This is going to be quite a weekend in South Orange — in fact, the biggest of the entire year!
Stay & Play Weekend is returning September 16-18 with a mind-boggling roster of activities and events for the entire family, including a campout under the stars, an olde time baseball game, the Newstead 5K, and the celebration of the 150th year of the South Orange Public Library.
But that’s not all: those events will culminate with the biggest of them all: the ever-popular PlayDay South Orange, on Sunday. A full day of hands-on games, sports, events and activities for people of every age, PlayDay is the most fun you’ve ever had between two curbs.
See more about last year’s PlayDay in this Village Green article.
Read all the details about PlayDay at the end of this article. But first, take a look at everything else South Orange has in store this weekend:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
South Orange Community Campout– Like the woods but not enough to camp out? Grab your tent and camp gear and head over to the New Waterlands Park between 4 and 7 p.m to set-up for an evening under the moonlight. Bring your family and friends to watch a movie, dine al fresco and play games aplenty. The department will provide volleyball, kickball and Frisbee equipment. Campers are welcome to bring their own games as well. Bagels, juice and coffee will be served in the morning.
The Community Campout is brought to you by the South Orange Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs. For more information and to register, call 973-378-7754, ext. 1.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Achieve Newstead 5K – The 14th annual Newstead 5K race powered by D&I will kick off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17, from the South Mountain School Annex (112 Glenview Road). The race benefits The Achieve Foundation to support our local schools. In addition to the 5K race, the event also includes a two-mile walk and a fun run for kids.
Join friends and family in support of Achieve’s mission to raise funds for exemplary public education for students and teachers in the School District of South Orange & Maplewood.
Olde Time Baseball Game: Saturday afternoon, 12pm at Cameron Field. Read more here.
SOPL 150th Birthday Bash – Saturday afternoon, 2:30pm at the Library. Come celebrate the 150th birthday of a pillar of our community, the South Orange Public Library. Read more here.
Live @ SOPAC: Eaglemania– Saturday evening at 8pm. EagleMania performs all of the hits of the Eagles, as well as Don Henley, Glen Frey, and Joe Walsh’s solo albums. Their attention to detail and their ability to reproduce the Eagles exactly leaves their fans with an experience that they do not soon forget. Click here to purchase your Eaglemania tickets.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Newcomers Day – South Orange’s newest residents are cordially invited to attend Newcomers Day on Sunday, Sept. 18. Enjoy “Coffee and Conversation” with Village officials at the South Orange Public Library from noon to 1:00 p.m. Meet your neighbors, the Village President, the Board of Trustees and the folks who manage our town, while also learning about civic and community groups that maintain the soul of the Village.The event is sponsored by the Community Relations Committee.
PlayDay South Orange – On Sunday, Sept. 18, from 1 to 6 p.m., PlayDay South Orange returns even bigger than its first successful year. Thousands will enjoy street games, fitness activities, inflatables, live music, art, dance, and food from local eateries. (Rain date Sunday, Sept. 25.) All events will take place on South Orange Avenue, Sloan Street, Village Plaza and designated spaces in between.
See the map of Events and street closures and parking information here.
New this year: a zip line and a Rock Wall! Also enjoy activities for kids of all ages, including inflatables for both toddlers and older kids, the euro bungee, miniature golf, sporting activities, the skate park, table games, street games, radio controlled race cars, art, food, music, dance and of course, the grand finale – the Sloppy Joe eating contest. Also new this year is a Fun Bus for little kids.
Most activities are free, but a $10 wristband is required for anyone who wants to use the inflatables, the rock wall, the euro bungee, the race cars or the zip line. There will be three places to purchase wristbands for the premium activities: Sloan St. & SO Ave., Spiotta Park and the riverside parking lot adjacent to Ridge Tire.
Check out the website, www.playdaysouthorange.org or the new PlayDay event page on Facebook for any late updates.
PlayDay is produced by the South Orange Village Center Alliance in conjunction with the Village of South Orange. Sponsors include: Premium Play Area Sponsor, Stop & Shop, as well as Play Area sponsors BCB Bank South Orange, Natalie Farrell of Weichert Realtors, Investors Bank, Overlook Medical Center (part of Atlantic Health), Sparkhouse, South Orange Country Day School, and media sponsor TapintoSOMA. SOVCA also thanks all of the event’s supporting sponsors.
