This Year's Warren Bonfire & Fireworks Was Biggest Yet

The addition of fireworks, a dance flash mob and the word spreading around town attracted the biggest crowd ever to Warren Township's free 6th Annual Yuletide Bonfire and Fireworks Winter Festival on Saturday night, which Recreation Director Eleanora Hermann estimated was attended by about 1,500 area residents.

The evidence was confirmed in this year's consumption of hot chocolate. "We went through 65 gallons of hot chocolate," Hermann said. 

Last year, when about a thousand people dropped by at some point for the growing community event, about 10 gallons less of hot chocolate lasted until the end of the evening, Hermann noted.

This January — even with more hot chocolate funded by the local Lions Club, with Starbucks donating 10 gallons of coffee, and Ciro's Pizza of Warren providing containers for warm drinks — the free drinks ran out by the end of the night, she said.

Each year, she said, the recreation department, including herself and Linda Palumbo, try to add onto what is Warren Township's largest winter event.

This year's debut fireworks by Garden State Fireworks got off about 15 minutes late, but seemed to be appreciated by the crowd, said Hermann, adding she has been receiving many positive emails this weeks.

Take Flight Dance Center of Millington also coordinated a surprise flash dance in the middle of the evening, captured on video.

Next year, she said that she hopes to possibly provide more warming tents at the location of the festival behind the municipal building at 46 Mountain Blvd.

Hermann said the event relied on sponsors and more than 140 volunteers to make the event happen.

She said she wanted to offer special thanks to the Warren Blue Ridge Sportsmen's Club for donating, setting up, and afterwards removing all the tents, heaters, generators and lights. "I know without them we couldn't do this!" she said.

Dave Darge, from the township engineering, helped create a map and print out most of the event signs, she added.

The Warren Township Committee and Recreation Department also offered thanks to partners in the event, along with many other contributors and volunteers:

Marquee Partner:

The Learning Experience

Warren Blue Ridge Sportsmen's Club

Warren Lions Club 

Primary Partner:

Chubb

Associate Partner:

Andersen Arbor Care

Knights of Columbus

Scott Tagman

Take Flight Dance Center

The Connection Magazine

The Showcase Magazine

Watchung Hills Elks Lodge

Contributions by

American Heart Assoc.

Ciro's Pizza

Comfort Zone Camp

Coopers Jewelry

Department of Public Works

Echoes-Sentinel

Fabricland

Forest Lodge

Garden State Fireworks

Girl Scout Troop # 67719, 606

Cub Scout Troop 228

Jr. Warriors Hockey Club

John Micheller

Sal DiBianca

Somerset Equity Investors, Inc

StarBucks

Stonecrest Comm Church

Theresa Tamchin

Wagner Farm Arboretum

Warren Baseball/Softball

Warren Central School

Warren Fire Departments

Warren Fire/police

Warren OEM

Warren Police Department

Warren Rescue Squad

Warrenville Hardware

WH Pop Warner Football

Watchung Hills Soccer

Watchung/Warren Rotary Club

Dave Darge, Engineering Dept.

All our dedicated volunteers   

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