A reprise, just because … TGIF and the rest of the steamy summer weekend!
Oh, the weekend has arrived … and what better way to celebrate than raising a glass to memories of an old toga party. Remember those?
Continue reading Retro RFH TGIF Toga Party
The following piece was originally posted on July 8, 2015. As we dive into summer season, we thought it only fitting to remember good summer times outside of the usual beach romp for those who grew up and raised their families in the Rumson-Fair Haven area — summer theater. Once upon a time, there was a special little place in Rumson called The Barn … Take a trip back with us to simple summers and magical, theatrical times …
Remember The Barn Theater in Rumson?
Well, if you don’t, you missed out and are probably significantly younger than those who do and didn’t — miss out, that is.
It’s a plus if you’re that young. But, it’s definitely a factor in the minus category if you didn’t work, play or get entertained there.
It was a community theater that cast hundreds, maybe thousands, from the area, including many Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) students.
The building is still there, only a few blocks away from the high school on Avenue of Two Rivers near the intersection at Ridge Road. The reason why it was called The Barn was, well, because it was an old barn, gutted (if there is such a thing with a barn) and converted into a small arena-type stage theater, with the stage at floor level and risers around it as seats, though not all the way around.
You get the picture. Now, here’s what’s behind the place’s show folk and shows …
Continue reading Retro Rumson Summer: The Barn Theater
All’s cool with these little rats in the pool … or, more like down by the river! A reprise from 2018 in ode to the tradition of summer recreating on the river in the Rumson-Fair Haven area. It’s all about River Rats, one summer rite of passage in the area …
Summers in the Rumson-Fair Haven area are rife with river-oriented activities that have become tradition.
River Rats’ sailing “camp” is no exception. OK, nobody was camping. It was more like a little club. Still is.
It’s been a sort of rite-of-living-on-the-Navesink passage for decades — since 1955. Kids learn how to boat and do a lot of summer fun bonding in the process.
Continue reading Retro Cool River Rat Daze
Summer theater productions are opening once again all over the Rumson-Fair Haven area. This seasonal show time for locals has proven as popular as hitting the beach with buddies — OK, far away from the invasion of the outta town tourists.
Continue reading Retro RFH Summer Theatrics
A reprise for history’s sake …
The Rumson beach boys of the 1960s no sooner made their retro appearance than the iconic spot of their clubbing and lifeguard stand antics became a focal point of the snapshot.
And there’s a sequel with a girl added to the beach boy mix, apparently having broken up the standoff on the lifeguard stand, calming top spot. Mayhem ensued. Meanwhile, back at the club …
Continue reading Retro Rumson Beach Boys & Girl & Clubbing History
The sun has had a hard time peering out from the dank weather veil these days. So, daydreaming about a simpler summer time when a dive into the ocean in Sea Bright was all you needed comes a lot easier than that ball of fire and the imminent need to cool down.
Continue reading Retro RFH Guys’ Summer DiveOur annual RFH graduation reprise in honor of the RFH Class of 2023 … Congrats!
RFHers did the graduation walk on Friday. And it’s a walk that has veered off onto different paths over the years — but always to Pomp & Circumstance.
Wow. So much has changed, yet stayed the same. The venue has gone from the RFH Borden Stadium to the front lawn to the Borden Stadium and the football field again to the RFH auditorium and mixed up and around over the years. Now it’s at the Monmouth University. And two years ago, in pandemic times, the venue was outside, masked and virtual. Now it’s back to Monmouth again for the second year out of pandemic graduation times.
Continue reading Retro RFH Graduation Traditions
A reprise from Feb. 5, 2016 in honor of Juneteenth …
The Fair Haven Fisk AME Chapel is steeped in tradition — Fair Haven tradition and roots that many do not realize jut very deep into the community.
Many of the founding families of Fair Haven have roots that are deeply entrenched in the church. A lot of the names and faces are traceable back to the early days of the church, back in the mid-1800s.
Continue reading Retro Fair Haven Fisk AME Chapel Folks
Fair Haven eighth graders have done both walks — the traditional final walk down Third Street and that graduation walk.
Continue reading Retro Gowned-Up Fair Haven Girl Grads
A reprise in honor of those eighth grade graduations … Congrats, grads!
The Fair Haven Knollwood School grads are styling every year. And, the truth is that the eighth grade graduation attire has improved to the point of even parents turning wannabes of that mini-fashion world.
You’d have to admit, though, that fad dress-up attire has been kinder to the male gender over the years — except for the leisure suit. That was an unforgiving polyester fashion fail.
Continue reading Retro Stylin’ Knollwood Grads
School’s out and graduation’s near — very near. And the heat is always on to seek out a good time among class friends. So, there’s nothing quite like a final class trip to — with class clowns, friends, foes and teachers. Yes, teachers — sun bathing and all.
This particular trip was taken in 1974 to a dude ranch somewhere with Fair Haven’s Knollwood School soon-to-be grads and teachers. Where? None of the old folks in the pictures can remember. Hey, some of us don’t even remember the trip.
Continue reading Retro Knollwood Grads’ Class Trippin’
A classic reprise in honor of those summer days down by the river. Some things never change, except maybe swimwear …
Yes, real summer’s here. And the haze these days is bringing us back to a bit of a Rumson riverfront daze.
Continue reading Retro Rumson Pier Summer Sunning Daze
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