ESSEX COUNTY PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS YOUR GUIDE TO EVENTS, ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES OF THE ESSEX COUNTY PARKS SYSTEM Autumn / Winter 2014 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 2 We are proud that our historic Essex County Parks System, South Mountain the country’s first county parks system, offers innovative programming that the entire family can enjoy. Recreation Complex 4 Welcome the fall season and learn about nature at our Annual Kip’s Castle Park 9 Octoberfest Celebration at the Environmental Center. Share your favorite outdoor scenes in our Annual Essex Golf 10 County Parks Photography Contest. Environmental Center 12 Meet and greet your favorite bad guys at our first Villain Party at Kip’s Castle. Essex County Gardens 15 Learn about the history of Kip’s Castle by taking a Tiffany Window Tour or a Candlelight Tour. Cultural Affairs 16 Experience Halloween excitement at our Strut Your Mutt Directory of costume parades in the Brookdale and South Mountain Park Conservancies 17 Dog Parks, the Spooky Zoo and Safe HOWL-O-Ween at Turtle Back Zoo and Gardens-A-Glow at one of our newest additions, the Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. And enjoy the winter festivities at our Holiday Lights Spectacular at Turtle Back Zoo or with a visit to the 13 homes on our Historic Holiday House Tour. We also invite you to join us in keeping our parks clean by joining one of our volunteer conservancies. Check out the directory of organizations at the back of this guide and find out how you can get involved. Daniel Salvante Director, Essex County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Board of Chosen Freeholders Department of Parks, Blonnie R. Watson D. Bilal Beasley Recreation and Cultural Affairs Freeholder President Rolando Bobadilla 115 Clifton Avenue Patricia Sebold Carol Y. Clark Newark, NJ 07104 Freeholder Vice President Brendan W. Gill 973-268-3500 Leonard M. Luciano Rufus I. Johnson Gerald W. Owens PUTTING ESSEX COUNTY FIRST ESSEX COUNTY PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS MEMORIES GROW HERE! A MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE Our parks, recreation facilities and open spaces play an important role in our daily lives and contribute immensely to our quality of life. Our athletic fields are where our children learn sportsmanship. Our park buildings are where people of all ages gather to socialize and participate in special events. Our gardens, waterfalls and stunning vistas provide tranquility and remind us about the beauty of nature. We are continually enhancing our facilities and open spaces to ensure they continue to meet the changing needs of our residents. Among these upgrades are a new Education Building at Turtle Back Zoo that will enable us to expand our animal education and outreach programs and a Children’s Garden in Branch Brook Park. The freshly renovated park buildings in Belleville and Verona Parks now provide up-to-date accommodations for our senior groups and other park users. Other recreation developments have transformed the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex into a destination attraction for people from all walks of life and all corners of the state. Last year, the Orange Reservoir area was opened to the public for the first time when paddle boating on the waterway and a picnic pavilion were introduced. Earlier this year, two pedestrian bridges were installed and the pathway around the Reservoir was completed, creating a 1.7-mile walkway that takes visitors around some of the most beautiful natural scenes found anywhere on the East Coast. A nautical-themed playground keeps children occupied and active. Of course, more improvements are on the way, including interior renovations to Kip’s Castle and a new garage at the South Mountain Recreation Complex that will create much-needed on-site parking to accommodate our visitors. There is a lot more to see and do throughout our Parks System, and the activities and events outlined here will help you plan your calendar for the fall and winter months. We hope you enjoy your visit and keep coming back to experience us again and again. Together, we will continue Putting Essex County First. Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. Essex County Executive 1 ESSEX COUNTY UPCOMING EVENTS ESSEX REmEmBERS THURSDaY, 9/11 — 8am Essex County Eagle Rock Reservation 9/11 Memorial Eagle Rock Avenue, West Orange Free The public is invited to join with community members for a solemn ceremony commemorating the 13th Anniversary of the 9/11 Tragedy. Essex County Eagle Rock Reservation will forever have special meaning because on the day of the attacks thousands made their way to this hilltop to watch the shocking events unfolding at the World Trade Center. On Sunday, October 20, 2002, the hard work of many volunteers, contractors, union members, corporate leaders and family members came to fruition when the Essex County Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial was dedicated during a moving unveiling ceremony. The centerpiece of the memorial is a bronze book etched with the 58 names of Essex County residents and the granite wall engraved with 3,000 names of those who lost their lives on that day. The memorial was expanded in 2009 to include the Flight Crew Memorial, a tribute to heroic pilots and flight attendants aboard the four airplanes that crashed, and in 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, a 7,400-pound steel and concrete piece of the World Trade Center foundation was installed along with a bronze plaque recognizing the bravery of Emergency Medical Technicians who responded at Ground Zero and the Jersey side of the Hudson River. ESSEX COUNTY FISHING DERBY SaTURDaY, 9/13 — 9am Orange Reservoir in the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex Cherry Lane, West Orange Free Admission Children ages 15 and under are invited to test their skills in catching their own ‘big fish’ during the fishing derby at the Orange Reservoir in Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex. Children are encouraged to bring their own fishing poles. Poles are only provided to the first 100 children. Participants are encouraged to bring their own bait, chair and bucket. Registration begins one hour before start time. Prizes will be awarded. 2 THE CELEBRATION STARTS HERE! STRUT YOUR mUTT: COSTUmE PaRaDE SaTURDaY, 10/25 Rain date: Sunday, October 26 973.268.3500 Free Admission Essex County Brookdale Dog Park Bloomfield/Montclair 9:15am Registration; 10am Parade Essex County South Mountain Dog Park, Maplewood/Millburn 1:15pm Registration; 2pm Parade The Essex County canine costume parades have grown into a favorite community Halloween celebration. Bring your pet or just come to see the creative costumes on display. Same day registration and free to enter! Prizes! essex county historic HOlIDaY HOUSE tour saTURDaY, 12/6 aND SUNDaY, 12/7 Historic homes throughout Essex County will open their doors in unison for one spectacular weekend. Each will be dressed for the holiday season while offering entertainment, refreshments, or educational information. Fees and times vary by location. Please visit www.essexcountynj.org for additional information. We are pleased to announce the list of 2014 participating locations: Ballantine House at Newark Museum Canfield-Morgan House and Museum, Cedar Grove Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark Essex County Kip’s Castle Park, Verona Greenwood Gardens, Short Hills Kingsland Manor, Nutley Montclair Historical Society Properties: Charles Schultz House, Montclair Israel and Nathaniel Crane Houses, Montclair The Salvatorian Fathers, Verona Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center, Bloomfield Walther House at Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, Upper Montclair Zenas Crane Homestead, West Caldwell 3 ESSEX COUNTY SOUTH MOUNTAIN RECREATION COMPLEX WHAT’S NEW? Reservoir Walking Path Children’s Nautical Playground Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex Opened to the public in May 2014, visitors can now This new children’s playground is inspired by the nearby enjoy walking on a 1.7-mile pathway around the reservoir. It features a wave-like rubberized safety surface Orange Reservoir and across two pedestrian bridges. and a series of play equipment designed to look like The walkway is handicap accessible and enhances boats. A large open area with a synthetic grass surface access to several trails leading into Essex County South and stamped concrete pathways link the playground to Mountain Reservation. The 115-acre Orange Reservoir the nearby Clipper Pavilion picnic area and paddleboat property is located on Cherry Lane in West Orange and launch. The playground is open to the county’s youngest is within the boundaries of the Essex County South residents at the Orange Reservoir in the Essex County Mountain Reservation. South Mountain Recreation Complex. The playground is providing visitors with another opportunity to enjoy the picturesque landscape and promote wellness. NOW OPEN! 4 DISCOVERY STARTS HERE! Essex County Turtle Back Zoo 560 Northfield Avenue West Orange, NJ WHAT’S NEW? 973.731.5801 Education Center www.turtlebackzoo.com Essex County Turtle Back Zoo Essex County Turtle Back Zoo is committed to providing an Essex County Turtle Back Zoo is able to expand its enriching recreational experience that fosters excellence in wildlife education and wildlife conservation, so that present and educational offerings thanks to a new Education future generations are inspired to understand, appreciate and Center. Equipped with four classrooms, increased space protect the fragile interdependence of all living things. for educational animal housing and 5 additional ticket Hours of Operation windows, the zoo is better serving groups, individuals April 1 to November 30 and families as well as making a happy home for our Mondays to Saturdays from 10am – 4:30pm; busy education animals.