One of Morristown’s signature events has left its mark on one of the town’s iconic places.
Much of the historic Morristown Green will be off-limits to the public for the last weeks of summer and beyond, as the lawns recover from this month’s soggy Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival.
“Because of the heavy rain during the jazz festival, the large lawn was heavily damaged,” said Alice Cutler, president of the Trustees of the Green, said on Monday.
“As you know, trucks drove on the turf, left deep ruts and damaged the grass and its root system. The grass was just starting to rally after the damage that occurred during the women’s march in January. Sadly, the lawns will remain closed through much of the fall,” Cutler said.
Several grassy areas are cordoned off with yellow ropes, just as they are every spring for recovery purposes.
Days after the winter Women’s March on New Jersey, organizers announced they were donating $1,000 to the Trustees to help cover costs of wear and tear from the event, which drew an estimated 15,000 people to Morristown.
Similarly, Cutler said jazz fest promoter Don Jay Smith also is offering to defray damage costs associated with that festival. The price tag is not clear yet, Cutler said.
“The Trustees of the Morristown Green have been wonderful partners with the Jazz and Blues Festival, and we are happy to pay for any repairs following the event,” Smith said on Tuesday.
“In the past, the cost has been minimal, but the waterlogged lawn sustained some damage this year. No matter how careful we are, it is inevitable that the stage, tents and production trucks will necessitate some lawn work and we always contribute to the extra expense. It’s the right thing to do,” Smith said.
In the meantime, Cutler said, the Trustees are soliciting advice from Rutgers turf expert James Murphy.
Music fans enjoyed an afternoon of free jazz on Aug. 18, 2018. But the evening’s blues program was canceled when heavy rain doused the stage and the Green. It was the first partial rainout in the festival’s eight years.
The Trustees of the Green are a nonprofit entrusted with the long-term health of the town square, where George Washington’s troops once paraded.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comments from festival promoter Don Jay Smith.
MORE COVERAGE OF THE 2018 MORRISTOWN JAZZ & BLUES FEST
MORE COVERAGE OF THE 2018 WOMEN’S MARCH ON NJ
