Message from Councilmember Ellen Zimmerman – September 25, 2026
Autumn has a way of bringing Scotch Plains outside. The air cools down, the calendar fills up and neighbors who may have spent the summer heading in different directions find themselves together again. This year, the first weekend of October gives us four very different reasons to reconnect.
Scotch Plains Weekend runs Friday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 4, and I hope residents will pick the events that speak to them - or make a full weekend of it.
Friday night belongs to families. On Oct. 2, the Alan M. Augustine Village Green at 430 Park Ave. will host pumpkin painting beginning at 6 p.m., while supplies last. At 7:15 p.m., the lights go down for a showing of The Addams Family. Bring lawn chairs and blankets and settle in for a fall evening downtown.
Saturday morning shifts the focus from fun to purpose. The Rose Checchio Walk to Wipe Out Breast Cancer returns Oct. 3 in memory of a woman whose service and spirit remain part of Scotch Plains. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Scotch Plains Municipal Building, 430 Park Ave., and the walk begins at 9 a.m. Registration is $25 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger, with net proceeds benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through Play for P.I.N.K.
There is something especially meaningful about seeing residents walk together in the name of a cherished local leader. It keeps the councilmember’s memory connected to the community she served while directing that energy toward breast cancer research that can help families everywhere.
Saturday also offers a completely different kind of community activity at Jerseyland Park, 2354 Beryllium Road. The Fall FreeCycle Market gives useful household items another life instead of sending them into the waste stream. Scotch Plains residents who registered in advance can drop off accepted items during appointment windows from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Shopping is open to everyone from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The concept could not be simpler: give what you can and take what you need.
By Sunday, the weekend moves into celebration mode. Scotch Plains Day and the Car Show take over East 2nd Street and Park Avenue on Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with car-show roll-in beginning at 10 a.m. Admission is free and no vehicle registration is required.
Expect a wide mix of classics, customs, trucks, motorcycles, Jeeps, muscle cars, exotics and imports, along with trophies, music, food and drinks, vendors and family activities. Hot 97's DJ Drewski is scheduled as celebrity DJ, and special appearances include Train Wreck, a DeLorean and the original Batmobile.
Taken together, these events say a lot about Scotch Plains. In one weekend, we make time for our children, remember a dedicated community leader, support an important cause, reduce waste and reuse what still has value, and then gather downtown simply to enjoy the town and one another.
That variety is what makes the weekend worth marking on the calendar. You do not have to attend everything to be part of it. Paint a pumpkin. Take the family to a movie. Walk for Rose. Find something useful at FreeCycle. Spend Sunday downtown. However you choose to participate, I hope you will take some time during Oct. 2-4 to enjoy Scotch Plains and the people who make this community feel like home.
I also want to recognize the township employees, Parks and Recreation staff, public safety personnel and volunteers whose planning and work make a full weekend like this possible. Their efforts are visible in the details residents often never have to think about - and that is another sign of a job well done.
I look forward to seeing you around town throughout the weekend!
