Lake Hopatcong Block Party

Onsite Parking 

9:50 am / Town Square - Opening Ceremony, National Anthem by Gary Pate

10 am / Town Square - Welcome and Good Morning Lake Hopatcong! 

12 pm - 1:30 pm / On the Beach - Fishing Demonstration by the Knee Deep Club

12 pm - 3 pm / Zone B - Eyes of the Wild exotic animal rescue program

12:30 pm / Town Square – Performance by the An Clár School of Irish Dance

1 pm / View from Town Square - Defender Fireboat Demonstration by the Jefferson Fire Department Co. 2

11:45 pm & 1:45 pm / Zone A - Hawk and falcon demonstrations by Resource Raptors

All Day / Town Square - Mayors Mix and Mingle

All Day / Zone B - Ask a Vet Tech with Animal Care Centers

Ongoing / Walkabout - 501st Legion Star Wars characters, An Clár School of Irish Dance, Creature Comfort Pet Therapy, Lake Hopatcong Elks Lodge #782 Penguin, The Learning Experience in Ledgewood Bubbles the Elephant, Merry Musicians, Morris County Sheriff’s Dept K9 Kaboom, Puppy-Wuppy Drill Team, Roxbury HS Gael, Smokey Bear, and Sussex County Miners Herbie the Miner, and more!

Here’s a roundup of some of the entertainment and demonstrations at the Lake Hopatcong Block Party. 

Fishing Demo with the Knee Deep Club – the Knee Deep Club will present a casting demonstration of freshwater fishing rods and reels frequently used while fishing the beautiful waters of Lake Hopatcong, from 12 pm – 1:30 pm. Look for them down by the beach, or visit them in Zone A, to learn more.

On-Water Demonstrations – The Jefferson fire boat, Defender, returns with an on-water display, compliments of the Jefferson Fire Department Co. 2 at 1 pm. Give them a wave and let them know we appreciate all our local fire departments do for our community!

Eyes of the Wild – Our friends at Eyes of the Wild are back, and they are bringing their exotic animal ambassadors from their 21-acre rescue operation in Hunterdon County. You can meet the team and some cool critters by visiting the Eyes of the Wild Booth in Zone B, with a program from 12 pm – 3 pm.

Irish Step Dancing – A fan favorite, An Clar School of Irish Dance will be performing Irish step dances at the pavilion at 12:30 pm. Don’t miss the performance and be sure to check out their booth in Zone A to learn more about the school and how to get involved.

Meet the alpacas - Hidden Brook Ranch of Blairstown, NJ are joining us again! Visit them in Zone B and meet a fuzzy friend. They will also be selling some of their alpaca wool apparel.

Raptor Demonstration – Professional falconer PJ Simonis of Resource Raptors will be bringing two bird-of-prey ambassadors to the Block Party, where guests can watch them take flight on command!

Drone Demonstration – Roxbury High School’s Aviation Club is bringing drones to this year’s event, and those interested in learning more should head to their booth in Zone B, to learn more about the science and art of flying drones (and more)!

Puppy-Wuppy Drill Team – You won’t meet more obedient pups than the canine ambassadors with Puppy-Wuppy Dog Training. See this group of well-behaved dogs perform tricks and commands, as they pack walk through the Block Party.

Mix and Mingle (and maybe a round of Cornhole) with the Mayors – Visit our local mayors in the town square section of the Block Party, by the pavilion. You can even challenge them to a game of cornhole!

Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum - the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum will be open to the public for the duration of the Block Party. Visit the museum, which is in the historic Morris Canal Lock Tender’s House on the left when entering the park and experience an eye-opening look at Lake Hopatcong’s history.

Meet cool mascots! Meet local legends at this year’s Block Party, with appearances by Herbie the Miner of Sussex County Miners Baseball, a cast of Star Wars characters thanks to our friends at the 501^st Legion, Smokey Bear of U.S. Forest Service fame, our penguin friend from the Lake Hopatcong Elks Lodge #782 “Leap in the Lake” event, and more!  Don’t be shy – say “hi!” when you see them walking through the Block Party.

BYOBag and enjoy shopping and gathering information from each of our 200+ vendors including businesses, non-profit organizations, craft vendors, community groups, and food merchants!  (Vendor space for the 2024 Block Party is SOLD OUT. A waitlist is available HERE.)

Come hungry and prepare to leave happy! A wide variety of food options will be available from the following vendors.   

