The Ukrainian-American Sunflower Festival is returning to New Jersey for its second annual event on Saturday, Sept. 19, from noon to 10 p.m. Held at St. George’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Yardville, the festival features Ukrainian artist performances, traditional food, music, children’s activities, and sunflower displays.
In addition to highlighting the festival, the article outlines several significant and historical events that occurred in New Jersey during the month of September across various years:
– 1921: The first Miss America pageant, initially called the Inter-city Beauty Contest, was held in Atlantic City, crowning Margaret Gorman of Washington, D.C.
– 1949: War veteran Howard Unruh carried out a 20-minute shooting spree in Camden, fatally shooting 13 people. He was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and remained institutionalized until his death in 2009.
– 2001: The September 11 terrorist attacks claimed the lives of 2,977 people, including 746 New Jersey residents. Commemorative readings and ceremonies are traditionally held across the state, such as at the Empty Sky memorial in Liberty State Park.
– 2021: Hurricane Ida struck New Jersey between September 1 and 3, bringing tornadoes and roughly 10 inches of rain that caused severe flooding, 30 deaths, and widespread infrastructure damage, particularly in communities like Manville.
– 2016: A pipe bomb exploded in a trash can on Ocean Avenue in Seaside Park ahead of a charity race, leading to event cancellations. That same month, a New Jersey Transit train crashed into the Hoboken Terminal platform, resulting in one fatality and over 100 injuries due to engineer fatigue caused by undiagnosed sleep apnea.
– 2023: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine were indicted on federal bribery charges involving cash, gold bars, and a luxury car in exchange for political favors. Menendez subsequently resigned from office and was convicted and sentenced to prison.
