Giant waterslide to make its inaugural Garden State splash in West Orange

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Street Fair will be transformed into the biggest block party of the summer when Slide the City comes to town on June 4, according to a recent release from the township. Family and friends alike can slip down the giant waterslide while nearby fairgoers snag everything from gourmet desserts to shish kabobs and homemade ice cream. The wet and wild attraction stretches across Mount Pleasant Avenue from I-280 to Main Street.

Slide the City’s first trip to New Jersey is part of the Downtown Alliance and Thomas Edison National Park’s 13th annual street fair. Sliding starts at 9 a.m. Meanwhile, the street fair will kick off on Main Street from 11 a.m. and run until 6 p.m. Activities at the event will include a beer garden, food vendors, a DJ, a classic car show and concert with live music from area band Rude Boy George.

“I’m thrilled the slide is coming to our town, the first in New Jersey,” Mayor Robert Parisi said in the release. “It’s a great opportunity for the community to come together for a day of fun, visit the street fair and celebrate all West Orange has to offer.”

Megan Brill, director of the Downtown West Orange Alliance, says the organization is excited to have Slide the City on board this year. “The street fair is a great event and last year we had well over 50 different resident businesses and community groups participating,” she said in the release. “The slide is a great addition and I think it’ll be good for West Orange.”

Admission to the street fair and Thomas Edison National Park is free. Slide the City participants can purchase a single, triple or ultimate slider pass during a selected wave time and are encouraged to sign up before April 1 to take advantage of the current rate. Online registration is now open at http://www.slidethecity.com/location/west-orange/.

“This unique event was a huge success last year, but for 2016 we are going to be adding some fun entertainment to give it more of a community feel,” Slide the City co-owner John Malfatto said in the release. “You can experience West Orange like never before.”

All those over 5 years of age and 46 inches tall are welcome to slide.

For more information on the street fair, visit http://www.westorange.org/index.aspx?NID=1116.