BERGEN COUNTY’S WINTER WONDERLAND RECOGNIZED FOR NEW ATTRACTION
‘Ice Bumper Cars’ presented with Daniel M. Gasalberti Award from New Jersey Parks and Recreation Association (NJRPA)
HACKENSACK, NJ – County Executive Jim Tedesco, the County Board of Commissioners, and the County Parks Department are excited to announce that Bergen County’s Annual Winter Wonderland festival in Van Saun County Park received recognition from New Jersey Parks and Recreation Association (NJRPA) for the event’s new “Ice Bumper Car” attraction which opened this past 2022-2023 season.
The NJPRA presented the County Parks Department with the Daniel M. Gasalberti Recreation Programming Award for excellence in recreational planning. Named after former Rutherford Director of Parks and NJRPA President Daniel Gasalberti, the award was presented to Bergen County Parks officials at the New Jersey Recreation and Park Association (NJRPA) Annual Awards Ceremony held in Atlantic City, NJ this past March.
“We could not be more honored to receive this recognition from the New Jersey Recreation and Park Association. Every year, the County looks forward to growing and expanding our Winter Wonderland festival at Van Saun County Park,” said County Executive Jim Tedesco. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this new and exciting attraction to our visitors, and look forward to welcoming more guests to our Wonderland in the coming winter seasons!”
"Winter Wonderland has provided us a great opportunity to utilize our fantastic parks even when the weather is cold. We are always seeking ways to improve the experiences our residents and visitors have here,” said Bergen County Commissioner Chairman Tom Sullivan. “The ice bumper cars that opened for the first time this past winter became one of our main attractions. We are honored that the New Jersey Parks and Recreation Association awarded us for excellence in recreational planning. We have a great team that was able to make it all come together."
The New Jersey Recreation and Park Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting parks and recreation; enhancing the professional development of its members; advocating sound policy and stewardship related to parks, recreation, resource management, and leisure services; and increasing awareness of the value of play and preservation of the environment to interested citizens and the public.
Bergen County’s Winter Wonderland at Van Saun County Park, introduced in 2016, operates annually every winter season from November to February. A general admission ticket to Bergen County’s Winter Wonderland allows ticketholders to enjoy access to ice skating, a heated hospitality tent, games, activities, food trucks, an indoor/outdoor beer and wine garden, and an iconic 30-foot centerpiece Christmas Tree, transporting families to a winter paradise right here in Bergen County. Ice Bumper Cars admission is available for an additional fee.
Photo Caption:
Retired Assistant State Parks Director John Trontis, County Executive Jim Tedesco, Assistant Parks Director Ron Subramaniam, and Morris County Parks Director Bill Foelsch
About the Bergen County Parks Department
The Bergen County Parks Department is dedicated to providing recreation opportunities for all, preserving open space, enhancing environmental health, and protecting significant cultural and historic sites for current and future generations. The Bergen County Parks System which has been connecting people to nature for 75 years, spans over 9,000 acres and includes a nationally accredited zoo, six golf courses, 21 parks, two horseback riding areas, an environmental center and nine historic sites.
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