Autumn Lights Festival draws record crowd

WEST MILFORD — Over 15,000 people came out to West Milford Saturday for the 2012 Autumn Lights Festival. The crowd was even bigger than last year’s, according to the festival’s media coordinator Erika Crocco.

It was a crisp 54 degrees at 2 p.m., but blue skies, four stages of live music, hula hoops and country line dancing were enough to keep most warm. There were pony rides all afternoon, the famous BBQ chicken with all the trimmings made by the West Milford Presbyterian Church, $8 hair cuts, paintball booths, super slides for the kids, even a living room complete with packed book shelves and two comfortable sofas lined Union Valley Road.

Shoppers were thrilled with over 200 vendors offering a huge variety of crafts and goods.

Food was plentiful as well. And this year there were three eating contests: pasta, pickles and the newest addition, blueberry pie. It was a great community day.

“I enjoy coming out with my two boys, Keith and Thomas, and seeing all my neighbors and friends in one place,” said James Hopkins of Hewitt. “This is a positive thing the town does for us. You can’t get this true country feel everywhere.”