April 24, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 11 Saddle River Valley Notes Annual Strawberry Festival announced Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church welcomes everyone to its 56th Annual Strawberry Festival. This popular event will be held Saturday, June 8 from 1 to 7 p.m. at 318 West Saddle River Road in Upper Saddle River. The festival will feature hand-picked strawberries, homemade ice-cream and strawberry shortcake, hot dogs, hamburgers, and other treats. Artisans and merchants will be selling a variety of items, and a special auction will take place inside the church. Festivities will include old-time piano music and entertainment presented by the Applause Performing Art Center. There will be games and entertainment for children of all ages. Bergen County was once known as the strawberry capital of the world. According to the Upper Saddle River Historical Society, strawberry picking in Bergen County dates back to the 1850s. Wild strawberries were indigenous to the area and grew in over 100 different varieties and shapes. Without cultivation, wild strawberries were the size of today’s blueberries. The strawberries were brought to market in half-pint containers constructed of ash or hickory and then sent to Paterson for distribution. In 1855, strawberry pickers were paid a half-cent per basket. Those same baskets were then sold in New York City for three cents each. By the early 1860s, as many as 130,000 baskets were being shipped to New York City during a single day. For more information about the Strawberry Festival, contact the church office at (201) 327-3960 or e-mail berg enhighlands@optonline.net. Memorial 5K is this weekend The Susan Zabransky Hughes 5K Memorial Run/ Walk will be held on April 27. Participants will assemble at 8:30 a.m. at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church at 96 East Allendale Road in Saddle River and run the USATF- The Saddle River Youth Theater will present “Thirteen” at the Highlands Regional Playhouse located at the Archer United Methodist Church, 37 East Allendale Avenue in Allendale. Relive the comical growing pains of the middle school years with 13-year-old New Yorker, Evan, as he is forced to relocate to a small Midwest town just in time for what is supposed to be the defining moment of his social life, his bar mitzvah. Now he must make the “right” new friends in a new town while trying to become acquainted to his new family situation. Performances will be April 24 and April 26 at 7 p.m. and April 27 at 1 and 7 p.m. All seating is reserved. Doors will open 20 minutes prior to show times. Tickets are $14, and may be reserved by calling (201) 825-8805 or online at srytheatre@aol.com. “Thirteen” will be performed by student-actors who are ages 11 through 15. The show is rated PG-13 for content and mild language. SRYT will offer summer drama camps for children ages seven through 16. A two-week performance workshop and a teen musical program are open to children certified course. Post-race events, including an awards ceremony, activities for children, and refreshments, will also be held at the church. Race day registration will be $30 per person. Proceeds from the 5K will be donated to Susan’s Suite at Hackensack University Medical Center. Susan’s Suite is part of the expansion of the hospital’s Emergency & Trauma Center. The suite, a specialized emergency area that addresses the unique needs of cancer patients, will be completed in 2015. At that point, Susan’s Suite will provide a 10-bed cancer care pod. The 5K benefit was launched by the Hughes and Zabransky families in memory of Saddle River resident Susan Zabransky Hughes, who lost her battle with cervical cancer in July 2011 at age 46. For more information, visit www.HackensackUMCFoundation.org. SRYT to present ‘Thirteen’ The cast of ‘Thirteen’ ages seven through 14. Auditions will be held June 3 and 10 by appointment. For more information about the summer programs, or to register, visit www.sryt.org.