The September return of students to their dorms heralds the return of cool weather, fall colors and the annual College Shuffle. On Saturday, Sept.12, college students and their families will have the chance to sample tastings from more than 20 restaurants on Shrewsbury Street, also known as Worcester’s Restaurant Row, from noon-3 p.m. It’s both an opportunity for incoming first-years to explore their new city and for returning students to sample food from some of their favorite restaurants.

“This is a great way for students to get off campus and find out what Worcester is all about,” said Pagio Inc.’s Paul Giorgio, one of the event organizers. “Shrewsbury Street is vibrant and hip – it’s one of the top destinations in Worcester, and we want everyone to get a taste of Shrewsbury Street, as well as all the other great neighborhoods.”

This is one of the few events in Worcester hosted exclusively for the local college community and welcomes students, their families and university staff and faculty. Admission entitles you to more than just food from some of Worcester’s most popular eateries. Shrewsbury Street will be lined with tents and booths from various local businesses and sponsors, offering music, shopping and maybe even a few giveaways. Free transportation will be provided to and from the majority of colleges in the city.

This year’s College Shuffle will be even more jam-packed with activities, thanks to a collaboration with WooFest, an all-new music and arts festival happening concurrently in East Park. This event will feature student musicians and artists, as well as booths and demonstrations set up by local shops and businesses.

WooFest is the creative product of two rising seniors at Clark University, Faith Kelnhofer and Tricia Wise, who were awarded funding from the university’s Liberal Education and Effective Practice initiative.

“With the festival,” Kelnhofer said, “we believe we can create an effective event that will be marketed towards college students, especially incoming freshman. This will introduce these students to the various events, places and areas in Worcester. They will learn of the various restaurants, stores, musicians and artists through the vendors and essentially get a feel for the city as a whole.”

These events will make Sept. 12 the ultimate welcome for Worcester’s thousands of college students. It’s a can’t-be-missed opportunity to experience the sights, smells, sounds and – most importantly – tastes of one of the city’s most happening cultural hotspots. And if that doesn’t sound like enough excitement for one day, you can head over to the Canal District for this year’s Blackstone Canal Fest or to the Worcester Common to show your support of the 40^th anniversary of the Worcester Pride Festival.

The ninth annual College Shuffle is hosted by Pagio, Inc., and The Shrewsbury Street Merchants’ Association. Students can purchase admission buttons through their student activities office for $10 (with a valid college ID) or $15 the day of the event. An updated bus schedule can be found online at www.shrewsburystreet.org/college-shuffle. WooFest is a free event happening from noon-5 p.m., so be sure to head to East Park after you’ve had your fill of food at the Shuffle.

By Mitchell Perry