Montclair to Host 65th Annual July 4th Parade, Picnic and Fireworks

Get ready for July 4th in Montclair.

The township has released the itinerary and details of its 2015 celebration and 65th annual Independence Day Parade, which will take place on Saturday, July 4.

The parade begins at 11 a.m., and will take place along a 1.6 mile route traveling west on Bloomfield Avenue to Midland Avenue, continuing to Watchung Avenue, west to Valley Road and ending at Edgemont Park, where the July 4th Family Picnic will be held.

The Montclair July 4th Fireworks display will take place at Yogi Berra Stadium on Montclair State University campus. The stadium admission fee is $3 per person or $10 for a family, free for kids ages 5 and under. Gates open at 7 p.m. Free parking will be available at the Carparc Diem deck, adjacent to Floyd Hall Arena and at the Red Hawk parking deck. Overflow vehicles will be directed to other parking areas. Concessions will be available; no outside food, water or other drinks may be brought into the stadium.

According to a release, the Township’s 2015 Independence Day celebrations are “made possible with the tireless efforts of the Montclair Celebrates Committee and the generosity of the local community.”

PARADE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Fralinger String Band of Philadelphia Mummers fame
• Wayne Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps
• Caporales San Simon (Bolivian dance group)
• St. Columcille United Gaelic Band
• Montclair Community Band

GRAND MARSHAL 2015

According to a release, Celia Triggs Honohan has a deep connection to Montclair. She was born and raised on Midland Avenue. She was baptized at St. Cassian’s Church and received her First Holy Communion, Confirmation and Sacrament of Marriage at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. She attended kindergarten at Edgemont School and grammar and high school at Immaculate, where her mother worked as a school nurse and five of her eight siblings attended. She holds a BA in Business from Marymount Manhattan College and an MA in Educational Theatre from the Steinhardt School of Education at NYU.

Last summer, upon hearing the news of the closing of her beloved alma mater, Honohan joined students, parents, teachers, alumni and others to raise the $500,000 needed to keep the doors of Immaculate open.

FAMILY PICNIC

After the parade the township will host its annual family picnic from 1 to 3 p.m., at Edgemont Park.

The picnic will feature:

• Barbeque by Church Street Catering
• Music by Victoria Skie and Cinya Khan
• Joe Fischer (magician)
• Pony rides
• Face painting, spin art, sand art

FIREWORKS

Where: Yogi Berra Stadium, home of the New Jersey Jackals, on MSU campus.

Time: Gates open at 7 p.m.

Fee: $3 per person or $10 for family admission to the stadium; kids 5 and under free.

Button sales for the fireworks are available at the following locations:

• Montclair Recreation, 205 Claremont Ave., Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Investors Bank, 536 Bloomfield Ave.
• Kings Supermarket, 650 Valley Rd.
• Keils Pharmacy, 732 Valley Rd.
• Grove Pharmacy, 123 Grove St.
• Yogi Berra Stadium the night of the event starting at 7 p.m.

RAIN CANCELLATION INFORMATION

In the event of rain, the parade will go on, but the picnic in Edgemont Park and fireworks at Yogi Berra Stadium will be canceled.

Rain cancellation/postponement announcements will be posted on the Montclair Township website and on TV34. A rain information phone number will be available: 973-509-4914; alerts will be sent out to Montclair Events and Township Services (METS) alert system subscribers (mets.montclairnjusa.org/Subscribe.aspx).

For more information, visit www.montclairnjusa.org/july4th or contact Montclair Recreation and Cultural Affairs at 973-509-4915.