Montclair’s 1st Council Meeting To Be Reenacted On 150th Birthday

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Hear ye, hear ye… Montclair shall be reenacting its first town council meeting on its 150th birthday.

The staging of Montclair’s first council meeting - which was held April 15, 1868 – will take place on the anniversary of the milestone at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at Glenfield Middle School, 25 Maple Avenue.

The event is part of the township’s 150th anniversary celebration and will feature a special re-enactment from Glenfield Middle School social studies teacher Dan Gill and his students. Other students will act as historic ambassadors, answering a variety of questions about the Township’s history, event organizers said.

The free event is open to the public and will include cupcakes courtesy of Sweet Kitchen bakery of Montclair.

Montclair town officials said that they are also planning a series of events to be held throughout the year, including an expanded, “sesquicentennial-themed” July 4th parade which will be followed by an expanded festival in Edgemont Memorial Park.

A New Year’s Eve celebration is also in the works with a gala event and satellite events throughout Montclair, each visited by the mayor and township council, officials said.

Other Montclair anniversary events include a “150 Days of Montclair” listing of special promotions and cultural events throughout town, a runway presentation of historic clothing in the Montclair Center BID Fashion Show, music performances, a vintage-styled selfie station and themed demonstrations and talks.

In addition, a Montclair 150 mobile app is in the works that will list cultural and community events from organizations throughout the township. The app is being developed in partnership with the Montclair Center Business Improvement District and will be available on the Apple App and Google Play stores. The app and a “150th Anniversary” section on the township website will be launched April 15.

“As we approach Montclair’s 150th anniversary, we celebrate the diversity, community and rich history of the place we proudly call home,” said Mayor Robert Jackson. “We invite everyone to take part in these events to help us commemorate the sesquicentennial in true Montclair form.”

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