The confluence of two Union City events – a festival and a 5K run – on Sept. 20 provided for a day of art, music, athletics, philanthropy, and just plain fun.
The annual Washington Park Live! Arts & Music Festival and O’Connell’s 5K run together attracted people of all interests to the area of Washington Park, where Union City and Jersey City border.
O’Connell’s Run was started in 2010 in honor of Emmett O’Connell, a young Cystic Fibrosis patient at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson. The run raises money for the hospital.
Many came out
Hundreds of people attended Saturday’s events, and for a multitude of reasons.
Victor Silva, 12, of Hoboken was there to judge a break dance contest. Versed in the urban expression of movements, Silva was literally sitting on the sidelines for this event; he was the victim of a broken ankle from football play. No matter, he came to the festival as part of the Culture Community Urban Dance & Art group.
Gary Leon, 17, of Union City came to run in the 5K and hopefully reach a personal best. He competed well and succeeded in his goal, knocking not seconds, but minutes, off his own record.
Still perspiring a couple of minutes after the run, he was meeting up with buddies to enjoy the adjacent fair for a couple of hours.
“I’m here to see the concert. It’s awesome.” – Rhonda Kotb
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“I started offering clothing for people who are soft in the areas, like in the arms and waists,” she joked.
Union City Commissioner Maryury Martinetti was enjoying the fair, meeting constituents, but also readying her children, Martin, 8, and Angelina, 6, for their fun run.
Got it under control
Union City Police Chief Richard Molinari said keeping things in order for the side-by-side attractions would be no problem.
“We assigned enough resources to do both events, and since it’s in the same location, it’s no issue for us,” he said.
Grant Moon, 34, and Rhonda Kotb, 36, friends from Union City, were standing next to each other at the arts and music festival, but one appeared to be having a decidedly “happier” time.
Moon was inside the beer garden confines, throwing one back as he chatted with her. Living only two blocks away, he had never been to the fifth annual event, until this year.
“She said, ‘Let’s have fun today; do you want to go it?’” Moon said. “I said, ‘Absolutely.’”
Kotb was no novice when it came to the Washington Park Live event, attending for the third year in a row.
“I’m here to see the concert,” she said. “It’s awesome.”
Lauren Freestone of Jersey City was manning the exhibit table for her group, the Jersey City-based RiverviewJazz.org, which was handling the festival’s music.
“Our job is to promote to the community,” she said. “We’re an arts district in the Heights, and we’re trying to get all kinds of people to join us. We’re promoting music and arts for most of Jersey City.”
While many were singing, dancing, and drawing at the festival, Neeba John of the Journal Square section of Jersey City was enjoying the day in a different way. She was watching son, Dave, 6, run around on the park grass, while her other son, Tej, five months, slept in a baby carriage.
“They love it; my son’s doing the park over there,” John said. “My other son, he’s just sleeping all the time.”
Mild weather, entertaining arts and music festival, and a fun run for kids added up to a great day out for the mother of two and her children.
“It’s nice exercise,” John said. “We’re planning to come next year, too. I want my son to enter the race.”
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.