New Jersey

The annual Italian Festival in Ocean, New Jersey, sponsored by the Italian American Association of the Township of Ocean (IAATO), features delicious food, rides, games, a petting zoo, and a pasta-eating contest. This year’s event, held on August 11-15, also featured a strolling Italian street band and, of course, a Frank Sinatra tribute concert

The Caribbean Festival held on August 15 in Monte Irvin Orange Park in Orange, New Jersey, made for a wonderful afternoon. The event featured Caribbean food, festival rides for children, and music provided by Trinidadian deejay Groove.

Project Porchlight was also on hand to educate folks about the energy savings offered by compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs

Sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, National Night Out (NNO) is an annual crime-prevention event that takes place in thousands of communities across the United States. This year’s NNO took place on August 3, as groups of people in all 50 states gathered for a night of community building by promoting neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships

The Jersey City India Day Parade held on August 14 in Jersey City, New Jersey, celebrated the 63rd anniversary of India’s independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation in 1947. The parade featured floats, traditional Indian classical dance as well as Bollywood-style performances, and free food for absolutely everybody who came to the event.

Jenkinson’s Aquarium in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, is a fun place to visit during the summer. Along with its state-of-the-art aquarium, the complex features children’s shows and amusement park rides. Jenkinson’s also presents a fireworks display on Thursday evenings.

Paresh Trivedi (pictured here, left) , a resident of Randolph, New Jersey, emigrated to the United States 17 years ago from Gujarat, India, in search of a better life.

It is not extraordinary that Paresh has indeed found a better life--millions of immigrants have shared that experience. What’s remarkable about Paresh is how much he has, in turn, given back to his community here.

The motto of Two Kids Foundation, a charity based in Whippany, New Jersey, is “Together we can cross the finish line,” and the foundation is racing to on behalf of a most worthy cause: children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

The Family Fun Day event on August 6 in Orange, New Jersey, brought township residents--including the mayor--to Central Playground for a perfect summer evening. The multicultural event featured something for everyone, including a basketball competition, a deejay spinning R&B music, and free blood pressure screenings and other simple medical tests.