K-Fest to Go On Despite Kinnelon Road Closure

The tropical storm that resulted from damaged several , but it will not rain on the parade of

Kinnelon's first-ever celebration of the Kinnelon community is scheduled for Oct. 2 at Lake Rickabear. Under the leadership of KAMELOT Chairwoman Olga Gilhooley, several committees have worked tirelessly to put together an event that combines free food, entertainment and activities- all with a Kinnelon theme.

Planning for K-Fest has been underway for months, but the committees and Gilhooley could not possibly have planned for the remnants of a hurricane to hit Kinnelon. Last week, a , just before Lake Rickabear, collapsed.

Gilhooley approached the Thursday to ask if the county, which owns the roadway, would be able to fix Kinnelon Road prior to K-Fest. Mayor Bob Collins said he did not think the work would be done in time. Collins wrote a letter to the county last week requesting temporary one-lane access and is still waiting to hear back.

But despite the road closure, K-Fest will go on, Gilhooley said.

"The answer is yes. The show must go on," she said.

Detours are in effect and organizers are considering increasing signage by the detour signs to lead attendees to Lake Rickabear. Additionally, Gilhooley said she had been in touch with Superintendent James Opiekun, who she said agreed that the school district would allow attendees to park at and use a bus, which Gilhooley called the "Fun Shuttle Bus," to transport attendees to the campgrounds.

Gilhooley said the organizers did not want to move the event from Lake Rickabear because much of the design work that has already been done for the event has focused on the site.

"It really is a beautiful backdrop and a little slice of heaven," she said.

As the date of the event draws near, Gilhooley wanted to remind residents that this is not a kids-only event, although there will be a "kids zone" and "teen zone." The event is a drug- and alcohol-free event, though, as KAMELOT, Kinnelon's municipal alliance, is sponsoring it.

When entering K-Fest, attendees will have the opportunity to donate to three local charities if they choose: the Kinnelon food pantry, the Kinnelon Animal Shelter and Friends of Chaz, an organization that helps provide monetary relief to families who have been forced to pay costly medical bills due to illness. Additionally, Kinnelon's Project Graduation Committee will be selling mums.

The K-Fest organizers are also looking into partnering with a national organization to do a coat drive at the event.

An artist's colony will be set up near a house that sits on the camp where local artists will be able to showcase and sell their work. The artists will also be giving demonstrations to attendees.

As for the food, the Kinnelon Council will be cooking up hamburgers and hotdogs and the organizers are looking at making a food court with samples from local vendors. Representatives of the and, as well as , will also be at the event, both to explain what they do to attendees and for safety purposes.

The planning committee has been and will continue to work on finalizing plans in the coming weeks, although more volunteers are needed.

"It's going to take a village for this one," Gilhooley said.

Those interested in volunteering can contact Gilhooley directly at ogil8985@optonline.net