What's With the Pink Stripe on Springfield Avenue?

Springfield Avenue has gotten a little rosier.

The Springfield Avenue Partnership—with paint donated by Ricciardi Brothers and labor donated by Statewide Striping Corporation of Parsippany—has painted pink lines down the center of Springfield Avenue from the Irvington border to the Union line.

The stripe is there to help celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which the Partnership is promoting throughout the month to help raise money for breast cancer research. Participating businesses will be holding special events throughout the month as well as offering drawings for gift certificates to Avenue shops. Full details and an evolving list of participants and events are available at www.springfieldavenue.com.

The month will culminate in the Healthy Harvest Fest on Saturday, October 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (don't worry—it doesn't conflict with the Village's Halloween parade which will take place on Friday, October 30 at 3 p.m.). Besides live bands playing the length of the Avenue, face painting, pumpkin painting and arts and crafts, the Fest will kick off with a Harvest Walk which will start at the Hilton branch of the Maplewood Library at 11 a.m.

Besides promoting health living and breast cancer awareness, the goal of the event "is to get people walking the Avenue," said Partnership Director Beth Macdonald.

"This isn't MayFest. This event will be happening all the way from Ricciardi's to Coney Island Hot Dog Stand."

Maps and brochures will be available online and at the event on the day of the event.