This past Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Madison celebrated its 47th annual Bottle Hill Day, a local festival and street fair hosted by the town every October. Established in 1947 by then-mayor Elizabeth Baumgartner, the festival’s original goal was to support Madison’s local businesses and business district. According to the Madison, NJ Historical Society, the name of the festival derives from the village of Bottle Hill, which eventually became Madison.
This year, Bottle Hill Day was originally scheduled forOct. 1, but it was postponed to Oct. 15 due to the heavy, multi-day rainfall of Hurricane Ian. When Oct. 15 came around, the town of Madison welcomed crowds of participants––both Madison residents and visitors, including many Drew students––to Bottle Hill Day.
“It [The fair] includes sidewalk sales, four stages with live music, three Amusement Areas, food, and 225+ vendors, including non-profits, crafters, retail businesses, etc.” says the Borough of Madison website. The celebration stretched throughout downtown Madison and was set up on roads branching off of Main Street.
The fair is a family-friendly event that hosts many children among its guests every year. The activities, booths and music all make sure to accommodate the wide range of ages and the variety of people that pass through and support the neighborly spirit of the fair. For instance, performers only played PG music and the fair provided bouncy houses and kiddie rides for children in the park. The fire department even gave out plastic fire hats to the children who passed by.
The four stages––on Central Avenue, Green Village Road, Elmer Street and outside the town hall––were consistently filled with music performed by local artists, including performances by two of Drew’s own a cappella groups, All of the Above and 36 Madison Avenue.
With the absolutely perfect, warm, sunny mid-October weather and the fantastic tables, food and activities the fair had to offer, this year’s Bottle Hill Day was another great day to remember.
Featured image courtesy of rosenet.org
