PASCACK VALLEY AREA, N.J.—Our communities are announcing ceremonies to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and honor the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives.
Emerson will hold its 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Emerson Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, 120 Thomas Ave.
The borough invites the public to gather on the 25th anniversary to honor those who lost their lives and those who served on Sept. 11, 2001.
Every year since 9/11, the Hillsdale Fire Department has marked the anniversary of that tragic day with a silent memorial. At 8:45 a.m. on Sept. 11, members of the department line up in their dress uniforms along Hillsdale Avenue by Veterans Park, facing south—the direction where the towers once stood.
At precisely 8:46 a.m., they silently salute for a full minute, marking the moment the first tower was struck. Again at 9:03 a.m., they salute in silence for a full minute to mark the time the second tower was hit.
Over the years, the poignant ceremony has grown to include members of Gen. Leonard Wood American Legion Post 152, as well as residents who want to join the department in remembering the lives lost. On this 25th anniversary, they will continue this long-held tradition, and the public is welcome to attend.
The Montvale community will come together this Sept. 11 to remember and honor the lives lost on 9/11 and mark the 25th anniversary of this day that will never be forgotten. The memorial service will begin at 7 p.m. on Memorial Drive. All residents, families and friends are invited to join together to remember the victims, honor the heroes and stand together as a community.
The Borough of Park Ridge, which lost seven residents in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, will honor their memory and that of all who died that day with a ceremony at Veterans Park, 84 Park Ave., on Friday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
Organized by Jedh C. Barker Memorial American Legion Post 153 and the borough, the observance will include patriotic music, remarks from invited speakers, an invocation, a traditional candle-lighting ceremony and the presentation of memorial wreaths. Local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are invited to attend in uniform, and the public is encouraged to wear red, white and blue and display the American flag. The ceremony will conclude with the lowering of the flag to half-staff, a benediction by the Rev. Vincent D’Agostino of Our Lady of Mercy Church and the playing of “Taps.”
River Vale will hold its annual Sept. 11 Candlelight Commemoration at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Veterans Memorial Park behind Town Hall.
The ceremony will remember those who died, the first responders who ran toward danger, the families forever changed, and the acts of courage, compassion and service that followed the attacks.
While River Vale’s commemoration is traditionally held after sundown, this year’s program will begin at 5 p.m. The earlier start will allow community members to attend after work while giving those observing the first evening of Rosh Hashanah time to return home before sundown, organizers said.
Candles will be provided, and all are welcome. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will move indoors to the Council Chambers at Town Hall.
For more information, email culturalaffairs@rivervalenj.org.
The Township of Washington will commemorate the anniversary of 9/11 with a memorial service at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11. The public is welcome to attend the ceremony, which will be held at the township’s 9/11 memorial, located in the semicircle below Town Hall on Pascack Road.
The first Westwood 9/11 Candlelight Vigil was held on Sept. 12, 2001, and it has been held every year since, always on Sept. 11. The event begins at 8 p.m. at the borough’s 9/11 Memorial, adjacent to the train station. The public is welcome, and attendees are encouraged to bring a candle, if possible.
Skip Kelley, who was mayor when the towers came down in 2001, presided over the vigil every year until his passing in 2022. Kelley’s son, Chris Kelley, now presides over the ceremony, continuing to honor the memory of those lost that fateful day, including four Westwood residents.
“It is an apolitical event, meant to bring the community together in an act of remembrance and mutual mourning,” Chris Kelley emphasized in an email to Pascack Press.
The ceremony will include an invocation from a local pastor, presentation of the colors by the Westwood Fire Department, a bagpipe performance by retired Westwood police officer Scott McNiff, and other musical selections. The Boy Scouts are always on hand to help with the setup and breakdown of the event.
The Borough of Woodcliff Lake will hold its annual 9/11 ceremony at 10 a.m. Sept. 11 in front of the firehouse at 184 Pascack Road. The memorial will feature a live vocal performance of the national anthem, as well as a musical selection on the bagpipes.
— This information was believed to be correct at press time. Check with your municipality for last-minute updates, including weather-related changes.