Hartshorn Strawberry Festival

Eating watermelon at the Hartshorn Strawberry Festival

Back when I was a child in the 1960′s, my elementary school in Millburn, NJ hosted an after school festival in the spring time each year. It always involved all the students, parents plus Strawberries and vanilla ice cream. I lived just 2 blocks from South Mountain Elementary School and every year from Kindergarten on, I eagerly awaited this wonderful day in May.  There were rides, cotton candy, games, prizes, pizza, crafts, snow cones, gold fish, the cake walk and spin art. We needed to buy lots of tickets to pay for everything (you could not pay with cash) and at the end, as it was about to get to dark, we had to redeem (reward tickets) to pick out our prizes. The more tickets you collected, the better the stuff. It was a big deal to compare which of the toys you and your buddies took home, but for the life of me I can’t remember a single thing that I won. I did have many goldfish over the years who lived from one week to several months.

Strawberry Festival Sign by The Short Hills Train Station

Of course all of my friends ran around school that day, full of excitement and unable to concentrate in class. This festival was a BIG DEAL and everyone seemed like it was his or her own private party.

We competed for gold fish, or prizes or more junk food and we waited on line to play ring toss or to get the bean bag through the hole in the cut out in the big piece of painted wood. When the weather threatened to rain, we were all devastated. Nowadays there is a rain date for most of the festivals, but back then I do not remember an alternate day. When the weather was bad I recall thunder storms and tears shed for the party that never was or the one that ended early.

Once safely ensconced in Millburn Junior High (now Millburn Middle School) and Millburn High School, the Strawberry Festival was relegated to something that was just for babies. I was too grown up for that as a teenager and I did not attend. For those of my friends with younger siblings, they might have gone back to chaperone their brothers and sisters, but the thrill was no longer there once we towered over the little kids running all over the playground.

It was decades later when I had my own child that I finally decided I should venture back to my youth and check out the local festival circuit.

Kids love to go on rides at the Strawberry Festivals

Each school had a unique setting but almost everything was the same, even though more of the kids and parents were now on cell phones and blackberries and blown up balloon jumping toys were now lining the periphery of the festivals.  I never ate the Strawberries and ice cream but each and every school serves them.  I relive my youth and feel very grateful that the lady with the hairy arms and the big mole is no longer in charge of winding the cottony pink or blue sugar around the paper cones that were the objects of my desire each year. For the last few years I have set aside time each week in May so I can take my daughter to the various festivals and relive the walk down memory lane.

I’m not sure how this wonderful event originated, but every single elementary school in Millburn and Short Hills held a Strawberry Festival on their school  grounds and we all bragged that our school had the best one.   I truly believed that South Mountain was special, but when I was ten, my parents moved to Short Hills and for both fifth and sixth grade, I then became a fan of the Deefield School Festival.  It never occured to me that each of the schools had the exact same carnival. In recent years a big sign in the shape of a strawberry stands in front of the Short Hills train station announcing all of the dates for the upcoming festival.

If you want to check out any of the festivals for the 2012 season, here are the dates and locations:

Deerfield Elementary School’s annual strawberry festival has been postponed. The festival, which was scheduled for Wednesday, May 16th, will be held on Thursday at 3 p.m. because of rain.

Deerfield School - May 17, 2012 (this is the raindate)

Hartshorn School – May 22, 2012 (rain date May 23, 2012)

Glenwood School - May 30, 2012 ((rain date May 31, 2012)

Deerfield Strawberry Festival - Short Hills, NJ

 

Glenwood Strawberry Festival - Short Hills, NJ

South Mountain School - June 7th, 2012 - No rain date scheduled

Wyoming School - June 13, 2012 (rain date June 14, 2012)

Chick here for more info about the Millburn Public Schools 

For information about Millburn – Short Hills or School Report Cards, please visit my website at Towne Realty Group.

{ 2 comments }

Sales Associates Donna Shaw, Elaine Ehrenkranz, Wendy Drucker and Fran Kurtis at TRG in Short Hills, NJ

I’m on a mission! For the Month of May, I am working on getting as many tenants and landlords, to display American Flags on the front of their buildings, leading up to Memorial Day. The Short Hills side of Millburn Avenue has looked a little sad in the last couple of years, with empty stores, a burned out building and a shopping district that does not get as much attention as Downtown Millburn.  

At Towne Realty Group, we raised our flag five years ago, but now we want all of our neighbors to join in!

Things are perking up our side of Millburn Avenue and with new construction of The Enclave, featuring thirty luxury townhomes being built by Toll Brothers, on on the former site of The Chanticler. Many new tenants are moving into long empty spaces, and it looks as if the area sometimes referred to as Short Hills Boulevard, is on an upswing.

Elos Aqua Studio New York is opening in early June

In an effort to add some color and American Pride to our block, we want  to honor our veterans and our troops, and provide a little lift to our Millburn High School seniors who will be graduating right down the street in just a few weeks. With summer around the corner and also less than two months before the 4th of July, this is the ideal time to show our stars and stripes! 

