Fall Family Spectacular A Shot In The Arm For Edison's Small Biz

EDISON, NJ — The streets of downtown Edison came alive this past Saturday when the "Fall Family Spectacular" brought entertainment, music, vendors, and patrons together at the Clara Barton section of the Township. The whole of Amboy Avenue from Waltuma to Jackson was closed to traffic, as hundreds of residents gathered to enjoy the day’s events.

There were three music stages, two shows of Professional Wrestling, three BMX bike ‘Hell on Wheels’ shows, RC2U Portable Racing, street entertainers, sidewalk cafes, and food trucks.

For families with young children, there were game booths, face paintings, artists making caricature drawings, and inflatable play. The two live Pro- Wrestling shows proved to be a favorite with parents and kids filling every ringside seat and standing room-areas to see their favorite stars compete.

Down the street near the Third Street Stage, guitarist, and folksinger, Renee Maskin performed for patrons of "Ruby Ke Kitchen Se," who were enjoying traditional Indian food served up by Rupali Nigam, her husband Sanjay, and two teenagers. Sanjay says the family is grateful for the music and food events taking place this summer because it brings people to restaurants. “We opened the restaurant in the middle of the pandemic. These street fairs are the only way we survived. It’s the only reason people know we are here. We are truly blessed to have this township and all these people to support us,” Sanjay said.

Nearby, Nick Scarillo of the Meat Depot served up grills and burgers to the beat of the Shore Soundz band on the main stage. “This summer has just been great. The music has been good, everybody’s been coming out and having a good time, especially after last year when so many people stayed in because of COVID,” Scarillo said.

Mike and Marsha Fischer serving up ice cream at The Coffee across from the Beer Garden stage agreed. “This is everything we could have asked for. These street events are good for business and we try to be a big part of it. We are aiming for a boardwalk/artsy district feel to the downtown," Mike said.

The "Fall Family Spectacular" is the headliner for a series of events organized this summer by the Edison Town Council and Chamber of Commerce to help restaurants, small businesses, and residents get back on their feet after pandemic restrictions. It all began with the launch of Mayor Thomas Lankey’s summer music series in June. Every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. residents could enjoy live music on Amboy and Third Avenue.

Across the street, cafés and restaurants were able to get back into business, serving up food to patrons seated on portable chairs and tables. “Meet your neighbor Mondays” came soon after, giving locals a chance to socialize with neighbors, featuring live music and food trucks.

“Our aim, in the beginning, was to create Music Street — three to four stage areas along the block for residents and visitors to enjoy music for free. That evolved into what music does best, bringing people together,” said Joe Coyle, Edison Councilman, and Chamber of Commerce President.

Now in its second year, Music Street has transformed the Clara Barton district into a thriving downtown scene with 60 evenings of summer music, including three events headlined by Nick Ryan and the Mess. Ryan, an Edison resident, and well-known shore musician also plays at the Amboy Coffee House open mike night.

The successes of these events spawned the launching of more events including the summer flower walk with two music stages and The Edison's Annual Beer and Wine Festival on Aug. 21. An October farmers market, car show, and holiday event are scheduled for November and December.

The Chamber of Commerce was the driving force behind the summer series, said Coyle. “We were fortunate to have the support of the non-profit Edison Community Beautification and local businesses like Ruby’s Kitchen, the Coffee House, and Nick’s Meat Depot," Coyle said.

"We leveraged the community to create the dinner specials, add food trucks and an artisan product market to go along with the events. This engages people with all kinds of interests to come to Amboy Avenue and see what we have to offer.”