Scenes from an American Street Fair
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A recent tradition, the June Street Fair features vendors, a wide variety of food, live music, and displays from local township volunteers. |
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Fresh lemonade was almost a necessity at 2015's Street Fair on the newly paved asphalt of the Newark Pompton Turnpike. |
The annual Pequannock Street Fair, though a recent tradition, is an example of this suburban slowdown. Up to perhaps the 1960's, in addition to the usual selection of high school sports each weekend, the community had annual events at the gravel pit, out by the old Shaw's Silver Factory, which too was the site where RMI would develop the rocket engine that would go on to break the sound barrier. Of course there was also a broad array of church socials and picnics throughout time, though evidence of those is mostly lost to the annals of history. Swimming holes were a popular pass-time in the hotter months and Pequannock was once home to both the municipal beach at PV Park and the private McDonald's Beach across Alexander Ave.
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Despite cuts to the High School music program music education remains a strong interest for the Pequannock community seen here at the Shamrock School of Music mainstage. |
Today, Pequannock boasts a number of public parks, many with cool shady areas perfect for the Summer months. PV Park is still a major attraction and for those who'd rather get on the water than it it, Woodland Lake offers a rustic charm for boaters and fishermen. Other pass-times have passed by, with McDonald's beach closing decades ago and the old gravel pit now a medical center. It doesn't matter though because though the locations have changed and the faces have certainly changed, the traditions remain the same: good people getting together with their families and community to enjoy the Summer weather and a day without work.

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Volunteers from the Pequannock Historic Commission were out in force providing information about the Township's many historical preservation efforts. |
Soon, residents can expect to enjoy a scenic walk along the river as the Pequannock Riverwalk Project approaches its unveiling. A planned expansion to the Pequannock Library will provide even more room for kids looking to enjoy some AC and a good book while participating in the Summer Reading Program.
If you've enjoyed this lengthy, but not exhaustive look back at Pequannock's Summer recreation over the decades, there's one more activity you should consider: Visit the Pequannock History Museum on Evans Place between Noon and 3pm the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. It is air conditioned and admission is free. There you'll learn about a wide variety of Pequannock's history from its status as a stop along the Morris Canal to its place in history as home of Medal of Honor Recipient James R. Evans.
Got a Summer recreation story? Leave a comment!
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A display about the past offers a glimpse into the future: Many Pequannock residents have sought to purchase and preserve the historic Martin Berry House as township historic site. |