Community Corner

Rotary Festival Is Here

Organizers hope weather and timing make four-day carnival, which opens Thursday with free entry for students from 5 to 10 p.m., the biggest year yet.

Thousands of people are expected to attend the third annual Rotary Family Festival, which , and organizers hope better timing and weather make this is the biggest year ever, Madison Rotarian Carmela Moeller said.

The Rotary Clubs of Madison and Florham Park hold the fundraising event with the generosity of The Rockefeller Group, which provides the space for the carnival next to the New York Jets Training Center, and other corporate sponsors, she said.

The festival previously was held in September because those were the dates the carnival company had available, but this year the company had availability in May and June, which is when organizers always hoped to hold the event.

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"People are ready for summer," Moeller said.

The festival over the four days, including Mr. Spork, ATR, Najeli Soul, and the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey.

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Fireworks are scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

The free parking is closer to the attractions this year and there is an added layer of security this year with Florham Park Police taking the names and social security numbers of all carnival employees and volunteers. Moeller said there was no incident to prompt the identification, but that it should help everyone feel more secure.

The Rotary clubs host students from ECLC in Chatham for lunch and rides on Thursday before the festival officially opens at 5 p.m.

Information

Hours of Operation are:
Thursday, 5-10 p.m.
Friday, 5-10 p.m.
Saturday, noon-10 p.m.
Sunday, noon-9 p.m.

On-site parking is free. Handicapped parking will be available.

Daily admission is $5; a four-day Festival Pass is $10.  Students (with ID) will be admitted free on Thursday.

Half-priced tickets for Carnival Rides are available at the following locations in Florham Park: Borough Hall, Florham Park Liquors and Eddie’s Barber Shop.

In Madison, half-priced ride tickets are available at ; , , and .


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