Washington Town Center North Park, Robbinsville, NJ

We had always been planing to have a somewhat more elaborate party for all the friends and family who could not come to our wedding, which was a deliberate small affair. Since there is a park right in front of the house , having a BBQ there sounded like pretty good idea. Not sure if this would work, we contacted the township administration, which did grant us a permit for the use of the park without much trouble (no alcohol, though...). Hiring a caterer who was able or willing to accommodate our date on short notice was a bit trickier, but finally everything is arranged pretty easily. Luckily we also had decided to get a tent, since the day is turning out one of the hottest of the year, after a week of rather cold weather.

We clearly seem to be setting a precedent, since to our knowledge, nobody has used the park before for any kind function, public or private. Once the preparations are starting to show signs of unusual, if not suspicious activities - like setting up a tent in the park - the police arrives on the scene, since they had apparently been receiving quite a few calls on the matter. We show the permit, which seems to satisfy. Shortly thereafter the shift supervisor arrives on the scene personally for a second visit, since the first officer had apparently failed to inspect the permit properly.





The party itself is quite a success - despite the very hot weather and many people being stuck in traffic trying to get there - as any NJ resident can attest that on any summer week-end, there simply is no good way to go south... ;-) Being next to the house is ideal, for going to cool off, going to the bathroom and getting something to drink since the caterer runs out of liquids halfway through the afternoon.

At the end of the day, everything disappears they way it came (except the tent stakes are stuck in the ground overnight until somebody comes to remove them with special tools the next morning). We did not seem to have caused too much damage or disturbance. But it remains to be seen if next year, this type of event will be more common or banned by a new town ordinance against disturbance of the peace...