Deep in the heart of Iselin, the Hotel Woodbridge at Metropark was square dance central this weekend, hosting a marathon of whirling movement called Peel the Pumpkin.
This wasn’t your grandfather’s barn stomp. A gender-bending update of old time do-si-do gatherings, the event drew gay square dancing clubs from the Northeast and Canada.
Nearly 200 people – gay and straight – exuberantly spun their partners, celebrating Americana and equality.