The World Fair, hosted by Descendants Brewing Company, took place on Bridge Street in Milford on Sept. 20. The festival included a variety of unique events that displayed different cultures in creative ways.
To kick off the event, the opening ceremony included a march of dancing horses and volunteers, including Del Val’s Thespians, who dressed in festive costumes to represent different countries’ heritages, and Del Val’s International Club, who helped to run multiple aspects of the event.
“They [the Thespians] sent out a bunch of actors to dress up as people from different countries,” Nolen Petty, a student Thespian from Del Val, said. “I’m from Germany, and I’m helping out the International Club at Del Val.”
For the festival pet lovers, the World Fair included a Pet Parade where people could dress up their pets in costumes representing different. The outfits were judged by an American Kennel Club judge Andrew Carter.
Joe David, the owner of Descendants Brewing Company and one of the fair’s founders, was excited for the Kids Running of the Bulls. Volunteers from the River Runs Running Club dressed in inflatable bull costumes and chased children down Bridge Street, resembling the Running of the Bulls event in Spain.
Despite Milford Alive‘s cancelation, the annual PTO Duck Race lived on. Volunteers from the Milford PTO dumped a tub of colorful rubber ducks, sponsored by World Fair attendees, into the water underneath Creek Bridge.
Local artisans performed their unique talents on the main stage area. The performances displayed included Hungarian Folk Music, Tuva Throat Singing, Georgian dance and more. Each performance showcased the performers’ culture in an artistic way.
“My favorite part about the World Fair was seeing the other cultures and their dancing and signing,” Christian Weate, a Del Val sophomore, said. “I thought it was really cool to see how people live in different parts of the world.”
The World Fair also revived the Medieval Era with a sword fighting arena.
“There was some Medieval Times thing going on; that seemed pretty cool,” Micheal Henderson, a Del Val freshman, said.
Multiple food trucks lined the edge of the festival, along with other vendors. The vendors served items such as Belgian BelFries, Polish kielbasa and Argentinian empanadas.
The World Fair created an inclusive environment where cultures were equally represented and exposed to the community.
“I think we should do it again because I think Milford Alive has been kind of dying down in recent years with the crowd level,” Weate said. “I think the World Fair really brought the crowd level back… There was a lot more excitement this year.”
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Horses gallop down the street to lead the opening ceremony. The ceremony foreshadowed the fun and interesting events that occurred throughout the fair.
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Del Val’s International Club marches down Bridge Street. The group helped to prepare the day’s activities and participated in the opening ceremony.
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A dog makes its way down the Pet Parade red carpet. The parade was judged by American Kennel Club judge Andrew Carter.
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The Kalmyk Dance NJ group performing a traditional Kalmyk folk dance. Cultural music and dances were presented at the fair to honor different heritages.
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The World Fair hosted its own version of the Running of the Bulls from Spain. Children were chased down Bridge St. by volunteers in River Runs Running Club who wore inflatable bull costumes.
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Grupo Folclorico performing a Portuguese inspired dance down Bridge Street. Other dances were inspired by a variety of countries, including Hungarian, Latvian and Scandinavian traditions.
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Del Val junior Annabelle Toye attempts a pitching game at Del Val’s Strike Out Hunger booth. Strike Out Hunger raises money for local food pantries.
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Children wading through the water toward the ducks. The PTO Duck Race was a favorite event among the kids who attended the fair.
