Clouds Don’t Stop Suckasunny Day Crowds
ROXBURY, NJ – Cool air and overcast skies did little to dampen the spirits of people manning booths and strolling through today’s Olde Suckasunny Day street fair in Roxbury.
A steady stream of visitors walked Main Street in Succasunna for the annual event. They enjoyed the regular fare – performances by the Roxbury High School band, food from the Roxbury Rotary Club, kid games at Main Street churches – as well as something new: Rides on restored railroad cabooses.
The brief train excursions on the former Chester Branch rail line were presented by the Tri-State Railway Historical Society and the Dover & Rockaway River Railroad. They followed a noon dedication of a 63-year-old locomotive in honor of New Jersey’s veterans, a ceremony that included a soaring a capella rendition of The National Anthem by 13-year-old twin sisters Ava and Emma Milsom of Succasunna.
“Railroads have been a big part of U.S. History from the Civil War right up to the present,” said Carolyn Hoffman of Operation Toy Train at the locomotive dedication. “Vast supplies of troops, supplies munitions require an extensive efficient network of rail to effectively defend the nation.”
The fun of this year’s Olde Suckasunny Day was also extended in the other direction on Main Street. Merry Heart Assisted Living Center chose the day to hold an outdoor carnival that featured some vendors and children games.
Although there was a sprinkle now and then throughout the 10 a.m.-through-3 p.m. street festival, it wasn’t enough to bother most people. As vendors collapsed their canopies and packed their vehicles at day’s end, Rick Lansing – an Olde Suckasunny Day organizer for the First Presbyterian Church of Succasunna – said he thought the event was a big success.
A locomotive, dedicated to New Jersey’s veterans, pulls restored historic cabooses for Olde Suckasunny Day rail rides
Conductor Mike DelVecchio speaks to locomotive engineer as train approaches County Concrete in Kenvil during Olde Suckasunny Day train ride