New Jersey anniversaries in 2025
As the nation is preparing to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026, here’s a look at anniversaries New Jersey will mark in 2025.
Passaic is going whole hog as the American experiment enters its 250th year.
No, the city’s Dec. 31 party will not be named for a flying pig, as Cincinnati’s annual marathon is. But Passaic will give a patriotic twist to its annual tradition of lowering a giant piñata to mark New Year’s Eve.
It’ll be the first installment in a yearlong celebration of American history in the city, which is among 35 New Jersey communities designated as “Victory Towns” for their roles in the Revolution.
Passaic played a critical part during the war for independence as the site where Gen. George Washington camped in 1776, ordering the burning of the Acquackanonk Bridge to slow the British forces chasing his Revolutionary Army. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln later encamped the Continental Army in Passaic, in late August 1781, during Washington’s March to Virginia to end the war.
Passaic and piñatas
For the last seven years, Passaic has ushered in the new year by lowering the piñata from the city’s tallest building, 663 Main Ave., and showering celebrants with confetti.
This year — the 250th, or semiquincentennial, celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — the star-shaped pinata will also carry a Victory Town emblem. Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said the party will kick off a year full of celebrations of American pride and history.
In addition to Founding Fathers like Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, Passaic will recognize the country’s “patriots of color,” Lora added.
During the New Year’s Eve event, historic visuals will highlight Passaic’s role in the fight for independence, including the often-overlooked contributions of soldiers of color. Lora wants to connect that nationally significant history to the diverse community that gathers each year in the immigrant-rich town to ring in the New Year.
Patriots of color like Isaac Toby, a drummer with the 3rd New Jersey Regiment from the Elizabeth area, fought in the conflict, according to the Daughters of the American Revolution’s “Patriots of Color” database.
The 3rd, also known as the “Jersey Greys,” was authorized by the Continental Congress on Jan. 10, 1776. It participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth as well as numerous smaller engagements.
Passaic seeks ‘patriots of color’
For Lora, who is mayor of a city long known for welcoming first-generation Americans, the message is important. Though Toby’s exact ethnicity is unclear, his record shows that people of all races and creeds helped found the country.
“It instills in our youth a sense of appreciation for the inception of this country,” the mayor said.
Lora hopes to reach out and sponsor reenactors of color to come and talk about the experience of soldiers who fought for American independence. Banners commemorating the 250th anniversary will festoon Main Avenue this year. The mayor said more events will be announced at an upcoming news conference.
It all starts at 8 p.m. this New Year’s Eve in front of 663 Main Ave. There will be music and food trucks, restaurants open all night, giveaways and free parking. At 11:45 p.m., the piñata will start its journey, and as the clock chimes midnight, the city will unloose confetti on the throng.
Other New Year’s Eve drops in NJ
Besides Passaic, there are a few choices in the region for New Year’s Eve revelers.
▶ There is, of course, Times Square, but that encompasses a huge commitment of standing around outside for hours to watch the world’s most famous ball drop.
▶ For lovers of Mars candy, Hackettstown’s annual New Year’s Eve M&M drop will celebrate the local candy maker. Festivities will take place at Main and High streets from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
▶ In South Jersey, Hammonton greets the new year by lowering a blueberry, which makes sense for a community that calls itself the “blueberry capital of the world.” The Annual Hammonton NYE Bash will be held on Dec. 31 from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. along Central Avenue near Town Hall.
▶ For those who can’t stay up late, Ship Bottom Brewery in Beach Haven celebrates Irish New Year at 6:59 p.m. with the lowering of a keg in its taproom. The brewery is open from noon to 11 p.m.
▶ In Sewell, Rowan University’s Edelman Fossil Park & Museum will drop an asteroid at noon on New Year’s Eve.
As its website says: “When the clock strikes noon, watch an asteroid drop down into the quarry to celebrate the end of one era and the start of another — just like the dinosaurs.”
After the rock drops, the celebration continues with a high-energy dance party, noisemaker making, crafts, activities, a New Year’s Resolution Tree and more family fun throughout the museum.
This is a ticketed event that includes access to the museum and galleries. For museum members, admission costs $20 for adults and $15 for children. For non-members, it’s $40 for adults and $30 for children.
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