Keansburg Day 2023 Was A Huge Success!

Oct 7, 2023

Keansburg Day Event 2023. Picture Source Keansburg Recreation FB Page

Saturday, Sept 30, Keansburg had its Annual Keansburg Day Blast! And it was a community-fun-friendly day. Children cheerily grabbed pumpkins just in time for the Fall seasons. Food trucks spread the aromas of beach eats with a wave of tasty fragrances that sailed all the way down Main Street! Parents gladly accompanied their children as they enjoyed the inflatable bounce house and slides. Some adults enjoyed a friendly beer at the Beer Garden to quench their thirst on this beautiful blue sky day.

Some feared they would be rained out, but the sun shined through! Live rock band "Juke Box Criminals" jammed, sounding like the original artists who sang great tunes from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Keansburg Day exhibits the true spirit of thankfulness and pride for this sea-faring village established in 1917. The name Keansburg is derived from John Kean, a Republican who was a senator in the early 1900s from Elizabeth, N.J. Keansburg was initially known as a fishing hamlet and later bloomed into a comfy homegrown resort that North Jersey and New York City visitors regularly visited during the summer.

History:

The original people of Keansburg were the Lenni Lenape Natives who called the occupied area "Waackaack" (Pronounced "Way-kay-ack"), translated in English as "Land of Plenty." The local Keansburg Creek and street still bear the original Lenni Lenape name for the area. Furthermore, within the hamlet of Keansburg, a cross street on Beachway Ave respectfully is named Raritan Ave. Raritan refers to two groups of Lenape people or tribes that dominated New Jersey during the 16th century in North America. The Lenni Lenape neighboring tribes in the Sandy Hook and Mount Mitchill shoreline areas were called the Navesink or Nave Sinck. Settlers nicked named Keansburg the "The Gem of the Bayshore."

Per historical accounts, the first European murder in what is now called New Jersey happened right here in Keansburg. The legend goes that on Sept 3, 1609, Henry Hudson landed on the shores of present-day Keansburg with his ship "The Half Moon" as crewmen departed the vessel. Lenni Lenape men attacked trespassers. At that time, mariners from other countries between the 1400s and the 1600s knew that it was not wise to land at Waackaack. In memory of one of the first Europeans killed on the beach of Keansburg by the name of John Coleman, a street named "Colman's Point" off of Beachway Ave and Carr Ave stands till this day today as a landmark of the historical account.

Keansburg Day 2023 Picture Source Keansburg Recreation Facebook Page

The Keansburg Day event ran from 2:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., ending with a fireworks show that would put the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks in New York to shame. When all was said and done, neighboring community members and visitors walked casually throughout the 16-mile town - that most trained joggers could quickly run loops around on any given day. The only disappointment for the day was located on Central Ave, where one house shares vulgar language on a huge tampered-with American flag that does not represent the goodwill of the good people of Keansburg. Furthermore, it is unacceptable to display in the presence of children going to and from school to witness.

But as they would say in the 70s! "One Bad Apple Don't Spoil No Whole Bunch Girl." Thanks for reading. On a side note, a letter will be made to Mayor George Hoff of Keansburg to alert him of the vulgar indecencies that said flag displayed on Central Ave does not reflect most citizens residing in the Burg. Thanks for reading, and see you next year at the one and only Keansburg Day 2024 event!

Happy Indigenous People Day, October 9th, 2023!

Reference:

https://www.facebook.com/KeansburgRec/

Chapter 1: History Of N.J. As Related To Civil Divisions

https://www.nj.gov/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf