Seven-year-old North Bergen resident Julio Reyes was beside himself last Thursday afternoon. His mother, Gloria, said that he couldn’t concentrate in school that day. He wasn’t himself. He was nervous, antsy, and a pain in the you-know-what.
"Let’s just say that he was getting to me a little," Gloria Reyes said. "From the minute he came home from school, he kept asking about one thing, over and over."
And that was?
"Santa Claus," little Julio exclaimed. "I wanted to go see Santa Claus. I have so many things I have to tell him, like what I wanted for Christmas, like what my brother wants. I had to tell him everything."
Gloria Reyes admits she did the wrong thing by telling Julio beforehand that he was going to see Santa Claus Thursday night at the 10th annual Winterfest celebration along Bergenline Avenue in North Bergen.
"I think that’s what set him off," Gloria Reyes said. "I think he got all excited and he stopped being the good little boy he normally is. But he really felt like he had to tell Santa some things, so I told him that we were going to see Santa on Thursday night. Once he saw Santa and had his picture taken with him, he seemed to be fine again."
Julio was just one of approximately 3,000 youngsters who participated in the evening of winter fun, which extended this year from 73rd Street straight to North Hudson Braddock Park.
There was a parade featuring members of the town, the high school marching band and several floats that carried many of the popular children’s characters, like Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorer.
There were refreshments and music and concerts from eight different school choral groups. There were rides and games and gifts. There was a petting zoo situated inside North Hudson Park.
And of course, there was Santa Claus, in his glory, talking to the kids and posing for pictures with the youngsters.
North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco said that he’s always happy to produce the Winterfest activities, because it brings the entire community together for the holidays.
"It was absolutely a wonderful event," Sacco said. "I couldn’t believe the turnout. Although it was a little cold, we had a great turnout. The weather held up nice and everyone had a great time."
Many of the people who helped Kathy Somick of the Board of Education to organize the event were all volunteers, from the members of the North Bergen Key Club who dressed up in the costumes of the children’s characters to the police officers who gave of their time to keep everyone safe.
"We had police officers, teachers, township employees, people from all walks of life who volunteered their time to help out," Sacco said. "That’s what makes the event successful. It’s the people who are willing to help. Kathy Somick has been running the event from the beginning and she does a marvelous job. I have to personally thank all the volunteers for making the event a success."
Winterfest began 10 years ago as a way to have the township celebrate the holidays together in a fun event. It was first held on a Saturday afternoon, but the organizers felt after the first year that the turnout wasn’t conducive to holding the event during the day.
"Since we moved it to the evening, people really look forward to Winterfest," Sacco said. "You can see the joy in the children’s faces, and that’s what makes it all worthwhile."
If you needed joy, it was found in the eyes of Julio Reyes.
"I got to tell Santa what I wanted," little Julio said. "I just hope he listened."
Sacco said that the event is part of the township’s annual budget and approximately costs $5,000 to hold, which is relatively inexpensive for a well-attended community event.
"It’s hard to say how big the turnout was, but people tell me that this was our best attended Winterfest of the 10 we’ve had," Sacco said. "It’s a very good feeling to be able to give this to the community."