Wednesday, Sep 14, 2011
Cranberry Fest 2011 featured an Andrew J. Rider lookalike telling the history of his life as a college president and cranberry farmer.
The arrival of Andrew J. Rider in Trenton as part owner and president of the Trenton Business College in 1866 also afforded the Michigan native the chance to establish a 500-acre cranberry farm near Hammonton, N.J., some 50 miles south of Rider’s current campus in Lawrenceville.
More than 80 years after his passing, President Rider seemingly returned to the institution bearing his name in the form of an Andrew J. Rider impersonator for the celebration of Cranberry Fest on Tuesday, September 13. Relating the story of his two careers – college executive and noted cranberry farmer – the doppelganger brought to life the “Cranberry King of New Jersey,” which he was dubbed by the queen of England for his farming acumen.
Since 1979, Rider has celebrated Cranberry Fest to recognize and commemorate its history. This year, students, faculty and staff took a break from their daily routines to enjoy the event’s live music, delicious food and entertainment in the warmth of the day’s sunshine on the Campus Mall. A fall-themed Cranberry Fest dinner was also held on the Great Plains of the Princeton campus.