Even an incredibly damaging storm and blackouts couldn’t stop many communities from rolling out the July 4th fireworks to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. While some decided to cancel due to the ominous forecasts and dangerous heat, others pushed ahead, and still others adapted.

In townships like Piscataway and Clark, officials launched the fireworks at dusk rather than in the darkness of night. Other communities, like Rahway, threaded the needle between storms. And some attempts went better than others.

Here are some fun events coming up this week.

🎵 Middlesex County Music-in-the-Park | Wed, July 8 | 6:30–8:30 PM | Raritan Bay Waterfront Park, South Amboy | Free
For a waterfront setting instead of a park lawn, South Amboy hosts its own installment of the county's summer concert series on Wednesday evening. Bring a chair and watch the sun go down over the bay while the music plays.

🎵 The Cody Sisters & Kathleen Parks | Wed, July 8 | 7:30–9:30 PM | Parker Press Park, Woodbridge | Free
Woodbridge Wednesdays keeps it eclectic with two acclaimed Americana and roots artists sharing the bill. Parker Press Park is one of the more intimate outdoor venues in Central Jersey, making this a relaxed pick for couples or a family evening out. Bring a blanket and dinner from a nearby spot.

🥬 Rahway Farmers Market | Thurs, July 9 | 12–7 PM | Train Station Plaza, Rahway | Free admission
Rahway's weekly farmers market runs every Thursday through November, with fresh produce and local vendors set up right downtown. A simple, no-cost way to spend part of the afternoon, and an easy pairing with dinner at one of the nearby restaurants.

🎶 Live at the Paseo | Fri, July 10 | 6:30–9:30 PM | 1501 Main St., Rahway | Free
Rahway's Friday night concert series continues downtown, with local musicians covering everything from funk and Latin sounds to rock and jazz each week. It's a short walk from UCPAC, so it pairs naturally with a stroll through the Arts District. Grab dinner from one of the nearby restaurants and make a night of it.

🎵 Middlesex County Music-in-the-Park | Sat, July 11 | 6–7:30 PM | Spring Lake Park, South Plainfield | Free
Middlesex County's long-running summer concert series stops in South Plainfield this Saturday evening. It's a low-key, family-friendly show in a county park setting, a good option if you want live music without the downtown crowds.

As always, you can check out our full events page for more on what’s happening around Central Jersey, and if you have a community event you’d like listed, don’t hesitate to reach out.

It was a busy week across Central Jersey. Here's what The Central Jerseyan covered.

Storms knocked out power across Central Jersey as a dangerous heat wave continues.
A fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms tore through Rahway, Edison, and Woodbridge Friday night, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and disrupting NJ Transit service. More than 300,000 customers lost power statewide at the storm's peak, with clusters of over 1,000 outages in both Woodbridge and Linden. The storm hit during what state officials are calling New Jersey's most dangerous heat wave in more than a decade, with 19 suspected heat-related deaths reported so far this week. An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect, and residents without air conditioning can find cooling centers at nj211.org or by calling 211.
Read the full story →

Speed Skills Track Club brought home nearly two dozen medals from regionals.
The Rahway-based youth track club claimed 10 regional championships and four runner-up finishes at the AAU Region 1 Championships in Schenectady, New York. Athletes as young as 7 swept multiple events, and the club now heads to Junior Olympic qualifying meets in Pennsylvania, California, and Iowa this month. Head coach Amir Onque-Shabazz said academics come first for his athletes, no exceptions. Every one of his runners is an honor roll student, he said, and a bad grade means sitting out.
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A second Union County ballot challenge has failed in court.
A judge rejected an Elizabeth councilman's attempt to remove independent candidate Janei Holder from the November ballot, the second such challenge to fail in eight days after a similar case involving Rahway mayoral candidate Hope Moran. Holder submitted 283 signatures and needed only 138, but the county clerk's office and the challenger disputed dozens of them. The judge ruled the challenger failed to prove his case and dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.
Read the full story →

🍕 Registration Open: Woodbridge Pizza Run | Register by Tues, July 7 for guaranteed T-shirt | Race Day: Wed, July 15 | Alvin P. Williams Park, Sewaren | $25
Registration is open now for Woodbridge's annual Pizza Run, and if you sign up by July 7, you're guaranteed a T-shirt on race day. The event itself is a 5K through Sewaren's waterfront neighborhoods on July 15, part of the township's Mayor's Wellness Campaign. The course is rolling and flat with water stops along the way, and the real reward comes after you cross the finish line: pizza and drinks from local spots like Moby Dick's and Wegmans, plus music from DJ Mr. Tunes at the awards celebration. Top finishers take home medals. Rain or shine. Register at runsignup.com (search Downtown Woodbridge 4 Mile Pizza Extravaganza).

Happy first birthday to The Central Jerseyan! This month marks one year since this site launched during a small gathering with close friends, not fully realizing it would take hours just to get the site up and running.

A lot has changed since that rocky launch. What started as a one-person operation with zero local sources and a steep learning curve on both journalism and running a business has grown into a publication now producing dozens of stories a month across four towns. None of that growth happens without readers who show up, share stories, and support the work.

If The Central Jerseyan has been useful to you this year, consider marking the anniversary by becoming a Citizen Supporter. Five dollars a month goes directly toward keeping local reporting independent and growing into year two.

Become a Citizen Supporter →

And if this newsletter helps you stay informed, forward it to someone who should be reading it too. Every new subscriber strengthens independent local reporting and keeps more neighbors in the loop. The bigger this community grows, the stronger our coverage becomes.

Tell Your Friends About Us →

This week's trivia: Rahway shares its name with a Native American word tied to the waterway that runs through it. What does the word "Rahway" mean, and which Native American tribe is credited with giving the area its original name?

Last week’s trivia: 

Question 1: Central Jersey played a starring role in the birth of American democracy. The first official Independence Day celebration in United States history did not take place in Philadelphia. It happened right here, in what is now Middlesex County, in 1778. What did General George Washington order the Continental Army to do that day, and where did it take place?

Answer: Washington ordered the Continental Army to perform a feu de joie, a ceremonial running fire of musket and cannon salutes, on the banks of the Raritan River in what is now Piscataway.

Question 2: Thomas Edison's Menlo Park laboratory sits in what is now Edison Township, but the township didn't always carry his name. What was the township called before it was renamed in Edison's honor, and what year did the name change take effect?

Answer: The township was originally called Raritan Township. It was renamed Edison in 1954.

Here’s the weather for the upcoming week:

🌧️ Monday, July 6: Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms and heavy rain in the afternoon — temperatures range from 67°F to 84°F.

🌦️ Tuesday, July 7: A chance of showers with lingering possible thunderstorms in the afternoon under mostly cloudy skies — temperatures range from 68°F to 82°F.

⛅ Wednesday, July 8: Partly sunny and returning to drier, more comfortable conditions as the storm system moves out — temperatures range from 70°F to 87°F.

🌤️ Thursday, July 9: Mostly sunny skies and increasingly warm weather as the heat starts to build again — temperatures range from 72°F to 91°F.

☀️ Friday, July 10: Sunny, hot, and clear conditions expected throughout the day as we head into the weekend — temperatures range from 74°F to 93°F.

🌤️ Saturday, July 11: Mostly sunny and hot, though keep an eye out for a slight chance of an evening shower — temperatures range from 75°F to 94°F.

⛅ Sunday, July 12: Partly cloudy and very warm, with scattered afternoon thunderstorms possible to close out the weekend — temperatures range from 73°F to 91°F.

Have a great week!