Local talent shines at Dunellen HarvestFest

Last Sunday’s HarvestFest hosted by the Dunellen Downtown Management Organization not only had vendor booths and activities for children. It also had original music and dance performances throughout the day. Gravity and Dunellen Skylight Theater Productions arranged the live entertainment. Much of the work was done by Dunellen resident Chris North who also MCd the day’s events.

Tayla Grace opened the festival by singing songs from her Country Pop album “My Story.”

Slackjaw, which could be considered Central Jersey’s hardest working blues band (they had just played across the street at Maggie Murray’s Pub House the night before) followed with a short set from their self-titled debut album.

Dunellen Skylight Theatre Productions (DSTP) members performed a collaborative revue along with Rutgers University students. In what they called the “Fall-ing in Love” set were songs from Rent, Avenue Q, Once, Aida, The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown, A Chorus Line, and other shows. DSTP also had a booth at the festival where they made soap bubble creations with local children.

Afterwards, festivalgoers got to listen to songs from Warren resident Katie Shotyk’s album More EP which was released in September.

Theater professor and director at the 12 and 7 Theater Group, Michael Rhett performed a monologue.

 

Elizabeth resident and self-described “mentalminstral,” Matt Mead brought his band to the festival.

The event closed with performances from Washington Rock Ballet‘s students. The dance studio is located in Dunellen.