In anticipation of the nation’s 250th birthday, the borough is launching Haddonfield2026.com, a website to let residents know about related events in town.
Already listed on the website are Tea with Martha Washington, the Revolutionary War skirmish reenactment and an arts and crafts festival. Administrator Sharon McCullough said there are more events to come, including a fall harvest festival in September and a yule night market in December.
During a recent work session, Commissioner Itir Cole asked if there was a way to search the website by category. Communications officer Joana McDonnell responded that the initiative is a simple Wix website, and while there are only three buttons at the top, more can be added that link to other county websites.
McCullough added that only so many events will be on the site.
“As much as we would love to,” she acknowledged, “it’s not like there’s going to hundreds of events every month.”
Cole opined that the website might not even be a visitor’s first stop.
“If you’re new to the area and you’re just here for a short amount of time, you’re not finding this website first,” she explained. “You’re gonna find the county website.”
McCullough said the borough will spend some money on pamphlets to put into rest areas along I-295, the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, along with ads on area billboards. Mayor Dave Siedell asked about advertising on BigBelly trash cans in Philadelphia, but McCullough suggested the cost might be prohibitive.
Haddonfield’s 4th of July celebration will include a drone show on July 3, so as not to compete with holiday events in Philadelphia. McCullough noted that for the annual fall harvest festival, the borough will consider a ticketed event with restaurants sets up along Kings Highway to created 18th-century inspired meals.
Or as the mayor called the idea, “Dinner and ye olde walk.”
As part of America’s 250th, Haddonfield will give out aprons and outfits so borough staff can dress in fashions inspired by the 1700s, waive some requirements for businesses to enable holiday-themed decorations like wreathes and even dress up Haddy the dinosaur in Colonial attire.
The borough also wants a larger skirmish.
“Some of the stuff we talked about with the skirmish is bringing in extra reenactors to have, spread throughout the downtown, they’re going to be trying to conscript people to sign up for either side,” McCullough pointed out. “And they’ll take you over to a table, and with a nice quill pen, sign off your name on a document saying your going to fight for one or the other.”
