‘Each Friday night in June, the streets of downtown Metuchen become an interactive art exhibit for the seventh annual Junebug ArtFest. The entertainment includes a continuous schedule of live music, dance performances and open-mic sessions. Local artisans and visual artists will display their work throughout the town.’ That’s a quote from a news site. And for the most part, it’s true. Junebug is a yearly festival that fills Metuchen Main Street with art, smiles and laughter.
But if you’re from Metuchen and you’ve followed Junebug, you know it has become more than just a fantastic art festival showcasing works from artists. It has become THE event of the year. Sure we have the Memorial Day Parade and the Winter Parade. We have the Cruise Nights. We have two street fairs a year. And not to mention all the other numerous events that happen in our quaint little town.
To us, Junebug is the time of year when we really venture out and fill Main Street. To take in the wonderful restaurants we have in town. To reconnect with friends over a short chat while we admire all the art on display. It’s a chance to wave to an acquaintance across the New Street. It’s to maneuver through the crowd inside What’s the Scoop. It’s to hope a table opens up outside Antonio’s Pizza or Brewed Awakening. And it’s that time to check out the new businesses that sprouted while we weren’t paying attention.
So that’s what Junebug has become for us after seven years. Here in MetuchenLiving, we probably have thousands more photos of just Junebug that we have not share with you. Here in this website, Junebug has become a tradition, a responsibility and a commitment. Nothing exemplifies more of that community spirit than the many volunteers and the hundreds that support this event. And to think, it all started as ‘just an artiest’.