Angry Archie’s – Established in 2015 by Chef Chris Curado and his cousin Michael Ponte, Angry Archies is an award-winning food truck that features seafood staples like Maine lobster rolls, lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, crab poutine, and crab cake sandwiches. Non seafood dishes, like the “Angry Chicken Sandwich” and “Baja Veggie Burger,” and sides, are also available.

Camille’s Cookie Café – Let’s welcome hometown cookie baker, Camille, and Camille’s Cookie Café, bringing artisanal-style cookies to the event, baked from scratch (with love!) from family recipes.

Chow Wow Food Truck – New to the Block Party, Chow Wow food truck offers “some of your favorite foods with an updated flavor that you’ll find wonderful and surprising.” We invite you to give their Asian Fusion options – like Korean tacos, Korean corn dogs, and Chow Wow Dumplings – a try!

Cosmic Kettle Corn - This freshly made kettle corn must be tried to be believed! The perfect snack to munch on as you walk the Block Party!

Dunkin – Our friend Patty Babb is back and will be setting up shop by the Pavilion, bringing coffee, donuts, and more for everyone to enjoy (the early morning volunteers are always especially happy to see Patty and her staff pull in!).

Empanada Lady – “Gotta blame the 2009 recession for Empanada Lady’s success,” Cyndi explains on her website. She put herself through culinary school and has been selling delicious empanadas at farmers markets and festivals in New Jerseys and New York ever since!

Homemade Confections – We’re excited to welcome back this Sparta-based baking operation and their delicious cupcakes, cookies, and cereal treats - sure to slake your sweet tooth!

House of Cupcakes – their cupcake recipes come from Ruthie and Ron Bzdewka, winners of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. They offer 35 flavors of cupcakes, as well as other sweet indulgences, and we can’t wait to welcome them to the Block Party for the first time!

Jersey Pickles – Welcome back, Jersey Pickles! Hailing from Teaneck, Jersey Pickle’s got salty, sweet, and savory pickles on hand to satisfy your cravings!

Knot of This World Pretzels – You gotta try their fresh, hand-twisted, soft pretzels! You won’t be disappointed!

Rita’s Italian Ice and Custard – Nothing says summer like a frozen treat from Rita’s!  According to their website, at Rita’s, “Ice Custard Happiness is our way of life. We’re passionate about delivering super-friendly guest service and providing our guests with a cool, smooth, delightfully happy treat experience.

Smokin Schmidty’s BBQ – Veteran-owned Smokin Schmidty’s is doing what they do best: great barbeque. Try their famous pulled pork sliders, sausage, pepper, and onion sandwiches, baked beans, and pickles!

Succasunna United Methodist Church – not your typical food stand, SUMC is joining us from Main Street in Succasunna, to connect with the community and serve up walking street tacos! Yum!

The Grotto – Hopatcong’s oldest pizzeria will be at the Block Party, dishing out slices of its delicious pizza pie. Give them a try! If you like them (and we think you will), they’re right up the road in River Styx, where they also serve sandwiches and pasta dishes.

The Hot Dog House - The Hot Dog House – if you’re looking for a good old-fashioned hot dog cart serving up hot dogs, kielbasa, bubble lemonade and orangeade, look no further!

So Tealishious – According to So Tealishious, they were founded in 2019 to bring awareness to the lasting impact tea has on our wellness. They’ll be offering many prepackaged blends as well as ready-to-drink iced tea. Welcome, So Tealishious!

Totally Nutz - Totally Nutz will be back this year, fresh roasting cinnamon-glazed nuts on site. It’s worth visiting them for the aroma alone! 

We Squeeze to Please – Beyond refreshing, freshly-squeezed lemonade and brewed iced tea, they have funnel cakes, nachos, steak sandwiches, tots, churros – the list goes on!

Jefferson Dairy, will be serving up sweet, creamy treats and providing free ice cream cone coupons for our children’s scavenger hunt. The first 200 kids who complete the hunt will be rewarded with a coupon for a free cone for their next visit to Jefferson Dairy!

Children’s Activities Booth

Merry Musicians will be at the Children’s Activities Booth making musical egg shakers, bracelets, and more!

