The Block Party really was Hot, Hot, Hot!

May 27, 2022| Community, Events, People

By: Caitlin Doran

We used “Hot! Hot! Hot!” in a Block Party blog post a few months back to describe the increased popularity of the event amongst sponsors, vendors, and entertainers. Well, we accidentally manifested a literal hot one! But the ninety-degree temps did not stop throngs of people – more than 3,500 - from joining us at Hopatcong State Park this past Saturday.

This year’s Lake Hopatcong Block Party had it all: from a story-telling hour with author Dorothy Sabarese, to wandering Renaissance Faire and Star Wars characters, to an amazing wildlife show with Eyes of the Wild, to a casting demonstration down at the beach with the Knee Deep Club, to safety demos with Bridge Marina, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Jefferson Fire Boat, to free boat rides aboard the Miss Lotta, and so much more! There were delicious food truck fixings, music, and dance performances by Morris County Vocational School of the Arts and An Clar School of Irish Dance. You name it: music, games, sun, and fun – it was all there at this year’s event.

You can enjoy the event a second time by checking out our photo album. Thank you to our volunteer photographer, Bob Kays!

There are many people deserving of a shoutout for all their hard work on this year’s Block Party, and we must start with the leadership team of Lee Moreau, Beth BaRoss, Barbara Kraus, and Judy Caruso, who’ve worked diligently for months, recruiting sponsors, vendors, entertainers, and volunteers. It doesn’t seem possible, but each and every year, you truly outdo yourselves. Team, we are in awe of your community spirit and commitment to this event and the lake!

We must also thank our ensemble of volunteers who work so hard to make the magic happen and do it all with a smile. With temps rising, they still worked expertly and professionally all day to set up the park, help the nearly 200 vendors, monitor zones, organize our Passport Adventure and Scavenger Hunts, manage our giveaways, sell thousands of raffle tickets, and make a great day for so many families. We are indebted to you, volunteers!

In the volunteer mix was essential help from the Roxbury Police Department, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, the New Jersey State Park Police, Mount Arlington CERT, and Live the Lake NJ for all their assistance with traffic management and safety. Our friends Colleen and David Lyons also came in clutch with scaffolding for our speaker towers, greatly helping with sound at the event. Thank you all!

And, once again, Staff from Hopatcong State Park and the NJ Division of Parks and Forestry, rolled up their sleeves and were right in the mix with us, helping to set up and prepare for a busy day. They are a true partner on this event, as well as the programs the Foundation organizes at the State Park every year. Many thanks to Park Superintendent Linda Franek and her team.

And let’s not forget the folks that brought the masses to the party! Shuttles were provided by the Township of Roxbury and Roxbury BOE, Hopatcong and Hopatcong BOE, Jefferson, Mount Arlington, and Sussex County BOE. They continue to help us open up access to more and more attendees to the event, who were able to park at the Hopatcong Senior Center, the Wayne Threlkeld Athletic Fields, Orben Drive, the Landing Park Recreation Complex, the LHF Environmental & Cultural Center, the Landing Shopping Center, and Full Life Assembly of God Church, because of great partnerships. 

Worth repeating over and over, along with the list of fine folks above, is the unflagging support of our 5-star sponsor, Live the Lake NJ, and Camp Six Property Management, who brought in financial and logistical help that continues to truly make all the difference to this event. Live the Lake NJ, along with this year’s Lake Friend, 1-Star, 2-Star, and 3-Star sponsors, are committed to making this community the best it can be, and we are grateful that they are willing to invest in this event and our lake community.

Speaking of sponsor support, we want to give a shout-out to all our Block Party sponsors who supported this year’s event. A big thank you to: Live the Lake NJ, Jefferson Recycling, Blue Diamond Disposal, Franklin Mutual Insurance, Fulton Bank,  Animal Care Centers, Staples,  League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Morris County Clean Communities, EZ Dock and Sportsmans Marina, QuickChek, Chief Rubinstein, Dunkin Donuts, Culligan Water, AT&T, Bridge Marina, Fox Architectural Design, State Parks Service: Division of Parks and Forestry, Picatinny Federal Credit Union, The Home Depot, John Johnson Automotive Group, Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum, Missile Silo, Power Home Remodeling Group, Roxbury Clean Communities, Safety Scaffolds, Sparta New Jersey Renaissance Festival, SPA Safety Systems, U Stor It of Jefferson, Valley Pharmacy, Window Genie, Offshore Marine Inc., Tony and Sharon Kerrison, Morris County Vocational School District, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Bernd E. Hefele, Hopatcong Lake Regional News, Lake Hopatcong News, North Jersey Advertising LLC., Roxbury Register, TAPintoRoxbury, and True Productions Digital Signage.

Until next year, Block Party fans!