Bergen250

The Bergen250 Program, through the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs, will be hosting five events throughout October, which will highlight both Bergen County’s Revolutionary History and its cultural contributions since its founding.

The program’s initiative is to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

• Starting this month’s event series is the second Revolutionary Roundtable Speaker discussion as part of a free fall series. On October 8, Bob Gula will be leading a presentation on the Battle of Springfield (1780). The event will be held on the 4th Floor Learning Center at One Bergen County Plaza, at 7 pm.
• The second event is the 61st Annual Art in the Park; a free outside art exhibit and concert, showcasing 100+ visual artists that represent the wide scope of artistic diversity in Bergen County. The event will be held on October 11 at Van Saun County Park from 11 am to 3:30 pm, with a music performance by Dean Shot with special guest saxophonist Greg Piccolo.
• The third event is “The Garden of America” visual presentation and talk by Robert Selig, Ph. D. This illustrated talk provides examples of Franco-American encounters and mutual impressions of people and their customs, stemming from the entry of French forces led by Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, into the Mahwah area of New Jersey in 1781. The event will be on October 11 at 201 Franklin Tpke., Mahwah, at 4:30 pm.
• The fourth event is the RevNJ Race Series 5K & Family Fun Walk. Located at the Ramapo Valley County Reservation, this 5K hosted by RevolutionNJ, a partnership between the New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC), a division of the New Jersey Department of State, and the nonprofit Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, aims to have participants engage with New Jersey’s revolutionary history in a unique way. It will be held on October 12, starting at 8:30 am.
• The final event will be the 15th Annual Performance from “The Cider Barn Band” at the Wortendyke Barn Museum, the final performance of the Music at the Barn 2025 series, featuring local bluegrass legends Kenny Kosek, Barry Mitterhof, Joe Selly, Marty Cutler, and Marty Confurius. The performance will be on October 26 at 1:30 pm at 13 Pascack Rd., Park Ridge and is free entry.