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After a cool and drizzly spring, warm weather finally seems here to stay. If you’ve been looking for things to do, we have a few suggestions. Two involve our neighbor up the road a bit, Garret Mountain Reservation.
Renovations are nearing completion and the new playground is now open! This is a wonderful facility with age-appropriate areas for play and exercise, as well as benches for supervising adults or anyone just needing a rest. Amenities include wild web rope climbers, a variety of slides, musical play instruments, a high stepper, fitness parallel bars, a core station, and much more! Bring the family, sit for a while, enjoy an ice cream from one of the concession trucks, and relax. The Park has ongoing improvements, and if you’re so inclined, you can help too. The Passaic County Board of County Commissioners in partnership with the Friends of Passaic County Parks, Inc. Board of Trustees offers a Memorial Bench and Tree Program whereby you can commemorate, honor, and remember the lives of friends and relatives. By purchasing either a tree or bench, you will receive a plaque with a message of your choosing to celebrate your loved one’s life in the location of your choice in the Passaic County Park System. If you are interested in this memorial program, please click here for more information or call (973) 881-4405.
Saturday is also a busy day for anyone wanting to volunteer for family-friendly activities to get you close to nature. It’s “Volunteer Day” at the Mountain Butterfly Garden! They are looking for people to help clean up, weed, and mulch the Butterfly Garden to get it ready for the season. Volunteers are needed from 9:00 to 10:30 AM, but if you’re seeing this too late, please contact the Friends of Garret Mountain for future opportunities.
Do your kids (or you!) like Pro Wrestling? On Saturday, May 27 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, you can join the wrestlers of Independent Superstars of Professional Wrestling as they suplex, body slam, and moonsault all around the Garret Mountain Reservation Pat DiIanni Boathouse! A portion of all ticket sales will benefit the Friends of Passaic County Parks. Tickets are $25 each and are available here. Superstar names include Joe Clean, Vicious Vicki, and Hornswoggle.
Closer to home and next Saturday, June 3 starting at 9:00 AM you can help clean up Dundee Island, a project that’s been canceled twice due to rain. This one will be rain or shine (they’re predicting the latter!). Located under the Route 21 Bridge, Dundee Park is the first addition to the Passaic County Park System in over 59 years. The park there features walking paths, opportunities for birding, a soccer field, and a playground among other things. For the Clean-Up, originally scheduled as an Earth Day project, Clifton will provide shovels and other equipment and they just ask that you wear long pants and sturdy shoes. For information please call or email Jennifer Terwilliger at 973-470-5769 or jterwilliger@cliftonnj.org.
Do you remember learning to ride a bike and how excited you were to have the freedom that wheels can give you? In 2018, the United Nations declared June 3rd as World Bicycle Day. Passaic County is partnering with EZ Ride to celebrate World Bicycle Day on Saturday, June 3rd in Weasel Brook Park! It’s a way to bring people together from all levels of fitness and expertise. If you’ve been wanting to ride that bicycle that’s been in your garage but need motivation, come to the park and enjoy the benefits bike riding brings.
At 10:00 AM, children ages six and up can learn the fundamentals – balance, pedaling, starting, and stopping. Parents need to be present and all participants need to wear a helmet and mask and provide a bike with pumped-up tires, but no training wheels or pedals. At 11:30, children over eight years old (and adults) will have the opportunity to learn more, including safety checks, rules of the road, bike handling, and safety tips, followed by a ride in the park. Again, helmets, masks, and a bike with inflated tires are required. Families should watch this video before the event: Remove the pedals and training wheels.
Memorial Day
The flags at the City Hall Municipal Complex will be up starting Sunday morning and will be taken down Monday just before dusk. If you’ve never seen the hundreds of American flags there, take a moment to drive by or walk through. It’s truly impressive. Clifton will wrap up the Memorial Day weekend with the traditional Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 29th at 9:00 AM starting at the Clifton Avenue extension and going down Allwood Road to Chelsea Park, where there will be a short memorial service. A second service will be held at Main Memorial Park at 11:00 AM, by the war memorial. Cheering on the marchers is a long-standing Clifton tradition. Be aware that there will be temporary road closures in the area Monday morning.
However you choose to observe the holiday, The Clifton Times hopes that you stay safe and enjoy some time with loved ones. To all those lost in war and to their families, you are not forgotten.
