Super Bowl Events Coming to Ridgewood in 2014
A winter festival was one idea pitched by a local superbowl committee.
Ridgewood is looking to cash in on the football gravy train, dreaming up events that will attract Super Bowl crowds to the village in 2014.
More than 100,000 people are expected to descend upon the area for the 2014 Super Bowl, hosted at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Feb. 7.
Being one of two officially designated towns of interest by the Super Bowl Host Committee (the other being Montclair), the village council has formed a committee of about 20 citizens to create events that could attract tourists from around Bergen and Rockland County.
Committee member John Saraceno said the citizen committee thinks an event similar to the annual "Winterfest" could be effective next year. It might even take place over a three-day period (Thur-Sat), he said.
"If we could accomplish some of it, I think it would be a great showcase for Ridgewood to shine for two or three days in February of 2014," Saraceno told the council.
Separately, former NY Giant Jeff Feagles will also work on bringing Giants players to the village, Saraceno said.
The NFL host commitee has not pledged any money, according to the committee member.
While Ridgewood's planning efforts remain very much in the infant stages, the potential is "exciting," Mayor Paul Aronsohn said.
"A couple hundred thousand people will come to the area for a week, which is a great opportunity for our businesses and restaurants," he remarked, adding it could also be beneficial to non-profits and local children.
kim
9:10 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
more parking spaces will be needed ....
jp1
1:06 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2013
As i have said before why come to either of these towns when you have NYC? This must be a joke.
Melvin Freedenberg
1:06 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2013
Dream on.
News Man
1:06 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2013
A Ridgewood Hotel would be useful in Town and/or nearby Railroad Station.
We should have made plans a long time ago.
The Status Quo just doesn't work any more.
News Man
3:03 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2013
PS .. be alert this game its being played in NJ and hotel and business services are here in Ridgewood and the Chamber should plan on how to best take advantage of it all.
Mikka H
8:31 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
The chamber?
That's pretty funny.....a complete non entity......
Let's c ......should I go to NYC or hopping downtown ridge wood?
How pathetic......
JAFO
1:35 pm on Monday, April 22, 2013
Montclair has their "stuff" together. What's RIdgewood's plan?
In Montclair, some of the week's highlights will include:
• Grammy Award-winning jazz artist Christian McBride of Montclair composing a musical score to go along with a film of the greatest football plays of all time, to be shown at the Wellmont Theater.
• The Montclair Film Festival showing football films all over town.
• The Montclair Art Museum formulating an exhibit connected to the sport.
• Studio Montclair, an organization of visual artists, creating original artwork on cotton football jerseys that will be displayed and offered for sale.
• An NFL popup store selling Super Bowl footballs, mugs and other memorabilia popping up for a week somewhere along Bloomfield Avenue
• South Fullerton Avenue transforming into a ski slope with snow-tubing on fake snow created by Montclair native Alex Bronander's snowmaking company, SnowMagic.
• Restaurant week with $20.14 tailgate specials.
• The former Rascals Comedy Club on Bloomfield Avenue, now vacant, turning into a 2014 pub where spectators can grab a beer or simply warm up.
• Part of Bloomfield Avenue shutting down and becoming the site of four hospitality tents
• Four tethered hot air balloons giving rides, albeit short ones, on the grounds of Hillside School.
Other events include live music on Park Street, a 5K fun run, an adult touch football league and "Madden NFL trucks" that are vehicles for video games.