The event will be held at American Legion Post, located at 1165 River Road, Edgewater, New Jersey.

A deeply-rooted annual community event that ceased in the early 1990s, the shad bake traditionally coincided with the end of the shad fishing season on the Hudson River. Shad fishing was once an important local industry, but declined and disappeared as Edgewater changed.

Susan Ingold, the president of the Friends, watched this change first-hand. She was married to the last commercial shad fisherman in Edgewater, Ronnie Ingold.

Coinciding with the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage, the shad bake will feature culinary, historical, and educational aspects. Best described as an old-fashioned picnic, the shad will be baked on the original oak planks used by previous Edgewater generations; the planks contain the outlines of fish past.

To keep the event as authentic as practical, the Friends have sought the advice and assistance of former organizers, including Al Von Dohln and Nick Dowling.

There will be displays and presentations by photojournalist Bob Krist, artist Jack Bredin, Brian Mohan from the Clearwater, and a historian, Uta Gore. There will also be live music.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children under 12. For tickets or more information, please contact the Edgewater Free Public Library at 201-224-6144.