Children's Scavenger Hunt 

For kids 12 years and younger, a Children's Scavenger Hunt provides hands-on activities, fun giveaways, and lots of learning opportunities from the Lake Hopatcong community. Return completed scavenger hunt cards for a free kiddie cone coupon redeemable at Jefferson Dairy! (while supplies last)

Other Children's Activities 

Other kid-friendly activities include exotic animal programs with Eyes of the Wild, a touch-a-truck opportunity with Roxbury Fire Company No. 2, a fishing demonstration with the Knee Deep Club, a take-home craft from the Home Dept, visiting with an alpaca from Hidden Brook Ranch, and walkabout characters like the 501st Legion Star Wars characters, Bubbles the elephant, Puppy-Wuppy Drill Team, Smokey Bear, Herbie the Miner, and more!

In addition, games will be scattered throughout the Block Party including the Froggy Fly Fling, oversized Operation (don’t touch the sides!), Tic Tac Toss, a Mini Train Striker, and Cornhole. Get your game on!

Lake Hopatcong's own Miss Lotta will embark on seven FREE cruises throughout the day, courtesy of Lake Hopatcong Cruises!

Cruises will depart at 10:55 am, 11:25 am, 11:55 am, 12:25 pm, and 12:55 pm, 1:25 pm, and 1:55 pm.

Tickets will be available in Zone A, Booth 105 (look for the BOAT RIDE FLAG at the booth closest to the boat ramp), They will be released 15 minutes before each cruise on a first come, first served basis with a limit of four tickets per group. All passengers must be present in the ticketing line to be issued a ticket.

Beverages may be purchased at the full-service bar on board and food from the food court is welcome.

Raffle tickets will be available at the 50/50 booth in the Pavillion area and from walking ticket sellers. Tickets are $5.00 for 1 ticket, $10.00 for 5 tickets, and $20.00 for 15 tickets.

The drawing will take place at 3 pm. Winners need not be present, contact information must be provided. Proceeds will benefit the Lake Hopatcong Foundation's efforts to foster a vibrant and healthy Lake Hopatcong!

Visit participating sponsors while exploring the Block Party, get the required stamps, and submit your passport to be entered in a drawing for a prize of your choosing!  One passport per household - limited to 300 households. Passport Adventure Passports are available at the Passport Adventure Booth in the pavilion area and must be returned by 3:15 pm, winners will be announced at 3:30 pm.  Winners need not be present.  

Passport Adventure prizes: 

Courtesy of Live the Lake New Jersey, Three Nolan’s Point Experience Baskets - values $250, $150, and $75.

Courtesy of Roxbury Register, Five One-Year Subscriptions for the Roxbury Register – each valued at $120.

Courtesy of Johnson Dodge, Three Gift Bags of Goodies with $100 Gift Cards - each valued at $125.

Courtesy of Window Genie, Services from Window Genie - value $250.

Courtesy of Animal Care Centers, Bird Bath Filled with Bird and Pet Goodies - value $230.

Courtesy of Culligan of Sparta, 12 Months of Water Softener Salt - value $160

Courtesy of Bridge Marina, Boating Safety Certificate Course with Bridge Marina Swag - value $125.

Courtesy of Fox Architectural Design, Sea Turtle Tote Bag with (4) Matching Beach Towels - value $120.

Courtesy of Mental Health Association, Swag Bag with $25.00 Amazon Gift Card - value $60.

Courtesy of Mount Arlington Dunkin Donuts, Dunkin Donuts Basket - value $55.

Courtesy of Staples, Staples Gift Card - value $50.

Courtesy of Morris County Economic Development Alliance, Gift Certificates to Morristown-Based Shopping and Dining - value $300

Courtesy of Sportsmans Marina, Gift Certificate for the Sportsmans Marina Ships Store - value $250.

Courtesy Lake Hopatcong Racing Association, Four Admission Tickets for Both Days of Racing with Four Event T-Shirts and 1 Car On-Site Parking - value $250.00.

Courtesy of Saint Clare’s Health, Summertime Fun Basket - value $175.

Courtesy of Jefferson Recycling, Gift Basket with Jefferson Recycling Gear along with Gift Certificate for 10 Cubic Yards of Topsoil (delivered free within 10 miles) - value $500

Back for a third year, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) Agency-on-Wheels will be at the Block Party! This service enables guests to take care of such tasks as renewing a registration, getting a duplicate title, or even updating to a REAL ID without having to drive to an MVC office. (Choose your desired service, then search for Roxbury/Hopatcong State Park on May 18.)