Last Of Summer Fun At Labor Day Carnival In Mendham

MENDHAM, NJ — The end of summer is near, which can only mean one thing: The Mendham Pastime Club Annual Labor Day Carnival is coming back to town.

The annual carnival is scheduled to return on Sept. 1 at Mendham Borough Park.

Running through Labor Day, rides, games, food, prizes and fireworks are all part of the planned fun.

The carnival is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m. The Mendham Borough parade, which begins at 10 a.m. on Monday, is another important part of the weekend's celebrations.

After that, at 11 a.m., the final day of the carnival begins, and it ends abruptly at 10:30 p.m., just after a nightcap of fireworks.

The parade theme this year is Mendham Heroes, and the grand marshals are two local WWII veterans, Pietro "Pete" Cillo and William Fleming.

A number of neighborhood fire departments typically also participate in the Mendham Labor Day parade. The Hose Competition, which follows the parade and pits each department against one another in a test of fire hose prowess.

According to officials, it's a unique competition to watch on a hot Labor Day afternoon, and it's a great way to cool off.

One of the biggest draws of the four-day celebration is the 50/50 raffle, which culminates in a drawing on Labor Day evening. Tickets are $5, and the prize pool has grown to over $50,000 in recent years.

Last year’s winner won $35,515, making him the largest prize winner in the club's history.

This year's entertainment lineup features Carnaby Street Band, a New Jersey-based band that specializes in 60s music showcasing the British Invasion. They will perform at the Borough Park "Andrew Fletcher" Gazebo after the parade at 11 a.m.

The Pastime Club's Labor Day Carnival is a large-scale event that began in 1943 as a way to help fund community youth athletics and has continued to this day.