Photo by Francesco Paggiaro on Pexels.com

Beginning in 1959 my parents and my sisters, brother, and I went on our first family picnic to Interstate Park in New Jersey. It was followed by many more including my Grandmother, all my Aunts and my Uncles at the time, and two of my oldest sisters were married so with my brother-in-law it was a great big summer day filled with lots to do!

We would all gather and meet there early as possible, to get a good table close to the bathroom area! We set up the tables with goodies that were prepared on the day before someone would make the potato salad, another would make the corn on the cob and so on, there was a boat dock right there you could go fishing if you wanted, and there was a great trail to hike on that went on it seemed forever up the palisades!

Then we take turns playing football, or tossing a baseball, the kids would fill up their water pistols, including the grownup kids! We would also go there on the 4th of July in the 1960’s over the years, It made for some great memories.

Photo by Matheus Bertelli on Pexels.com

One of the best memories I have as a kid in the 1950s was the summer evenings when we got to stay out a little longer and just hanging out in front of the house with a few family members and friends, my 6 cousins lived in the building right next door from us, and would come out also especially on those hot summer nights as no one had air conditioners back then.

We would play games from the time like johnny on the pony and more. Sometimes we would have sparklers that lit up the night and then wave them around! and sometimes we would just hang out on the porch after getting a bottle of Coke, Pepsi, or 7up soda around at Mom Bruno’s candy store we weren’t allowed to leave the area other than going to Mom’s store we had to stay in front of the house or we had to come in for the night.

we hardly stayed out past 9:00pm back then and if we were lucky till 9:30! I think the parents did that just to get extra time to watch tv without the kids! There was a barber shop I used to go to over the years and it was on the way from those very buildings, and not much had changed on the outside over the years, and as I walked past them on the way I could almost see us there on the porch with my cousins and friends just being kids and having fun on a summer evening.

The 4th of July!

The 4th of July was always a favorite day of mine growing up in the 1950’s, it was a day that began early in the day with events at the city stadium, and they held track events and much more!
As the day went on we would go in the early day then head back home to gather together and see who had the firecrackers or sparklers, and take turns throwing them in the air and running!

We were always careful not to get in the way when they went off, and a few of the older kids liked to throw those cherry bombs off! Wow were they loud and scary watching them go off! As the day went into evening, we would gather up and travel back to the stadium for the competition of the marching bands!

The bands came from all over the New Jersey area and everyone looked forward to viewing it at night but it was always a hot and humid night on the 4th, and the bands played great even in the humid heat!

But a few always got weak  from the heat and had to rest. Then at last the big event of the night! The fireworks display that went on for about a half hour all the light in the stadium would go out and the crowd would roar! About 10:pm it ended and we all went home with memories of the day that we would talk about for days after.
God Bless America!
Illustration licensed by:
(c) Can Stock Photo / Boris15

My family never had an Air conditioner in the 1950’s, but then again most of those who lived on my block didn’t have one also, so we were all in the same boat! But no complaints we all got through those hot summer days!