Isles Fall Fest set for Saturday in Hamilton

HAMILTON » On Saturday Oct. 21, Isles will present an evening of eclectic local food, drink, arts, and entertainment at the new Social Profit Center at Mill One.

This fundraiser invites guests to savor the flavor of the local community and celebrate Isles and the renovated, formerly vacant historic mill. Fall Fest will showcase local restaurants, offering a variety of dishes, local wines, craft brews, NJ cider and more. Local musicians will perform, and artists will create work on site as guests explore the historic building.

While touring Mill One, guests can learn more about the story of the stunning large brick and timber frame 1894 factory building. Guests will get to see the new spaces being created at the Isles’ Social Profit Center at Mill One, which is bringing together social impact businesses, nonprofits, and arts spaces under one roof, offering flexible office, warehouse, studio and event spaces.

Artists will be on site throughout the evening of Fall Fest. Stampy Goblyn will be sketching, inking, and painting tattoo and dark style art, while Trenton born sculptor Eric Schultz will create a found object sculpture. Jonathan Conner (LANK) will create a mixed media painting during the evening, combining spray-paint stencils and watercolor. Leon Rainbow will be live painting on canvas using a mixed media approach to create a large-scale piece. Mill One artist-in-residence, Malcolm Bray will work on a large-scale canvas in his studio, one of several artist spaces in the new Social Profit Center. “The energy and potential is tremendous...a diamond in the rough,” says Bray on the new space.

As guests arrive they will be treated to the fabulous skills of the Trenton Circus Squad, and as they move throughout the venue they can listen to a variety of musical styles including jazz, classical, and contemporary. Jazz guitarist Dick Gratton will be one of the featured performers, and has a personal connection to a previous tenant of Mill One. His mother, Geraldine Gratton, worked for Atlantic Products Co. from about 1946 to 1952 insuring the quality and proper number of vinyl parts needed to assemble various items such as golf bags, bowling bags and luggage. As Dick reminisced when he visited the building, he noted the door he picked his mother up from work on occasion and the time” She came home with scrap pieces of red and white vinyl that I used to dress up the interior of my first car, a 1952 Mercury convertible.” Gratton will be joined by a number of local musicians from around the Trenton area, who will be preforming throughout the building. See below for a full list.

During the cocktail hour Occasions by Cintron will serve locally sourced appetizers as guests take in both the art and musical performances, as well as pouring signature cocktails complete with local flavor! Trenton favorite DJ Its Just Ahmad will be sure there is something for everyone to enjoy whilst mingling in the new Mill One Event Space and visiting a range of local restaurants who will be showcasing favorite items from their eclectic menus. See below for a list of food and drink vendors who will participate that night.

Isles’ Fall Fest will be a fun evening that will engage all the senses, showcasing all things Trenton, celebrate and support Isles’ sustainable development work, and provide an opportunity to peek inside a historic gem that is being transformed into a superb, multi-purpose space. Fall Fest takes place at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Mill One, 1 N. Johnston Ave., Hamilton Township. Tickets, program ads, and sponsorships are available for a limited time at www.isles.org/fallfest For more information, please contact Karen Hollywood at KHollywood@isles.org or 609-341-4722.

Fall Fest Musical Line Up

Ceilidh Madigan (Saxophone) Connor Choi (Singer /songwriter) Dick Gratton (Jazz guitar) Krystina Francine (Contemporary singer and pianist)

Michael Bernabe and Elizabeth Amaral (Jazz lounge music)

Robert Ruffis (Bass)

Sean Kelly (Singer/songwriter, upright bass and guitar)

Zoe Keller and Reed Alspach (Singer/songwriting duo)

Fall Fest Food and Drink Line Up

The Referend Bier Blendery, Hopewell specializes in the production of spontaneously fermented beers and will have a selection of ales on hand

Valenzano Winery, Shamong, will share wines from their 26-year-old family vineyard

Franca Bakery, Trenton – Baked treats including pastries featuring Isles’ honey

Mamma Flora’s Trattoria, Ewing – A favorite neighborhood Italian

1911 Smokehouse Bar-B-Que located in downtown Trenton will keep the meat lovers happy.

Health is Wealth Restaurant and Juice Bar will offer a fantastic array of meatless entrees, which even die-hard meat lovers will enjoy.

Long time Trenton chef Dapper Brown will present a range of options from his family-owned Caribbean restaurant The Dapper Chef.

Trenton Junior Chefs will delight guests with their menu which includes vegetables and honey from Isles’ own gardens.

Soul food lovers will not be disappointed as Trenton’s Ila Mae’s serves up favorites from their menu.

Café Seventy Two/Cuginos, a Ewing classic for fresh and inventive American and Italian inspired foods will also join the lineup.

Hamilton’s own Annie’s Hot on the Spot Roti shop will have an array of roti, fillings and sides from their authentic Caribbean menu.

New Orleans Studio B Bakery and Bistro, will serve both fabulous entrées and their delectable beignets for dessert.

La Cabaña Bakeshop and Restaurant is also serving up both sweet and savory styles of their Latin American fare.

Peoples Italian Bakery will share their famous cannoli and their delicious sheet cake

Franca Bakery, Trenton, will use Isles’ honey on puff pastry tarts.

The Cheesecake Lady will serve fall-inspired gourmet and specialty cheesecakes.

Tea, coffee and great service round out the dessert offerings courtesy of Judy Borselle of Party Trays Etc. by Judy

Jersey Cider Works, a Newark brewery on a mission to restore New Jersey cider to its former glory will have two of their ciders to share.

Ewing’s River Horse Brewery will offer a variety of seasonal beers.

Trenton’s own BAI fruit flavored drinks will also be available to enjoy.