County plans concerts, some with fireworks, during summertime

The 2023 Essex County Free Summer Music Concert Series will feature a diverse group of musicians and entertainers performing at locations throughout the county park system.

This year’s series features three concert and fireworks spectaculars, five concerts in Brookdale Park, 12 concerts throughout the county, and four cultural festivals, according to a press release from the county.

“Pack a blanket, enjoy the cool evening breeze, and dance to the sounds of classical, rock and roll, jazz, big band, Latin and more. We have an amazing line-up that is sure to entertain and impress,” said Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr.

The SummerMusic Concert Series is sponsored by Rose Squared Productions and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. The series is also made possible, in part, by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State.

Over the course of 12 weeks this summer, there will be 24 different events fea- turing local and international acts in jazz, rock and roll, big band, reggae and more. Some of the concerts took place in June.

Concerts are held at accessible sites. Persons who require special accommodations or assistance are asked to call at least two weeks prior to the concert to alert staff as to their needs. Admission to the concerts is free. For more information, call the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs at 973 268-3500.

The remaining 2023 concert series schedule is as follows:

• Friday, July 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Brookdale Park in Bloomfield/Montclair: 80s vs. 90s.

• Saturday, July 8, from 12 noon to 8 p.m. in Monte Irvin Orange Park, Orange: Jazz and Food Truck Festival.

• Tuesday, July 11, at 7 p.m. in Watsessing Park, Bloomfield: Epic Soul.

• Wednesday, July 12, at 7 p.m. in Ivy Hill Park in Newark: Casplash.

• Friday, July 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Brookdale Park in Bloomfield/Montclair: The Duprees.

• Tuesday, July 18, at 7 p.m. in Vailsburg Park in Newark: Smooth.

• Wednesday, July 19, at 7 p.m. in Riverfront Park in Newark: Afri-Carib.

• Friday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Brookdale Park in Bloomfield/Montclair: Frontiers: Country Music Night with Kickin’ Nash.

• Tuesday, July 25, at 7 p.m. in Cedar Grove Park, Cedar Grove: Stan Zizka’s Del-Satins.

• Wednesday, July 26th at 7 p.m.in Grover Cleveland Park in Caldwell/Essex Fells: Here’s Elton.

• Friday, July 28, at 7:30 p.m. in Brookdale Park in Bloomfield/Montclair: Launch Band: A Tribute to Styx, Queen and Boston.

• Wednesday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m. in Belleville Park in Belleville: New Power Soul.

• Friday, Aug. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Brookdale Park in Bloomfield/Montclair: Event Horizon.

• Saturday, Aug. 5, from 12 noon to 8 p.m. in Monte Irvin Orange Park in

Orange: Caribbean Festival.

• Friday, Aug. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange: K Brown Express.

• Saturday, Aug. 26, and Sunday, August 2, from 12 noon to 8 p.m. in Monte Irvin Orange Park in Orange: Latino Festival.

(Continued from Page 10) sey. Essex County is featured prominently, with photos and write-ups for more than 30 historic sites, located in towns such as Belleville, Nutley, Orange, and West Orange.

Frazza said he is responsible for all of the research, writing, and photography on the website, created over thousands of hours between 2009 and 2017. Frazza has also published a book about the years he spent exploring New Jersey’s history, titled “State of Revolution: My SevenAnd-A-Half-Year Journey Through Revolutionary War New Jersey.”

AJ

The Greenway project that will turn a long-dormant 8.63-mile rail line that runs through Essex County into a linear park recently took another step forward with the awarding of some bids.

The trail will traverse Essex and Hudson Counties, averaging 100 feet in width and encompassing approximately 135 acres. The Greenway passes through numerous, diverse commercial, industrial, and residential neighborhoods in eight New Jersey communities including Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, Kearny, Secaucus, and Jersey City, and crossing both the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers in the process.

Last month, the state Department of Environmental Protection awarded four work orders to consultant firms to assist the state with the planning, design, and development activities. Work is to be completed by Aug. 18 or Sept.1, depending on the task.

The work orders seek to further certain planning and design activities to facilitate the creation of comprehensive master planning and detailed design documents for the development of the 9-mile abandoned rail corridor, according to information from DEP.

The Department is seeking proposals for an initial community and stakeholder engagement plan and development of recommendations for the phased development of the Greenway, specifically focused on identification of the largest feasible contiguous portion of the Greenway appropriate for immediate development for public use to maximize value delivered to the public during development of the comprehensive Master Plan, the DEP said.

The Department is also seeking proposals for a safety and security needs assessment which will inform the development of detailed recommendations, including costs, for short-term, interim steps the Department should take to address public safety and security of the Greenway prior to the development of the comprehensive Master Plan.

Also, DEP is soliciting quotes to assess and design stormwater management infrastructure for integration in a manner that benefits its host communities by increasing capture of existing stormwater and decreasing excessive discharge rates during major storm events.

With over 7,850 residents per square mile – approximately 1.5 million people in the surrounding area – the Greenway seeks to provide outdoor recreation and alternative transportation opportunities to over 16 percent of New Jersey’s population.

The Greenway project seeks to create a linear multi-modal recreational and transit corridor enabling seamless walking, biking and transit opportunities between Montclair and Jersey City, while serving

See TRAIL, Page 15