Warren County Bicentennial 2025 Takes Shape

By Charlie Fineran

FIRST THINGS FIRST – HAPPY LABOR DAY!

While the Summer Season for 2022 is coming to a close, our Photo of the Week article is just beginning to announce and showcase the official planning for the upcoming Warren County Bicentennial in 2025!

Last Thursday Warren County hosted a free outdoor concert at Garret D. Wall Park, Belvidere’s town square in front of the Courthouse. What a grand celebration! Perfect weather, beautiful location, great music featuring Drew Nugent and The Midnight Society, a “hot jazz” combo based in Philadelphia.

The event also included multiple display tables, fun activities for all ages and refreshments and amenities provided by the United Presbyterian Church. What a really grand kickoff event, a great way to alert the public that Warren County’s 200^th birthday is fast approaching in 2025, AND, we want to let all residents know that they can get involved in planning the party!!

OBSERVATIONS OF NOTE

As stated above, WHAT A GRAND EVENT! Having said that, my goal for this week’s Photo of the Week is to showcase some of the people and organizations involved with the planning of our Bicentennial Celebration! To give credit and a heartfelt Thank You, yes, BUT ALSO, to inform the public, who they may reach out to for more information if they wish to do some planning on their own or wish to involve their groups in this county-wide celebration! REMEMBER – You are invited and encouraged to be part of this ongoing celebration!

***NOTE, I have copied and pasted parts of the following bulletin from Warren County’s website. This also provides valuable insight from various individuals involved with the official Warren County Bicentennial Planning.***

Roaring Twenties Concert Kicks off Warren County Bicentennial Planning

Post Date:08/11/2022 11:36 AM

(BELVIDERE, NJ – August 10, 2022) – Warren County will look forward to its bicentennial just a few years away with a look back to the County’s centennial era in the Roaring Twenties with a free, outdoor concert on Thursday, September 1, 2022 in the town square in front of the Courthouse.

“All are welcome to attend this free concert in Garret D. Wall Park,” Warren County Commission Director Jason J. Sarnoski said as he announced the concert at a Board of County Commissioners meeting.

“Warren County’s 200^th birthday will be here before you know it, and we want residents to know they can get involved in planning the party,” said Laurie Rapisardi, who chairs the Warren County Bicentennial Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board, a panel created by the county commissioners to oversee efforts to mark the anniversary.

A special invitation is being extended to all of the local historical societies in Warren County to attend the concert and bring tabletop displays about their areas if they would like.

Warren County came into existence in 1825 when an act of the New Jersey Legislature, passed on Nov. 20, 1824, took effect and separated the area from Sussex County.

Sarnoski noted the bicentennial advisory board, the county Land Preservation Department’s Division of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, and the Explore Warren County Tourism Partnership run by the county Public Information Department are teaming for the effort.

The concert is intended as a fun way to get residents thinking about the upcoming bicentennial and to get the celebration underway, said county Public Information Officer and Explore Warren Director Art Charlton.

“As we look forward to the bicentennial celebration in 2024 and 2025, we’ll start with a look back to the centennial in the mid-1920s,” Charlton said.

The following are some links to websites showcasing this activity along with ongoing planning activities.

http://explorewarren.org/events/roaring-twenties-concert-kicks-warren-county-bicentennial-planning

Our County | Warren County, NJ (warrencountynj.gov)

In the featured photo above members of the Bicentennial Committee are, (L-R), Art Charlton – Director Warren County Public Information, Jason J Sarnoski – Warren County Commissioner Director, Laurie Rapisardi – Warren County Bicentennial Cultural & Heritage Advisory Board Chairwoman, Jane Primerano – Warren County Bicentennial Cultural & Heritage Advisory Board, Gina Rosseland – Asst. Administrator Cultural & Heritage Affairs & Shippen Manor, James R Kern III – Warren County Commissioner, Charlie Fineran – Warren County Bicentennial Cultural & Heritage Advisory Board, Lori Ciesla – former Warren County Commissioner Deputy Director Rick Gardner – Warren County Bicentennial Cultural & Heritage Advisory Board (former W.C. Freeholder 20 years).

REMEMBER to start planning your events for the Warren County Bicentennial 2025.

Take a look here at the many people and organizations that participated in the kickoff event!