I know you’ll agree that one of our favorite community traditions is our annual Harrison Township Day celebration. Over the past few years, this event has taken place on Main Street, but for many years prior to that, it had been hosted at Ella Harris Park. While the Main Street location is great fun, many missed the carnival feel that the park provided. So, after receiving feedback from our residents and, of course, consulting with our own Queen of Fun, Recreation Coordinator Sharon Chew, I’m excited to announce the return of Harrison Township Day to Ella Harris Park this year.
In keeping with tradition, the festivities will take place on the first Saturday in June, which falls on June 1. The event begins at 4 p.m. and will offer all the family fun we are accustomed to, including music, amusements, games, crafters and food trucks…plus a couple of special surprises that Sharon has planned. And as tradition dictates, the day of celebrating our community will conclude with spectacular fireworks display at 9 p.m.
As part of the Harrison Township Day transition back to Ella Harris Park, I want to share with you another gathering of our community that is in the works for Friday, May 31, the evening before Harrison Township Day. To kick off the festive weekend, the Mullica Hill Business Association (MHBA) will be hosting a new event on our Main Street, dubbed Sip, Savor and Social on Main. This adult-oriented get-together will feature live music, dining, libations from local breweries and wineries (benefitting local causes) as the perfect backdrop for a late Spring evening stroll down our historic Main Street for shopping and conversation with friends and neighbors. Sip, Savor and Social on Main promises to be an awesome kick-off to a weekend of celebrating our cool town.
Harrison Township has proudly earned its reputation for hosting great events. Our award-winning Lights on Main has become the signature event in the region. But so many of our other events deserve recognition, including Harrison Township Day, Drive-in Movie Nights, Halloween BOOgie Walk and our Easter Egg Hunt. These events are made possible through the efforts of the Harrison Township Recreation Commission, a resident volunteer board led by Chairperson Alyse Dvorak, alongside the Commission’s board members, numerous volunteers, and the unwavering energy of Chew. Did you know that all the recreation commission events are entirely self-funded? No taxpayers’ dollars are expended in their execution. Thank you to our recreation commission.
Several other individuals and organizations also deserve recognition for their hard work and contributions to ensuring fun community events in the Hill. Thank you to Hazel Dilsaver of Farm House Design, who through her MH Events LLC and often with the support of Main Street attorney, Jeffrey Downs (possibly Mullica Hill’s biggest fan), host several events throughout the year. They include the Fall Festival & Living History Weekend, Ghastly Tales Tour, Garden Tour, Christmas House Tour, Santa and S’mores and many others. These events support various local charities, and Hazel shared with me they’ve raised over $25,000 in donations in recent years.
Additionally, our MHBA are hosts to several events, such as last month’s Chocolate Walk, which prompted several hundred Valentines to stroll our romantic Main Street. Other MHBA events include Trick or Treat on Main, Taste of the Season, the Art Festival and numerous fun-themed nights they produce throughout the year. Thank you to the MHBA, which is led by President George Murphy of Time Fine Men Store, board members, Genny Gramaglia of Serendipity, Barb Vag of The Parsonage, Danielle Murphy of D-Signed For You, Dr. Jessica Bowen of Bowen Family Orthodontics and Sarah Knoll of Cherry on Top. The MHBA is supported by businesses throughout Harrison Township.
We are lucky to have these great business organizations and many individual business owners who create unique events and activities that invite our community to come together. Please return the favor by supporting them whenever possible. A useful resource for identifying local businesses is our Find it in the Hill Business Directory, hosted on our website and available here.
Don’t forget to save the dates for Sip, Savor and Social on Main, Harrison Township Day, June 1 and keep an eye on Happening in the Hill for all our upcoming events.
On behalf of Deputy Mayor Lawrence Moore, Committeewoman Michelle Powell, Committeemen Jeff Jacques and Kevin French, we look forward to seeing you at our community events throughout the year.
