Chatham Borough to hold 48th Annual Fishawack Festival June 8th
On Saturday, June 8th, 2019, Chatham Borough will be hosting its 48th Annual Fishawack Festival, jointly organized by the Chatham Borough Community Services Department and MyChathamNJ. Since 1971, the festival has celebrated the Borough’s historical connection with the Lenape Native Americans. Chatham once acted as a welcoming stop for those traveling down the Passaic River, once referred to as “The Fishawack” by the Native Americans for its convenient traveling routes and easily accessible food supply. This annual cultural-heritage festival features live musical performers, local shops, a Kids Fun Zone, a Car Show, and much more to entertain the entire family!
To kick off the start of the festival day, you can relax at our new stage on Grand Lower Lum Field, with performances starting at 10am and ending at 6pm. After watching some live performances from local acts, you can walk right over to our new ultimate gaming truck in Railroad Plaza South, where attendees can come and play videogames with their friends, including Fortnite!
One of the most popular attractions for kids offered at Fishawack is the Kids Zone, which has been continuously sponsored by Chatham Asset Management and is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with giant slide, rock wall, mega obstacle course, water target, and many more! All Kids Zone activities will take place on Lower Lum Field. Tickets can be purchased anytime from the ticket booth near the fenced-in tree on the field as early as 10:30am. Make sure to buy your tickets early to guarantee a day of fun!
This year, residents will have the opportunity to participate in the festival’s Feet to Fishawack program, a TransOptions initiative in partnership with the Mayor’s Wellness Committee of the Chathams, which encourages community members to walk to Fishawack rather than drive. This healthier and environmentally friendly alternative to driving improves the environmental quality of our home town while reducing stress. As a thank you for walking to the festival, event attendees are welcomed to stop by the Feet to Fishawack Information Booth at the entrance of Railroad Plaza South to receive their free neon yellow slap band, while supplies last, and complementary I Walked sticker after registering for the initiative. You can also send a picture of your step count from your tracker, whether it be your mobile device or pedometer, to communityservices@chathamborough.org by 11pm Fishawack Day to be entered into the prize contest. The three highest step count participants will be emailed about their awards.
The Fishawack Festival will be expanding our live acts this year by adding a second performance stage to Grand Lower Lum Field (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.), in addition to the Gazebo stage (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.). The Gazebo stage, sponsored by Mary Weichert and Weichert Realtors, will have seating available surrounding the stage. Performances will include local musicians and dance groups. Groups performing at the Gazebo include the Community Band, Dance Innovations, the Chatham Club Boot Camp, Word Champion Master K Tae Kwon Do, Jazz Band, Hammer Richmond, Jeff Webb. Groups performing at Grand Lower Lum Field will include The Coffee House Project, School of Rock, Fish Eyed Blues, and Blue Soul. Specific times for each performance will be posted on site.
A majority of the dining options offered can be found in the Railroad South Lot, featuring ice cream, fresh-squeezed lemonade, ethnic diverse food offerings, pretzels, and much more. After ordering a bite to eat, you can head over to the dining pavilion, sponsored by Atlantic Health System Overlook Medical Center, to relax and enjoy your meal in the shade.
The Chatham PBA 226 will be hosting their annual car show at Railroad Plaza North – a different location than last year – from 10am to 3pm. Classic, exotic and custom cars will be featured with an 80 car maximum. Registration is still open, so please contact mbelcastro@chathampd.org to become a part of this annual fundraiser. The cost to register will increase to $20 from $15 after May 25th. The Chatham Borough Green Team will also feature electric vehicles at the car show. Make sure to stop by and enjoy the festivities while supporting the Chatham PBA!
Visit the pub on Grand Lower Lum Field, hosted by the Senior Center of the Chathams and sponsored by Turpin Realtors, for a beer or wine any time during the day between noon and 6pm, with happy hour from 4pm to 6pm. This year, the pub is now in close proximity to the food court. Anyone over the age of 21 is welcome into the pub, so stop by, enjoy some drinks, and celebrate Chatham’s 48th Annual Fishawack Festival!
If you can’t make it to Fishawack this year, don’t worry, there are plenty of other community event’s coming up that you can participate in. Starting June 15th and ending November 23rd, our town’s weekly Jersey Fresh Certified Farmer’s Market will be held from 8am-1pm in the Railroad Plaza South Lot. Come by our information booth at the market to learn more about our new Bring Your Own Bag and Say No to Plastics initiative.
Interested in becoming a vendor at the event or have any questions? Please contact Janice R. Piccolo, Director of the Department of Community Services, at jpiccolo@chathamborough.org or 973-635-0674 x200.
