Downtown Denville

Denville After Dark

Downtown Denville After Dark 2023

Recapping the Fun-Filled Denville After Dark Summer Events in Downtown Denville!

A summer to remember in Downtown Denville. Denville’s After Dark events, which took place on July 28th and August 18th, turned the heart of Downtown Denville into a vibrant hub of excitement and entertainment.

From 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM on these special nights, Broadway, the main street of Downtown Denville underwent a remarkable transformation, offering an array of attractions to keep everyone delighted. From family-friendly activities to an inviting outdoor bar, live music that sets the perfect mood, and shops extending their hours, Denville After Dark had it all.

July 28th: A Sizzling Success

The July 28th event was an absolute hit, drawing crowds to a captivating hot dog eating contest that featured hotdogs generously provided by the beloved local business, Denville Dog. Children reveled in the refreshing water features, while the daring had a blast dunking their friendly neighborhood dentists at the Denville Dental Group dunk tank. And that’s not all – Downtown Denville BID also hosted an exciting tricky tray and raffle, which showcased fantastic prizes from various local Downtown Denville establishments.

August 18th: A Cool Night of Competition

Mother Nature graced us with a perfectly crisp and cool summer evening on Friday, August 18th. The highlight of the night was the thrilling pickleball tournament, made possible through Lakeland Hills YMCA. It was a fantastic opportunity for residents and visitors alike to engage in friendly competition and showcase their pickleball prowess.

Both events featured the lively ambiance of an outdoor mobile bar, Jack and Julep, serving up refreshing drinks that perfectly complemented the summer atmosphere. The crowd was kept grooving all evening by the dynamic performances of the live band, Lurker Park. A heartfelt shoutout goes to our generous sponsors, including Lakeland Hills YMCA, Sheeran Real Estate, Peer Hyatt Selling Team, Denville Dental Group, Hunan Taste, Lakeland Bank, Norman Dean, and Evolve Med Spa. Without their invaluable support, these events wouldn’t have been possible.

Downtown Denville: Where A Community Comes Together

At Downtown Denville, our commitment to supporting local businesses and fostering a strong sense of community shines through events like Denville After Dark. We wholeheartedly encourage you to join us in celebrating all that Downtown Denville has to offer. Explore our charming local stores, savor the culinary delights at our exceptional restaurants, and be sure to share the word about what makes Downtown Denville one of the finest downtown shopping districts in New Jersey.

Denville After Dark isn’t just an event; it’s a testament to the spirit of togetherness that defines our community. We eagerly anticipate more incredible moments, more laughter, and more memories in the times to come. Stay connected with us to be in the loop for future events and keep the Downtown Denville spirit alive!

The Holidays in downtown Denville

While we have discussed a Denville After Dark event for the holidays, in view of the new recent restrictions and slow and steady incline of COVID cases, we will not be able to have one. That being said, it is crucial that everyone supports our local small business community as much as possible. Many stores are offering private after-hours shopping, local delivery, outside pick up, and more.

Downtown Denville will be sharing more ways you can support your favorite small business over the next few weeks, but we encourage you to keep as much of your spending in Denville as possible so we can ensure these business make it to 2021.

Denville After Dark – The Finale

Denville After Dark was created to continue to support our downtown community through the pandemic, while keeping our residents and visitors safe. Streets are closed to allow for extra space while mingling, shopping, and eating, and to focus on bringing people together in a low key way. Live music, a caricature artist, and other happenings create a fun vibe that our charming downtown is known for. And tonight is the last one for 2020!

Join us for one more night of community fun. The Fall weather is perfect for celebrating outdoors, we have two new bands (Almost Autumn and Maggie Pietrucha Live) and Denville Sunrise Rotary will be on hand for last minute duck purchases for their virtual races.

Broadway, Center Street, and a portion of First Avenue will be closed to allow for extra space, but there is plenty of parking available in the First Avenue and Bloomfield Avenue parking lots, and along Diamond Spring Road, Main Street, Bloomfield Avenue, and more.

These events are not possible without the generous donations from our sponsors (Saint Francis Residential Community, Denville Strong, Hunan Taste, Duphiney Financial Network, The Peer Hyatt Selling Team, Brad Resnick Photography, Gateway to the Arts, and The Sheeran Real Estate Group), and the tireless efforts of our Board of Directors, volunteers, and staff.

See you tonight!

*Want to help our community to continue to have more events like this? Our businesses need you – donate to our Relief Fund right here.

Event Recap {Denville After Dark}

Did you attend our third Denville After Dark event last week? Once again, Mother Nature cooperated and nearly 1000 people came downtown to enjoy our merchants, fitness classes, restaurants, live music, classic cars, and more as we closed the streets to provide ample space for everyone to move around.

Both Pure Barre Denville and Prana Yoga took to Broadway for the first ever pop-up exercise classes in the street and many jumped at the chance to participate. Once the classes were finished, live music began from the Sugar Daddy Trio and Christy and Steve, both acoustic rock groups back for their second shows in downtown Denville.

Many retailers stayed open late to take advantage of the festivities, and several restaurants moved additional tables into the street to accommodate more diners. With a few new vendors appearing this time, including the sale of yellow rubber ducks for the Rotary’s upcoming Virtual Duck Race, and caricature artist Steve Nyman, there was really something for everyone to enjoy. Just the ability to safely roam the streets with an ice cream cone or shaved ice in hand was a welcome breath of fresh air to summer.

Tap Into Denville and News12 New Jersey were both on hand to report on the evening, and it was a nice low-key community event for residents and guests to feel good (and safe) about attending.

Our next Denville After Dark event is on Friday, September 25th (at the end of this year’s Restaurant Week, which will be 9/20-24). If you are interested in being an event sponsor, or having a vendor table, please e-mail bmesa@downtowndenville.com.

*above photographs taken by Brad Resnick Photography, one of our bronze sponsors for the evening. Additional sponsors for the evening included Saint Francis Residential Community, The Sheeran Real Estate Group, GYM GUYZ, and The Peer Hyatt Selling Team.

Event: Denville After Dark – August 14

We’re back with another Denville After Dark event this week. The fun kicks off at 5:30 pm on Friday, August 14th (rain date: 8/21), and we’ve added more ways to enjoy our beautiful downtown community. Broadway will be closed to cars at 5 pm, along with Center Street and part of First Avenue, giving ample space to keep your distance from others, but allow you to fully enjoy the festivities.

Here are some highlights:

  • Pure Barre is presenting a pop up class at 5:30 pm on Broadway in front of SmartWorld. Save ave your space by texting 973-664-9000 to sign up and reserve your free spot. Prana Yoga will be teaching a free 30-minute class at 5:30 pm as well, contact them for more details.
  • The Sugar Daddy Trio is back and performing live on the corner of Broadway and First Avenue, and Christy & Steve will be singing on Main Street by The Second Half.
  • Classic cars will be on display in the Denville Hardware parking lot from 6 pm on, and the Denville Sunrise Rotary will be selling ducks for their virtual duck race in September, along with 50/50 tickets.
  • Many of our downtown shops will be staying open late for shopping, and there are several choices for dinner, dessert, or drinks at the outdoor dining from our local restaurants.

As always, events like this take a great deal of time and money to put on, so we are very thankful to our sponsors, including Denville Strong, Saint Francis Residential Community, The Peer Hyatt Selling Team, the Sheeran Real Estate Group, GYM GUYZ, and Brad Resnick Photography. Donations to our Downtown Denville Relief Fund help us continue to put on community events like this, as well as provide needed funds for capital improvement projects and small business grants.

See you Friday night!