Hosted on July 3, the day before the nation’s 250th celebration, Haddonfield held its annual July 4th parade down Kings Highway, followed by a hotdog eating contest.
A block party and the borough’s first drone show, which were scheduled to occur later that day, were both postponed because of the heat.
The parade, something that happens every year on 4th, was pushed back a day, along with other festivities, so that the township would not
Throughout the hour-long parade, dozens marched and drove down the street, including the Polish American String band, the Haddonfield Rotary Club, Boy and Girl Scout Troops, a bevy of fire trucks, a band of bag pipes, the borough’s citizen of the year Bob Hochgertel, Mrs. New Jersey America Pageant, the Haddonfield Lions Club, the Durning String Band, the Haddon Fortnightly, Moms Demand Action, 18th Masonic District of New Jersey and the Haddon Heights Historical Society.
In a Facebook post, mayor David Siedell said that despite the temperature, people still showed up for the parade.
“The day began at 10 o’clock sharp, already pushing 100 degrees,” Siedell said. “It was the kind of heat that makes you wonder whether anyone will come. But they did. They unfolded lawn chairs before breakfast, lined Kings Highway, waved flags, caught candy, applauded veterans, bands, neighbors, and one another.”
Several other nearby towns, including Collingswood and Haddon Heights, also canceled their planned fireworks shows due to the heat.
Siedell said in his post that, despite needing to postpone music, the block party and drone show, the parade wasn’t something that could be postponed.
“We were fortunate. We were grateful. We marched. We sweated, and clapped, and laughed,” Siedell said. “Because the parade is not just how we begin the Fourth of July. It is the Fourth of July! … For an hour, our town remembered what binds us together. We belong to something larger than ourselves. And, I’m sure in a few years the temperature will be a few degrees higher in our memories.”
After the parade died down, in front of King’s Road Brewing Company, they set up 12 spots for people to compete in the brewing company’s fourth annual hot dog eating contest.
And while it to wasn’t canceled because of the heat, it did end up starting a half hour early so that the contestants would still be in the shade by the time the event ended.
The grand prize of a trophy and a year of beer from the brewing company, went to Vito Ruggiero for eating 18 hot dogs in 10 minutes, who beat last year’s record by a whole four dogs.
Second place ate nine and a half hot dogs while third place ate nine, both got smaller trophies and different gift cards.
Ruggiero, who does about one eating contest a month, drove about three hours from outside Scranton, Pennsylvania to compete in Haddonfield.
Bob Hochgertel (left to right) Vito Ruggiero, Frank Troy, Dave Siedell.
Judges for the contest included, among others, commissioner Frank Troy and Siedell.
Before the contest began, judges checked to make sure each contestant started with 10 hot dogs.
As Siedell counted one, he saw that it had an extra, so he ate it, his only hot dog eaten at this year’s competition.
Last year, Siedell competed, but decided not to this time around due in part to someone vomiting next to him in the middle of the competition.
Hochgertel, the manager director of the brewing company, said that there was a slightly larger crowd turnout this year at the contest despite there being less contestants competing.
Last year, they had put everyone competing in front of tables on the ground, allowing for a longer table.
This year, they put contestants on a raised platform, allowing them to be seen by more of the crowd but only allowing them to fit 12 eaters, though more people applied to compete than could fit on the platform.
Community members carry a large flag down King’s Highway.
