Hundreds of kids and the young at heart gathered for a free night of fun along the Weehawken waterfront Tuesday night. Coordinated through the township’s recreation program, Weehawken’s “Old-Fashioned Fun Night” kept kids entertained with hotdog and pie-eating contests, sack races, water balloon tosses and more.
“It gives the kids something to do on a warm summer night,” said Mayor Richard Turner. “And, it’s actually very inexpensive. A great night at a great price.”
According to Co-director of Recreation Chris Verdon, who helped organize the event with co-directors Robert Ferullo and Anthony Stratton, the Fun Night is quickly becoming a Weehawken tradition.
“It’s a great night at a great price.” – Mayor Turner
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According to Verdon, 300 to 500 kids came and went throughout the night. This is the second year the township held the event at the new recreational park on the waterfront. For the previous 16 years, the event was held at Weehawken Stadium.
“It’s an amazing facility,” Verdon said, “and with the cool breeze off the water, it’s so much cooler than previous years.”
All you can eat
The hot-dog eating contest was one of the biggest hits of the night, with close to a hundred children participating. Derek and Arik Zheng and Angel Luna were winners of the 6- to 8-year-old group. Angel even kept eating his hotdog after the contest was over.
Derek, who finished three hotdogs, said that was the most hotdogs he had ever eaten. When asked if he was full, Derek simply said, “Yeah!”
All of the winners received a prize from the prize table, and Derek selected a pair of sunglasses.
Young at heart
But the night wasn’t just for kids. The Recreation Department’s adult tennis students, taught by Simon Finkelstein, finished their training with an end-of-the-season tennis tournament. Roughly 20 students participated in the tournament, which went on well through the night.
Finkelstein, who is in his 50s, has been teaching the class for the last two years and said that tennis is a great sport for people of all ages.
“I’m a perfect example,” Finkelstein said. “You can play this game at any age.”
Melanie Montemarano, a first-year student, was ready to give it her all in the competition. “I love the program,” Montemarano said. “I’ve come a long way in a year.”
Sean Allocca can be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com