some in attendance, Communiversity was a new experience.
“I’ve lived here 10 years, but this is the first time I’ve ever been here,” resident Doug Jackson explained. “I’m never going to miss another one. I love it.”
For others, however, Communiversity is a yearly tradition.
Cindy Levinson, for example, said her handmade jewelry business has made an appearance at Communiversity — in the exact same spot on Nassau Street — for the last eight years.
Originally named “The Art People’s Party,” the event was first held on the lawn of Nassau Hall in 1970. It was later renamed Communiversity “to capture the town-gown spirit of the event,” according to the Arts Council of Princeton’s website.
Many students said they enjoyed Communiversity because of the interaction between University students and the town beyond FitzRandolph Gate.
“It’s one of the few times of the year when the University and the community really sort of just hang out together,” Emily Sung ’11 said. She added that this “is really nice, because as a Princeton student, I don’t really feel much interaction with the Princeton community.”
Communiversity organizational committee co-chair Annie Khoa ’13 agreed, noting that she decided to help out with the event because of the opportunity for "town-gown" interaction.
“I went last year and loved how all these townies and University students get to come together and partake in these acts,” she said. “It’s not just Princeton students in their own Orange Bubble — it’s very integrated.”
Khoa is a former staff writer for The Daily Princetonian.
The Arts Council of Princeton and University students began planning the event in late February, organizational committee co-chair Hilary Edelstein '14 said.
“It was a lot of work, but wasn’t overwhelming," Edelstein said. "It was kind of a fun thing to do."
Edelstein is a staff photographer for the 'Prince.'
Co-chair Shirley Gao '13 said the committee was initially concerned that attendance would be low because of other events occurring on campus on Saturday. However, the group was pleasantly surprised to see a number of visitors and alumni from the "She Roars" conference as well as students and faculty.
Still, Gao said that she wished Communiversity had been better advertised, especially on the parts of campus farthest from Nassau Street.
“I live up in Mathey, and it’s right in front of me,” she explained. “But some students don’t know what Communiversity is, and I think that’s insane. It’s one of the best events of the year.”
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