Paramus 100th-year celebration has grand finale this weekend at harvest festival
The celebration of 100 years of Paramus will come to a grand finale at the Paramus Centennial Harvest Festival this Saturday, which will feature free food, free rides, free games and a free concert.
The event, which will be held behind the Paramus Public Library at 116 East Century Road from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., will have ways for people of all ages in the community to celebrate their hometown, said Rosa Rizzolo, co-chair of the centennial committee.
"It’s something for the entire town to come out and celebrate Paramus’ 100th birthday together," Rizzolo said. "It will be a fun-filled day to spend time with their families and get to know the community."
Various games will be available, including spinning a wheel to win a small prize such as a magnet or T-shirt related to the centennial, as well as a photo booth.
Mini teacups, a trackless train and a 22-foot slide are just a few of the rides children can go on during the celebration. They can also enjoy complimentary funnel cake, cotton candy, hamburgers and hot dogs made by local Boy Scouts, desserts provided by the Suburban Diner, pasta from the Olive Garden, and sausage and peppers from Biagio's Italian Restaurant.
Visitors can also go through an inflatable corn maze and pick and paint a pumpkin at the event’s pumpkin patch. The centennial committee is trying to get a group of 1920s cars for people to view as part of a car show.
While most of the food will be free, food trucks will be in the parking lot in case people want to buy additional food. A list of food truck vendors attending was not available as of Tuesday afternoon.
The celebration will also feature live music from Asbury Fever, a Bruce Springsteen and classic rock tribute band, starting around 4 p.m. Eventgoers can also take part in a small singalong to sing happy birthday to the borough.
Local clubs and businesses will also be on hand as part of a meet-and-greet where they will show samples of what their organizations offer.
The Saturday celebration is the culmination of events held throughout the year to commemorate the 100-year milestone. In April, a council meeting was held at the Charles E. Reid Branch Library, which was the original Borough Hall, and replicated what the first-ever meeting of the borough might have looked like.
On the same April day, the borough broke the world record for collecting the most socks in an eight-hour period. The 38,743 pairs of socks were donated to local charities.
There was also a scavenger hunt in May, and volunteers worked on a time capsule with local students. Garden State Plaza also hosted a drive-in movie in August showing 1993's "The Coneheads," which stars Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin as parents of an alien family that moves to Paramus.
The centennial committee sold 5-foot-tall turkey statues to sponsors to help fund the projects throughout the year. Local artists painted the turkeys, and they were showcased at Garden State Plaza and all around town, with residents encouraged to find them and post them on social media.
Historians say the name Paramus is derived from the Lenni Lenape word “peramsepuss,” translated as “land of the wild turkeys.” A permanent wild turkey statue can be found in the Paramus Park mall.
For more information about the Paramus centennial celebration, visit facebook.com/people/Celebrating-Paramus-Centennial/100075717281633/ or paramus100thanniversary.com.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paramus NJ 100th-year celebration to culminate with harvest festival
