The Block Party (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the rain)

May 26, 2023| Community, Events, People

By: Caitlin Doran

The Lake Hopatcong Block Party, our largest event of the year, kicked off on Saturday morning, May 20, with the national anthem, performed by talented lake resident and retired professional opera singer Gary Pate.

But for many of us, the event started much earlier – a full day earlier – as a team of volunteers transformed Hopatcong State Park into the Block Party, which meant marking 250 spaces, setting up travel lanes through the parking lot (think lots and lots of cones), and staging tents, tables, and chairs.

And for an even smaller group of us, the Block Party started back in November of 2022, when we sat down and looked at the possible improvements we could make to the prior year’s event, accounting for every detail we could. And account for every detail we did, except the one totally outside of our control: the weather!

Saturday, May 20 was a cool, overcast morning that gave way to a rainy afternoon, and while I think everyone involved in the event would have preferred sunshine, we walked away with hearts full knowing that over 2,000 attendees still chose us to spend the day with us at Lake Hopatcong. We saw them step off shuttles clad in raincoats, umbrellas in hand. They came to shop the many vendors and learn from the many organizations, participate in the Passport Adventure and scavenger hunt, pet alpacas, and enjoy free boat rides. They saw a first-ever HYCAT autonomous surface vehicle demonstration on the lake, cast a line with the Knee-Deep Club, visited the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum, and enjoyed Irish step dance performances and exotic animal presentations. 

So, to all who chose to spend an imperfect weather day celebrating the lake with us, to the overwhelming number of beyond-dedicated volunteers who parked cars and took down tents in the rain, to Supervisor Laura Franek and the Hopatcong State Park staff, Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and the NJDEP, our mayors and elected representatives, our indefatigable vendors, and of critical importance, our unflagging sponsors, we say (at the top of our lungs) THANK YOU! You kept us smiling, and we hope to see you on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at our 11^th Lake Hopatcong Block Party!

Check out the full list of folks who joined and supported us on our Block Party page, and relive the fun, compliments of our volunteer photographers Bob Kays, Ulla Vinkman, and Judy Caruso, HERE.
 

Event photo album