That Elizabeth was once referred to as the Detroit of the East. That’s right the first automobile assembly line was located right in Port Elizabeth. In 1888 Lawrence Riker founded the first electric vehicle company and soon became the largest manufacture of electric cards in the world. The “Horseless Carriage” was born.
Then in 1922, William Durant, owner of Durant Motor Company announced that his new “Star” cars would be made in Elizabeth. The factory would be located in the old Burry Biscuits building on North and Newark Avenues. At one point, the Elizabeth plant sent 300 Star cars and 125 Durant’s rolling from Elizabeth to Lebanon PA in a convoy billed as one of the largest in the world.
And speaking of cars rolling along, a 2009 market study reported that an estimated 15-20,000 cars travel Elizabeth Avenue in a single day….
And what they see, it depends, but if they’re traveling down the Avenue at any point during the year, they may be likely to see on of the many parades, bicycle tours, farmers markets or holiday events that occur in all four seasons…
Let’s start with spring, the city’s busiest time of year -- Bicycle Tours, Parades, Carnivals and Farmer’s Markets attract hundreds if not thousands of visitors to the area each year. The action begins in May with the city’s most popular event, the annual Tour de Elizabeth which starts and finishes at Historic Union Square Plaza on Elizabeth Avenue. This year’s ride featured nearly 500 cyclists who traveled down the Avenue and along the waterfront before looping around 15 miles of the city. Also in May, the Cuban Lyons Club held their annual Cuban Day Parade on the Avenue with horses, classic cars and the Elizabeth High School Marching Band. The parade starts at the Cuban Club on New Point Road and marches up Elizabeth Avenue to City Hall as onlookers just back from the Tour Bicycle ride watch the colorful horses trot by. The Memorial Day Waterfront Festival is a wonderful event to cap off May and attracts thousands of visitors who enjoy the live music, vendors, food and games. June marks a very busy time in and around the Elizabeth Avenue shopping district. It begins with the first Saturday in June when the EAP sponsors the first of four free Saturday’s of Children’s Events. Union Square will come alive between 12-3 p.m. with a petting zoo, pony rides, clowns and face painters. The first Sunday in June is high time for the colorful Portuguese Day Parade complete with Floats, Classic Cars and Marching Bands. The parade, equipped with colorful floats, marching bands and a youthful exuberance of children and adults alike, starts at Union Square and continues up Elizabeth Avenue to Broad Street en route to the Portuguese Club for a festive celebration and cookout. Speaking of cookouts, the Elizabeth Avenue Farmers Market kicks off in June and features “Jersey Fresh” produce from local farmers including the most delicious Sweet Corn and other home grown fruits and vegetables. Hispanic Heritage Month lunchtime concerts are held at Union Square from September through October while the Elizabeth Avenue Labor Day Carnival marks and end to summer. Pumpkins, pies and holiday lights mark the end of a very busy, and exciting year on Elizabeth Avenue capped off by the Elizabeth Avenue Partnership’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony to kick off the holiday season.
This Site Provided by Elizabeth Avenue Partnership 815 Elizabeth Avenue, Suite # 302, Elizabeth, NJ 07201 Phone 908.965.0660 Fax 908.353.0989 eap@elizabethavenue.org
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