Kid’s Corner At Main Street Vineland’s Food Truck Festival On The Ave Renamed In Memory Of Kenneth Wright (A.K.A. Ken I. Clown)
Kid’s Corner, at the upcoming Third Annual Food Truck Festival on The Ave, will be hereafter known as “The Ken I. Clown Kid’s Corner,” Main Street Vineland has announced.
The renaming is in memory of Kenneth Wright, who appeared as Ken I. Clown at the previous Food Truck Festivals and who passed away recently.
The festival will take place on Sunday, August 25, rain or shine, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Landis Avenue and the Boulevard.
“Ken was supportive of our events on The Ave for years,” said Main Street Vineland Associate Director Robert Scarpa. “Not only did he appear at all our food truck events, but he also appeared at our Christmas Parades, and Pumpkin Patch events, to name just a few. His humor, sunny disposition, and charm helped to light up the events of which he was a part. While he will be sorely missed, this is a way of making sure that he has a presence at our Food Truck Festival for years to come.”
Wright’s widow, Dawn, recounted how her husband loved to make people laugh, ever since starting out as a clown with the Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus.
“It didn’t matter whether he was performing as a clown, as a stilt walker, or as a magician. He loved to make people laugh—especially children,” she said. “He just loved the sound of children’s laughter and that’s one of the things that he lived for and, I think, he brought out the child in every one of us who knew him.”
He did much volunteer work, she said, but considered it a labor of love.
“He was always ready to help a good cause, she said. “He had a big heart and he made friends no matter where he was—and he was always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. He did not want to just exist in life, but wanted to live life to its fullest—and he did exactly that.”
This sizzling mega-event will be the largest food truck festival yet. Admission is free and the event is organized by Main Street Vineland, with Members 1st of NJ Federal Credit Union as the major sponsor. It will feature over 20 food trucks, a beer and wine tent, and a packed line-up of continuous entertainment and activities highlighted again this year by popular request by singing sensation Dawson Coyle of “The Voice.”
Choose from a wide variety of delicious foods available from the food trucks—B-Delish, Beast of the Street, Brilliant Beverages, Butch’s BBQ, Chank’s Pizza Cones, Chimney Cake Factory, Cousins Main Lobster, Dan’s Waffles, Dump-N-Roll, Good Mood=Good Food, House of Cupcakes, Mr. Taco, Nick’s Roast Beef, Pete’s Italian Ice, Pirate Pete’s Soda Pop Co., Stewart’s Root Beer, The Little Sicilian Riceballs, and Top Shelf Mobile Cuisine LLC. Wash the great food down at a beer and wine tent set up at the festival.
Besides Coyle, a packed line-up of non-stop entertainment and activities on the Entertainment Stage will begin with a free yoga class by Peace Love Yoga, and will also include live music by the Funwave Band, KNomad Nation, oldies music with DJ Zach, School of Rock, the Embassy House of Zion Choir, The Originators, Lamera Neta, a talent showcase from the Diamond in the Rough Talent Competition, and more. Additional entertainment will be supplied by the Higbee Heroes Strolling Barber Shop Quartet.
All-day fun activities will include a dunk tank–to support Bishop Schad Regional School.
Activities in the Ken I. Clown Kid’s Corner will include bounce houses, games, a firefighter obstacle course, and a magic show.
Funding for the Entertainment Stage has been made possible by sponsorship from Newfield National Bank. Lidl is the sponsor of the Ken I. Clown Kid’s Corner.
For more information on this and all Main Street Vineland events, call the Main Street Vineland office at 856-794-8653, visit the organization’s website at www.TheAve.biz, or visit it on Facebook.
