The 38th annual Sparta Day slated for Saturday

SPARTA — On Saturday, May 18, the Junior Woman’s Club of Sparta (JWCS), together with the Sparta Parks and Recreation Department, will be hosting the 38th annual Sparta Day.

The event will be at Station Park, and will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Additional parking will be available at the Sparta High School parking lot, with shuttle service available throughout the day for attendees to Station Park provided by the Sparta Board of Education.

Sparta Day is a vendor/craft fair and family fun festival that has become not only a fundraiser for local charities, but also a much anticipated community event.

In addition to Kids’ Country, the JWCS anticipates over 140 vendors in Station Park, live entertainment and a food and beverage area that will appeal to all. Admission is free.

Be sure to pick up a Sparta Day map, available at all Station Park entrances, which will help you find your favorite vendor and ensure nothing at this big event is missed.

Planned activities include story time at 11 a.m and 2 p.m., a children’s yoga class at noon, and square dancing at 1 p.m..

For the seventh year in a row, the JWCS is delighted to announce that Eastern Propane will be the platinum sponsor of Kids’ Country, one of the most popular areas of Sparta Day.

Thanks to the generosity of Eastern Propane and many local businesses, activities in Kids’ Country are offered at no cost to the community.

Kids’ Country will feature a 24-Foot Rock Climbing Wall, thanks to the support of A’la Art, with a bounce house sponsored by Skylands Ice World. There will be additional rides and activities on hand, and a photo booth sponsored by Rokstar Entertainment.

Sparta Day will also be filled with music – including two DJs sponsored by The Dance Academy of North Jersey and Perfect Pointe Performing Arts Dance Studio.

And look for the balloons marking the entrances, decorated with the support of Newton Medical Center.

This year’s Sparta Day Silent Auction will be a rolling auction, with bids accepted and winners announced in two-hour time periods throughout the day.

So no matter what time you attend, there will be great items up for auction – from beautiful jewelry from J.Thomas Jewelers to dental treatment from Mohawk Dental worth $600 and much more. Stop by the JWCS booth in Kids Country for free water donated by Lowe's (while supplies last) and enter the raffle drawing – every half hour someone will win a Spartopoloy game.

Winners of the annual JWCS scholarship will be announced this year at Sparta Day. Each year the JWCS awards $1,000 scholarships to three female students graduating from a high school in Sparta. Winners will also be posted on the club website after Sparta Day.

Traffic
The police have issued the following traffic rules:

Traffic for the event will only enter onto Station Road from Rte. 517 and exit Station Road onto Main Street.

Parking is only allowed at Sparta High School and the upper lot of Station Park by Kids Castle. There will be no parking allowed on Station Road or anywhere else in the park.

To access Station Park from SHS there is a paved pedestrian path between the school and the park. There will also be a shuttle that will operate periodically between the high school and the event.

Handicap parking will be established utilizing the parking area located on Station Road and the pond adjacent to the pavilion.

Motorists should expect sporadic delays on Main Street and Route 517 There will be uniformed police officers at the event directing motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Obey their directions and drive at a slow, safe speed through the area.

Any questions regarding this traffic advisory may be directed to 973-726-4050 during regular business hours.

The Junior Woman’s Club of Sparta is celebrating its 46th year of volunteer service in Sparta. For more information about this organization, visit www.jwcsparta.org.