Essex County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs
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ESSEX COUNTY PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS YOUR GUIDE TO EVENTS, ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES OF THE ESSEX COUNTY PARKS SYSTEM Spring / Summer 2015 Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. Essex County Executive and the Board of Chosen Freeholders www.EssexCountyNJ.org Essex County Parks, Recreation And Cultural Affairs PUTTING ESSEX COUNTY FIRST ESSEX COUNTY PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS CONTENTS A MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTY PARKS DIRECTOR Upcoming Events 4 The Essex County Park System is full of great things to do! Let our Spring/Summer catalog be your guide to all of the free Kip’s Castle Park 7 and low-cost programs available. Kick off the return of warmer temperatures with a walk around our recently completed South Mountain Lenape Trail Two Mile Walking path in Branch Brook Park. Recreation Complex 8 Here, an ambitious tree planting campaign is underway that will bring our historic collection of cherry trees to 5,000. The Golf 13 Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival, outlined on page 5, offers a variety of programs for all ages to enjoy this jewel of Environmental Center 16 the park system. Be sure to set aside time this season to visit the South Essex County Gardens 17 Mountain Recreation Complex. We are offering expanded programming at the education center. The “In Your Backyard” Cultural Affairs 18 series focuses on teaching children and families how to discover and observe the animals and environment in their Directory of own backyards. Walk and talk programs led by our animal keepers will travel around the nearby Orange Reservoir as Park Conservancies 19 part of these new programmatic offerings. To accommodate the warmer days and busy crowds, we’ve also extended our Parks Map 20 operating hours at Turtle Back Zoo this summer to 8pm on Wednesday and Thursday evenings beginning in the final week of June. On Wednesdays, you can make a night of it, The activities included in this catalog take place visit the zoo, grab some dinner and bring a lawn chair to catch at facilities of the Essex County Parks System. a movie from the top of our brand new parking deck as part of the Zoo-vies! From our trails and reservations to our golf courses and facilities, the Essex County Park System has something for everyone. On behalf of our park system staff, we hope you enjoy the 2015 season! Daniel Salvante Director, Essex County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Board of Chosen Freeholders Department of Parks, Britnee N. Timberlake Rolando Bobadilla Recreation and Cultural Affairs Freeholder President Rufus I. Johnson 115 Clifton Avenue Brendan W. Gill Lebby C. Jones Newark, NJ 07104 Freeholder Vice President Leonard M. Luciano 973-268-3500 Wayne L. Richardson Patricia Sebold Cynthia D. Toro PUTTING ESSEX COUNTY FIRST ESSEX COUNTY PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS MEMORIES GROW HERE! A MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE The Essex County Parks System is a treasured natural resource where residents of all ages and backgrounds find joy in activities, beautiful gardens, and often, a glimpse into our past. We will continue our efforts to transform our parks to meet todays’ changing needs and yet preserve and celebrate our history for future generations. You have many choices when you visit our ever-evolving Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex ~ you can learn about animals at Turtle Back Zoo, skate at the Codey Arena, even ride a paddle boat on, or jog around a 1.8 mile trail, at the Orange Reservoir. You can test your balance at the Treetop Adventure Course and your putting skills on the course at the miniGOLF Safari ~ or bring a picnic to the Clipper Pavilion, and watch the children play at the Regatta Children’s Playground. The New York skyline, viewed from Essex County Eagle Rock Reservation has always been an extraordinary sight, and now, flanked by our 9/11 Memorial, which pays tribute to the men and women who lost their lives and the heroes who brought others to safety, it is more meaningful than ever. Day or night, it is a special place. In a tranquil spot overlooking Newark, the new open air pavilion on Concourse Hill in Essex County Branch Brook Park, is a good place to learn about our nation’s first county park. And our Environmental Center is a good place to gain a better understanding and appreciation of nature. The nearby Passaic River, wetland area, forest of West Essex Park and Lenape Indian settlement provide dynamic learning environments for students of all ages. There is much to see and do in every corner of our Parks System, and the activities and events outlined here will help you plan your calendar for the spring and summer. We hope you enjoy your visit and keep coming back to experience what’s in your own backyard. Together, we will continue Putting Essex County First. Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. Essex County Executive 3 ESSEX COUNTY UPCOMING EVENTS Essex COUNTY SENIOR CITIzEN ART SHOw Essex County Hospital Center 204 Grove Avenue, Cedar Grove 973.239.7056 / www.essexcountynj.org EXHIBIT DATES TO BE DETERMINED Professional and Non-Professional artists display artworks in all genres during this annual exhibit of Essex residents over the age of 60. Creativity abounds! All are invited to visit the exhibit. How to Participate Registration is required and due to the Division of Cultural Affairs by Friday, June 5. Any visual artist, age 60 or over, currently residing in Essex County may submit two entries completed within the past three years to the Essex County show. The show is open to amateur and professional artists. Professional classification requires you to meet two of the following criteria: have sold artwork entered in a contest/exhibition through commercial channels, exhibited in a professional gallery, and/or hold professional membership in a guild or association. Artwork may be submitted in any of the following categories. • Acrylic • Oil • Craft (No craft kits or • Pastel (pastel, chalk, molds will be accepted.) charcoal and oil pastel) • Computer imagery • Photography (any image (Artwork created using a created using a light-capturing pixel-based painting device during any part of the or graphics program.) process) • Drawing • Print • Mixed Media/Collage/ • Sculpture Assemblage • Watercolor/Gouache ESSEX COUNTY FISHING DERBIES Prizes will be awarded. Free to enter. Saturday, April 18 12noon Branch Brook Park, Prudential Concert Grove, Newark Saturday, May 2 9am Grover Cleveland Park, Caldwell/Essex Fells Saturday, May 9 9am The Waterfront, South Mountain Recreation Complex, West Orange Thursday, May 14 6pm Verona Park, Verona Saturday, May 16 9am Weequahic Park, Newark Saturday, June 6 9am Monte Irvin Orange Park, Orange Saturday, June 13 9am Irvington Park, Irvington Children ages 15 and under are invited to the Essex County parks own fishing poles. Poles are only provided to the first 150 children. to test their skills in catching their own ‘big fish’ during one of our Participants are encouraged to bring their own bait, chair and bucket. annual Fishing Derbies. Children are encouraged to bring their Registration begins one hour before start time. 4 THE CELEBRATION STARTS HERE! 39TH annual essex county cherry Bl ossom festivAl Essex County Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race 973.268.3500 Saturday, April 11; 7am – 1pm www.essexcountynj.org/festival Race through the park in the Cherry Blossom Challenge, a Saturday, April 11 to Wednesday, April 22 competitive New Jersey tradition, or cheer on the cyclists while The County of Essex holds a historic collection of Japanese cherry enjoying a day in the fresh spring air. Registration fees apply. Various trees within Essex County Branch Brook Park, Newark. More than races occur throughout the morning. 4,000 trees will bloom from mid to late April, creating a pink and Cherry Blossom 10K Run white setting that is perfect for picnics and photos. The planting Sunday, April 12; 10am start of 1,000 additional trees will bring our total to 5,000! Celebrate Run through the cherry tree groves in this USATF-sanctioned race the arrival of spring by joining in our week-long festival of events that benefits Special Olympics of NJ. Prizes awarded by age category. or just take a stroll through the groves on a sunny day. The park Same day registration begins at 8am. Online registration at www. is open to the public from dawn to dusk. Festival details are as compuscore.com. follows: Family Day & 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk Guided Historic Tours Saturday, April 18; Wednesday, April 15 to Wednesday, April 22 10am, 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk; 11am-3pm, Family Day (No Tours on Sunday, April 19) The celebration continues at the Prudential Concert Grove with live 11am, 12noon, and 1pm performances, children’s activities, a fishing derby and more! The Have our knowledgeable guides take you on a 45-minute 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk is free in which to participate and precedes journey, pointing out 119 years of history hidden within the Family Day activities. Schools and groups must register in Branch Brook Park’s structure and design, under a canopy of advance with Caitlin Sharp at 973.268.3500. cherry blossoms. Tours leave from the Essex County Cherry Blossom Welcome Center on the hour. Transportation around Bloomfest! the park is provided. Tickets are $5/person and are available for Sunday, April 19; 11am – 5pm purchase at the Center on the tour date. Space is limited and Enjoy a family day in the pink park! A packed schedule of events available on a first come, first serve basis. For group or private includes cultural demonstrations, children’s activities, live music, tour bookings, please call 973.268.3506. food, and more! Free admission.