Photo by Chris Sykes Mayor Tony Vauss, center, stands between rapper Miss Nana, left, and her father, manager, promoter and onstage ‘hype man’ Big 7 on Saturday, Aug. 13, after her performance at the annual Unity Day end-of-summer event.
Mayor Tony Vauss, center, stands between rapper Miss Nana, left, and her father, manager, promoter and onstage ‘hype man’ Big 7 on Saturday, Aug. 13, after her performance at the annual Unity Day end-of-summer event.
IRVINGTON, NJ — Irvington’s annual Unity Day celebration took place in Orange Avenue Park on Saturday, Aug. 13, with revelers coming from around the state to enjoy the festivities.
Michael Echevestre said he came all the way from Kearny in Hudson County for the event, along with his friend Jessica Difeo, on Saturday, Aug. 13. “Kearny ain’t got no pools. You guys got a hundred. It’s good though. It’s good for community and all that. I like this. They need to do that in Kearny more. Get everybody together and stuff.”
Echevestre said the best thing about Unity Day was the fact that, even though he and his friends don’t reside in Irvington, they felt welcome at the event. “Everybody’s polite. Everybody’s doing their own thing, just enjoying the day: good weather, good everything.”
“It’s a nice, big wide open space and it’s pleasing to just enjoy the time here,” said Difeo on Saturday, Aug. 13. “The pool was awesome. They need to do this everywhere.”
Echevestre, Difeo and the rest of their friends said there was “a good atmosphere” at the Unity Day event and said they wouldn’t have any qualms about coming back to Irvington in the future to enjoy other clean, safe, community-oriented events.
Mayor Tony Vauss said he was very glad to hear that, as his administration’s mission is to make the township clean and safe, so people such as Echevestre, DiFeo and their friends would feel as welcome as possible, especially at events similar to Unity Day.
“Unity doesn’t stop at the Irvington borders,” said Vauss on Saturday, Aug. 13. “Essex County, New Jersey, this whole country — this is the example of how we need to be, not just here in New Jersey, but around the whole country.”
Vauss said events such as Unity Day, which bring the township’s diverse, multicultural community together, are important to building the bonds that hold all communities together. That’s why, he said, they are a priority for him and his administration, particularly for Recreation Department and Cultural Affairs Director Donald Malloy, to organize.
The mayor and Malloy said they weren’t about to let the nearly 100-degree temperatures last weekend put a damper on the event, although both admitted they were “sweating buckets.”
“Although it’s hot, we tried to put extra tents out here,” said Vauss. “We have people having a good time. The pool is open, kids are enjoying themselves playing in the pool. It’s just a fun, fun afternoon. Everybody looks forward to this every year. We’re having a great time. We had some nice performers and everything is just going very, very well.”
Rapper and Newark native Miss Nana came out with her father, Big 7, her manager, promoter and onstage hype man, to entertain the crowd of hundreds gathered at center stage and beneath the tents. The two said they were glad to perform at Irvington Unity Day, adding the temperature brought new meaning to the word “hot” but, as every performer knows, “the show must go on.”
“We gotta do what we do for our community,” said Big 7 on Saturday, Aug. 13. “I do what I do for my family and she deserves it. … Rain, sun, whatever. We’re here, we gonna make it happen.”
Miss Nana shared her father’s sentiments.
“We shut down the stage and performed for the kids, adults, the elderly, everybody,” said Miss Nana on Saturday, Aug. 13. “It was a good event.”
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