Camels, Dogs, Pie-Eating Contests and More Highlight Moorestown Day

If you think you've seen everything Moorestown Day has to offer, you're in for a surprise this year.

With more vendors than ever before, new food offerings, a "dog fair," a petting zoo and camel rides (?), the 2013 Moorestown Day looks to be the biggest ever, according to organizer Jeanette Habina.

"This is the event that really defines what a small town is," she said. "It puts Moorestown on the stage for the day."

Habina said one of her major focuses for the 37th annual Moorestown Day, sponsored by the Moorestown Business Association (MBA), was loading up the Chester Avenue end of Main Street, which is traditionally a little, well, deserted.

The east end of Main is sure to be lively this year though, Habina said, with the addition of a petting farm and camel rides down by Wells Fargo Bank. And by bringing in more and better attractions for that end of downtown, she was also able to add more vendors.

Habina said in years past she typically had a few vendor spots still available in the days leading up to the event. This year, she has no vendor vacancies—a first for the event.

"I was always able to take vendors at the Chester (Avenue) end," she said, "but even that end has gotten busy."

In all, 235 vendors will line Main Street from Chester to Church Street Saturday. 

A few other highlights:

• Aspiring Eagle Scout John Matthews has organized a dog fair for Moorestown Day to raise awareness, and funds, for his proposed dog park (the location of which is still being decided). The fair will include vets, groomers and kennels displaying their services; games with prizes for dogs and their owners, including Canine Hangman, a Name That Breed game, and even an SAT prep session just for dogs.
• Two pie-eating contests—one at 1 p.m., followed by another at 2 p.m.—will be held across the street from the Pie Lady. Sign up at the Pie Lady Thursday or Friday to compete.
• New food vendors Mary's Mobile Diner and Fat Donkey BBQ will be added to the food court this year. Habina said she was looking for more variety: "We wanted to get something besides fried Oreos and funnel cake."
• Moorestown Theater Company and MoorArts will be on hand performing songs from their upcoming productions of Bye Bye Birdie and Evita, respectively, and UrbanPromise will have a choir there as well. 
• The Scott Coffee Moorestown Rotary 8k will once again kick off Moorestown Day. Runners can check in beginning at 7 a.m. at the Community House. The race starts at 8:30 a.m. Visit the race's Facebook page for more information, including a course map.

And for those wondering where to park now that the Moorestown Library lot is out of commission, new MBA member Lincoln Technical Institute is offering free parking and a shuttle service throughout the day for commuters attending the event.

Moorestown Day officially begins at 9 a.m. Saturday. 

Check out images from last year's Moorestown Day celebration.