By Jaimie Julia Winters
A second Historic Walking & Food Tour is set to return to Kearny on Saturday, May 9, inviting residents and visitors to explore the township’s evolving downtown through history, storytelling, and small bites from local eateries.
The tour, hosted by Strong Towns West Hudson in partnership with the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone (KUEZ) and the Kearny Library and Museum, will guide participants along Kearny Avenue from Midland Avenue to Bergen Avenue — an area identified as the core of the “Kearny Main” District in the KUEZ 5-Year Zone Development Plan.
Organizers say the route was intentionally designed to highlight both the commercial corridor and the civic institutions that have shaped the town’s identity.
“These are important anchors that tell the story of Kearny beyond its businesses,” said Linda D’Isa, KUEZ Coordinator, pointing to featured stops including Town Hall, the Kearny Public Library, and First Lutheran Church. “They represent different aspects of community life—government, public access to knowledge, and faith — and help connect the past to places residents still use today.”
First Lutheran Church, while slightly off the main avenue, will serve as the starting point. Its historic architecture and future plans for redevelopment as a community center offer a broader lens into the corridor’s past and future.
Throughout the tour, participants will also experience a curated sampling of Kearny’s food scene. Five locally owned eateries will provide small tasting portions — “just bites,” organizers emphasize — designed to complement, rather than overshadow, the historical narrative.
“The goal is to reflect the diversity of Kearny’s business community today,” D’Isa said. “Each stop is selected based on its location along the route, its ability to participate in both sessions, and its capacity to offer samples that fit within the timing and flow of the tour.”
Tickets are free, but attendees must register. KUEZ, as a sponsor, underwrites the cost of the food to support both attendees and local businesses. Organizers say tickets will go fast.
While the tour is not intended to be a comprehensive history of Kearny Avenue, it will highlight key moments in the corridor’s evolution — from its late 19th-century development to modern-day changes — through specific sites and stories. Stops will touch on shifts in building use, civic investments like Town Hall and the library, and even the former streetcar line that once ran through the area.
“This was such a wonderful event last year, especially since it allowed the Library to collaborate with some other town institutions, like the KUEZ and the Kearny Museum,” Kearny Public Library Director Josh Humphrey said. “A definite highlight for me was also hearing the history of the amazing eateries on the tour from the folks who opened them. There really are so many interesting stories in Kearny, and we are looking forward to sharing more of them in May!”
For Christopher Vasquez of Strong Towns West Hudson, the tour is as much about experiencing place as it is about learning history.
“In practice, a walkable, connected community means being able to move through daily life on foot and have everything within reach,” Vasquez said. “You pass shops, restaurants, civic spaces, and neighbors along the way. This tour gives people a chance to experience that firsthand.”
Vasquez, who grew up near Kearny Avenue without consistent access to a car, said the corridor shaped his understanding of community from an early age. He grew up five minutes from the library, and without access to a car, he walked or biked to Kearny Avenue for everything.
“It was where life happened,” he said. “Running errands, going to the library, spending time with friends—those everyday experiences are what make a place meaningful. Over time, I began to understand why it worked: the mix of uses, the density, the walkability.”
Organizers hope the tour will offer new perspectives for both longtime residents and first-time visitors.
“I hope longtime residents gain a renewed appreciation for a place they already know so well,” Vasquez said. “When you slow down and walk the avenue with intention, you start to notice details and stories that are easy to overlook.”
For newcomers, he added, the goal is to highlight Kearny’s strong local identity and demonstrate the value of a vibrant, walkable main street.
“I hope they walk away with a sense that Kearny has a strong local identity and a main street that is worth exploring and supporting. More importantly, I hope they experience what a connected, walkable place feels like and why that kind of environment is valuable,” Vaques said.
The tour will offer two sessions, morning and afternoon, with a total of 60 tickets available. Registration opens April 8 and will close May 2 or once tickets sell out. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite. Tickets will sell out fast, so be sure to reserve early.