Here is a list of over 25 businesses who are participating as of May 15th: 

Towne Realty Group (flag already up)

The Enclave – new contruction townhomes (flags already up)

Lloyd Perkel with flag at M. Blaustein Furs

 

 

 

M. Blaustein Furs (flag already up)

J.D. Custom Tailor posing with a flag

Coleman Tuxedos  – J.D. Custom Tailor (flag already up)

Khun Thai Restaurant – Albert Jacobs Sunoco Station

Enzzos Tratoria – Dreamy Jeannie – Lynn Kols – Klee Nails

Glenwood Restaurant – Ganny Russ (flag already up) 

Stone & Tile Design  (flag already up)

Stone and Tile Design on Millburn Avenue in Short Hills

Chai Judaica –

Uffizi – Cait and Abbys

Keller Williams (going into vacant space at 518 Millburn Ave)

Jeffery Realty – (vacant store next to Cait & Abbys)

Highlander Capital

(2 flags already up)

Aquos New York Studio (flag already up)

Jake Dalton, Jean Gajano, Susan Dyckman and Karen Bigos in front of New Eyes

New Eyes for the Needy

Weichert Realtors

Coldwell Banker Realtors (flag already up)

Monterey Cleaners

Shell Gas Station (flag already up)

 

Keep your eyes on Millburn Avenue and let the store owners know how much you appreciate our new look — in time for Memorial Day!

We look forward to seeing your flag waiving in the wind!

{ 0 comments }

Towne Realty Group receives NJ Monthly Magazine’s Award from Five Star Professional Agents in 2012

by Karen Eastman Bigos March 26, 2012 Awards

Towne Realty Group’s Short Hills Office is proud to be included on the list of Five Star Professional Award Winners for 2012, with eight agents who won high marks in customer service for a transaction consummated from April 2010 to April 2011. Congratulations to our Townies! Wendy Drucker Elaine Ehrenkranz  Sindee Buchalter Cathy Knapp Jennifer ‘Jen’ Lieberman Sharon [...]

Read the full article →

What Turns Off a Buyer? EVERYTHING!

by Karen Eastman Bigos March 17, 2012 Helpful Hints in Selling Your Home

One of the first things a buyer sees is the front of your property. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) estimates that 88% of all home buyers search online for a home. Check out these stats.  If you don’t have an enticing lead image of the front, back or maybe even a kitchen as the first photo [...]

Read the full article →

In Short Hills, NJ you need to sell your house SIX times to get to a closing!

by Karen Eastman Bigos February 1, 2012 Helpful Hints in Selling Your Home

 Once upon a time you could put a for sale sign in the yard and your house would sell. In 2012, selling a home is not that simple: popping a sign in the ground is just one of the many steps you take to attract a buyer. Placing an ad in the paper, telling your friends and neighbors, holding an [...]

Read the full article →

Real Estate Market Stats for Millburn & Short Hills, NJ in 2011

by Karen Eastman Bigos January 24, 2012 Helpful hints in Buying a Home

For over 27 years I have been listing, selling and renting homes and condos in my hometown of Millburn, NJ and each year my company, Towne Realty Group, compiles the monthly stats on what is happening in the market. Millburn Township also includes Short Hills, NJ which comprises the larger and more expensive homes in the community. While both towns have [...]

Read the full article →

New Years Resolutions of a Short Hills, NJ Real Estate Expert in 2012

by Karen Eastman Bigos January 3, 2012 Community

    Looking back on 2011, it was a very tough year in Residential Real Estate in my hometown of Millburn and Short Hills, NJ, there were many factors that made it harder than ever to sell or buy a home. Some obstacles are out of my control (like the behavior of the buyers, Realtors, [...]

Read the full article →

Towne Realty Group partners with Jersey Cares on a Coat Drive

by Karen Eastman Bigos December 14, 2011 Community

Always eager to get involved in the community, the agents and employees of Towne Realty Group’s Short Hills, NJ office,  are collecting gently used coats to contribute to the Jersey Cares Coat Drive.  We are asking friends, neighbors and clients to look through your closets and see if you can find just one coat to [...]

Read the full article →

Staying Safe during the holiday season in Short Hills, NJ

by Karen Eastman Bigos December 6, 2011 Community

The holidays are a busy time and as everyone rushes around trying to get a million things done;  we let our guards down. Buying gifts, decorating homes and offices, planning parties, booking travel arrangemens and often out shopping and dining after dark, can be dangerous.  Millions of people come to Short Hills, NJ to visit our [...]

Read the full article →

Towne Realty Group creates a Millburn, NJ R.E. (Real Estate) Advent Calendar

by Karen Eastman Bigos December 2, 2011 Arts

R.E. (Real Estate) Advent in Millburn, NJ - What’s it all about anyway?  I don’t really know since I celebrate Hannukah, but my friend Stephanie Mallios and I are looking for ways to bring lots of attention to my hometown for holiday shopping.   Watch my video and come follow me as I figure it out! http://www.trghome.com/towne_realty_video13.asp   Downtown Millburn, NJ [...]

Read the full article →