WALL − The Historic Village of Allaire was in peak spring form on Saturday, when an expected 3,000 visitors strolled the grounds in weather that finally felt like Spring.
They could take a photo with the cheerful Easter bunny, gawk at three-week old baby chicks, get adorned with a glitter tattoo, and visit with a blacksmith like the days of old.
The activities were geared for children, but parents, who spent the past six months desperately searching for indoor activities to keep them out of the cold, wind and rain, said the day felt like a turning point.
Visitors flocked to Allaire Village in Wall for its annual Easter celebration.
“It’s the time of year where it’s finally getting nice out,” said Samantha Christie, whose 4-year-old daughter, Savannah, dressed in a fancy Easter dress and bunny ears. “You have to take advantage of all the activities.”
Christie, joined by her family and neighbors, was part of the Jersey Shore crowds taking advantage of the warm weather that no doubt brought relief to residents who couldn’t help but wonder if winter would ever end. Temperatures reached 83 degrees in the afternoon, climbing ahead of an approaching cold front, the National Weather Service said.
The day gave local families a chance to visit historic sites, walk the boardwalk and even sit on the beach before the throngs of tourists are expected to descend on the Jersey Shore after Memorial Day.
And it gave parents a chance to remember what it was like to be outside.
Paraskevan Moisakis, of Howell, carried a baby carrier while his wife, Eleni, pushed a stroller, their two children, Kyriaki, 3, and Ermioni, 7 moths in tow.
What had the winter been like? How had they…
“Survived?” Paraskevan, 33, said, anticipating the question.
“It’s been a lot like trying to go to places that are indoor, like a mall,” Eleni, 32, said. “It’s been horrible, really. But this is really fun. it’s fun to be out.”
Allaire Village officials breathed a sigh of relief. They hosted a similar event last weekend, but the cold, rainy weather dampened the crowds.
The village was a factory town in the early 1800s that was home to Howell Iron Works Co., complete with workers’ homes, a school, a blast furnace, mills, and a general store. Now a museum, it is operated by a nonprofit group. One problem with historic buildings? They don’t have heat. So the village is closed January through March.
The organization’s leaders rely on events like the Easter celebration to raise money. And they cross their fingers that the up-and-down spring weather will fall in their favor.
“We had the event last week, but the weather wasn’t really working. Today it’s working for us, so we’re very thankful,” said Daryl O’Connell, director of development and operations. “I think our staff has become minor meteorologists.”
No record temps, but still…
The temperature Saturday fell short of the record high of 92 degrees in Trenton in 1976 and Atlantic City in 1985. And the warm weather was expected to be brief; the forecast for Easter Sunday calls for highs in the lower 60s and gusty winds, and a chillier day on Monday with highs in the mid 50s, the National Weather Service said.
But the weather on Sunday still should be passable.
“It looks dry, fortunately, for everybody who is enjoying Easter Sunday,” said Ray Martin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.
At Allaire Village, the signs of spring were a welcome sight. Children waited patiently for a photo with the Easter Bunny. A magician created giant bubbles. An aerialist twisted and turned through the air.
The warm-spell, brief as it was, convinced Luis and Ana Castro of Neptune to visit Allaire with their 1-1/2-year-old daughter, Eliana, who sported homemade bunny ears with her name on it.
“I’m ready for spring weather, summer weather,” Ana Castro said. “We’re definitely summer people.”
“I’m not,” Luis Castro said. “i like the winter. I like the cold. But i don’t complain about nice warm weather where i don’t have to bundle up.”
Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter. He has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry since 1999. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore parents flock to Allaire Village for Easter celebration
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