James J. Braddock Park in North Bergen will host the Hudson County Fair, the first of its kind in 35 years, during the Columbus Day weekend.
“I just want to remind you that 35 years ago, there was a carnival and I think the elephant got loose, and after that, there were not more carnivals,” North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco joked at a press conference kicking off the fair around 4:30 p.m. today during heavy rainfall.
“I don’t see any elephants, any large animals, I think we’re in good shape. This is gonna be a great weekend in North Hudson. A great weekend.”
Sacco was joined on stage with Joan Quigley, the president and CEO of the North Hudson Community Action Corporation, NHCAC Board Chairman Joey Muniz, Guttenberg Mayor Gerald Drasheff, Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari, Union City Freeholder Tilo Rivas (D-6), Freeholder Chairman E. Junior Maldonado, West New York/Weehawken Housing Authority Executive Director Bob DiVincent and North Bergen Freeholder Anthony Vainieri (D-8) – who all played a role in making the event happen.
“These are the things I plan on bringing back to the community. I campaigned on the theme of bringing things back to the community: utilizing the park with art fairs, farmer’s markets, carnivals, art shows – it’s such a beautiful park and it’s underutilized. I want to bring thing back to the community,” Vainieri told Hudson County View.
According to Vainieri, the event was made possible after a variety of resolutions were approved by the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the NHCAC pertaining to permits, health inspections and a variety of other safety and maintenance procedures.
The event planning company Jaloudi Enterprises is also contributing to the three-and-a-half day affair.
The fair opened at 5 p.m. tonight and will run until 10 p.m., running from 11 a.m. through 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and from 12 noon until 9 p.m. on Monday – which is Columbus Day.
The carnival is set up in the southeast corner of James J. Braddock Park, by the intersection of John F. Kennedy Boulevard and 79th Street near the tennis courts.
MAD overtime for the police etc.
Great job Anthony as usual. You brought fun back Into our community.
Thank you for bringing back the carnival!
Can we please work on getting the boats back in the lake?
The park looks so nice now. Thank you.
Great idea on the boats in the lake.
Does anyone know the price?
.My earliest memories of Hudson County Park was being on the row boat with my father…Grew up going to the carnival in the summer and ice skateboarding EVERY weekend in the winter. was heartbroken when they stopped it all..Time to bring it all back…Every winter I go up to the lake in hopes that THIS will be the year we can ice skate again…..Time to bring back ice skating….we shouldn’t have to go to Secaucuse and other towns to enjoy what we once had here…
I’m all for this but let’s not give Anthony all the credit there’s alot more people helping out and he’s taking all the credit
Went to fair last night and it was a nice opportunity for family time in the park close to home. Lots of nice vendors and rides for kids. However, I could not figure out the point of having an extremely loud music stage (could hear it on 78th street) in the middle of the event. Turn the noise down and cancel the DJ for next year. NB cops and Hudson County Sheriff providing good security.
goes to show you what I’ve been saying from the beginning he didn’t thank the Arab family responsible for all this!!! Told you he doesn’t and never has liked arabic people
i agree Adam I know first hand he dislikes us at the fair tonight he didn’t say hi to any of us!!! Avoided us like the plague!!
Hes the one who had the idea to bring it back……. Why not thank him…
He can be thanked that’s not the problem he just doesn’t know how to thank everyone else!! I’ve known Anthony for a long time and he’s always been like this always has a big ego there was a lot
More people to be thanked!!