Hundreds Expected To March In Middletown 350 Time Capsule Parade

Middletown Township is celebrating the township’s official founding 350 years in 1664 with a formal gala, parade and burial of the Middletown 350 time capsule.

The festivities begin on Friday, June 20th at the Middletown 350 Anniversary Gala. This formal evening will be held from 7-11 pm at the Middletown Arts Center. Tickets are $85 and include two glasses of wine or beer, dinner, dancing, a preview of the Middletown 350 Time Capsule, casino tables, and more than more 30 prizes donated by local businesses. Tickets can be purchased at www.midletownarts.org or in person at the Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street. Call 732-706-4100 for details.

The Middletown 350 Parade and Time Capsule Celebration begins with a parade on Saturday, June 21 at 11 am at Middletown High School North, 63 Tindall Road. Hundreds will march 1.6 miles along Tindall Road and across Route 35 into the oldest section of township, Middletown Village. The parade then continues along historic Kings Highway and down Church Street to Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street. 

Expect heavy traffic delays on Tindall Road, Highway 35, Middletown Lincroft Road, Kings Highway, Church Street and the surrounding area from 10:30 am until approximately 1:15 pm. Detours will be in place.

After the parade, a brief ceremony will be held on the lawn adjacent to the Middletown Arts Center to mark the burial of Middletown 350 Time Capsule. The ceremony is part of the Time Capsule Celebration. This family-friendly event begins at 11 am on the Arts Center lawn and includes live entertainment and children’s activities. Food, drinks and snacks will be available for sale. 

Free parking for the Time Capsule celebration will be available in the main parking lot at the Middletown Train Station. The parade route will be closed to traffic as it travels along Tindall Road, across Route 35, to Kings Highway and Church Street. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes late morning and early afternoon.

The 50-year time capsule will be surrounded by an “Anniversary Plaza” designed with personalized bricks purchased by donors, benefitting the Middletown Arts Council.   Those interested in purchasing a brick can download an order form at www.middletownarts.org or visit the Arts Center.  

Whirl Construction is donating labor and equipment needed to install the plaza and assist with digging the hole for the time capsule. Marturano Recreation Company (MRC) is donating two benches that will be installed at Anniversary Plaza.

If bad weather conditions are forecaseted, the Parade and Time Capsule Celebration will be moved to Sunday, June 22nd.

Visit www.middletownnj.org for a full list of Middletown 350 activities, memorabilia available for sale, and to learn more about the township’s rich history.