The Feast of St. Rocco 1906

On August 17th and 18th, of 1906 the town of Raritan celebrated it’s 11th annual “Feast of St. Rocco”. It was a very elaborate event consisting of fireworks, food, and music. People came from miles around to celebrate. The event was kicked off with religious services held at St. Ann’s Church. After church, the St. Rocco Society paraded through the streets. The celebration lasted two days. There was a 40 piece band that played in the streets to rave revues. Thompson Street, Anderson Street, and Second Avenue were illuminated with electric lights, an awesome site in those days. Fireworks were set off on both Friday night and Saturday night. It was the Saturday Night fireworks that were the highlight of the event. The “Somerset Messenger” described the fireworks, “The final piece was a triumph of the art of combining colors … many effects were so startling … it was a great night for Raritan.” The estimated attendance for “The Feast of St. Rocco” in 1906 was between 5000-7000 people.