Editing Hammonton, New Jersey (section)

==Community==

===Blueberry capital===
Hammonton is known as the "Blueberry Capital of the World".<ref>Urgo, Jacqueline L. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121019204431/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-90976301.html "Blueberries ride high in South Jersey farm town"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', February 11, 2004. Accessed May 6, 2008. "In the Atlantic County farming community of Hammonton, where crops are king and ancestral connections to the land run deep, they didn't need the state to tell them the blueberry is special. After all, almost everyone in this town of 12,600 - already dubbed the 'Blueberry Capital of the World' - seems to have at least some connection to the berry."</ref>

Since the 1980s, the Red, White and Blueberry Festival has celebrated Hammonton's status as the nation's blueberry capital.<ref>Meritt, Ben. [https://archive.today/20130616050639/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thedailyjournal/access/1704964961.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+30,+2008&author=BEN+MERITT&pub=Daily+Journal&desc=Blue+is+the+word+at+berry+fest&pqatl=google "Blue is the word at berry fest"], ''[[The Daily Journal (New Jersey)|The Daily Journal]]'', June 30, 2008. Accessed May 29, 2013.</ref> A {{convert|1300|acres|adj=on}} farm in the town is Northeast's largest blueberry grower.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/05/world/coronavirus-updates.html "Phoenix Mayor Says FEMA Refused to Help With Testing"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', July 5, 2020. Accessed June 28, 2022. "'It's a little dangerous,' said Felix Nieves, 56, a supervisor at Atlantic Blueberry Company in Hammonton. The 1,300-acre farm is considered the biggest blueberry producer in the Northeast."</ref>

Hammonton and the surrounding Atlantic County produce upwards of 50 million pounds of blueberries each year thanks to traveling bands of labor from outside of the United States, though often the farms employing these undocumented workers are largely supportive of stricter border policies. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Trouble in the 'Blueberry Capital of the World' |url=https://whyy.org/episodes/trouble-in-the-blueberry-capital-of-the-world/#:~:text=Hammonton,%20New%20Jersey%20is%20known,could%20also%20affect%20the%20crops. |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=WHYY |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Presidential visits===
[[Ronald Reagan]] visited Hammonton during his [[1984 United States presidential election|1984 re-election campaign]]. Reagan's speech highlighted Hammonton's status as "[[Blueberry]] Capital of the World" and then extolled the virtues of New Jersey native [[Bruce Springsteen]].<ref>[http://myhammonton.com/reaganhammonton.php "America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060913032801/http://www.myhammonton.com/reaganhammonton.php |date=September 13, 2006 }}, text of speech delivered by [[Ronald Reagan]] on September 19, 1984, My Hammonton. Accessed October 24, 2007. "You know, today my treat is seeing for the first time the Blueberry Capital of the world.... It rests in the message of hope in songs of a man so many young Americans admire -- New Jersey's own, Bruce Springsteen."</ref>

Bruce soon disassociated himself from the politics and the use of his song "Born in The U.S.A."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dolan|first=Marc|title=How Ronald Reagan Changed Bruce Springsteen's Politics|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/bruce-springsteen-ronald-reagan-107448|access-date=February 15, 2022|website=POLITICO Magazine|language=en}}</ref>

Hammonton has also been visited by [[Ulysses S. Grant]] and [[Theodore Roosevelt]], who made whistle stops in the town.<ref>Donio, Gabriel J. [https://books.google.com/books?id=-zuwE_lbx-wC&pg=PA87 ''Hammonton''], P. 87, ff. [[Arcadia Publishing]], 2002. {{ISBN|9780738510446}}. Accessed December 9, 2013.</ref>

===Festivals===
Every year Hammonton hosts the Red, White and Blueberry festival, Our Lady of Mount Carmel festival and the Hammonton wine festival. Mount Carmel's Italian Festival dates back to 1875 and is considered the oldest such continuously run festival in the United States.<ref name=NJMonthly2012>DiUlio, Nick. [http://njmonthly.com/articles/lifestyle/njs-most-italian-town.html "NJ's Most Italian TownIt started with a single Sicilian farmer in 1863. Now Hammonton has the highest percentage of Italians in the Garden State."], ''[[New Jersey Monthly]]'', January 17, 2012. Accessed May 29, 2013. "But the standout event on the calendar is the annual Italian Festival sponsored by the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society. What began in 1875 as a traditional Roman Catholic two-mile long procession of saints has evolved into the longest running Italian festival in the country, with a weeklong carnival and festivities erupting every July.... The town is home to three celebrated South Jersey vineyards: Plagido's Winery, DiMatteo Vineyards and Tomasello Winery, which was started by one of the town's oldest Italian families and has been making wine for almost 80 years."</ref> Other festivals include; Hammonton Fall Beer Festival,<ref>[https://newjerseycraftbeer.com/hammonton-fall-beer-festival/ Hammonton Fall Beer Festival], New Jersey Craft Beer. Accessed March 28, 2016.</ref> Teen Arts Festival,<ref>[http://www.aclink.org/culturalaffairs/teenarts/homepage.asp Teen Arts Festival], [[Atlantic County, New Jersey]]. Accessed March 28, 2016.</ref> Hammonton Food Truck Festival,<ref>Brunetti, Michelle. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/business/hammonton-hosting-first-ever-food-truck-festival/article_3b8630e4-0e07-11e5-a679-2b8ba0fd9d5d.html "Hammonton hosting first ever Food Truck festival "], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', June 8, 2015. Accessed March 28, 2016.</ref> Hammonton Green Day Festival,<ref>[http://www.acua.com/content.aspx?id=5939 Hammonton Green Day Festival] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402113605/http://www.acua.com/content.aspx?id=5939 |date=April 2, 2015 }}, [[Atlantic County Utilities Authority]]. Accessed March 28, 2016.</ref> and Crusin Main Street.<ref>[http://www.cruisinclassics.org/docs/2016Mainstreet.jpg Cruisin' Main Street] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324151434/http://cruisinclassics.org/docs/2016Mainstreet.jpg |date=March 24, 2016 }}, Cruisin Classics. Accessed March 28, 2016.</ref>

===Downtown===
[[File:Aero view of Hammonton, New Jersey 1926.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Hammonton, New Jersey (1926)]]
Hammonton's downtown district has been growing for the past 20 years. The downtown area includes Bellevue Avenue, Central Avenue, Vine street, Second Street, Third Street, Twelfth Street, Egg Harbor Road, Front Street, West End Avenue, Railroad Avenue and Washington Street. The downtown includes art galleries, restaurants, wine and sports bars, banks, clothing stores, offices, a theatre, a park, and a college satellite campus, attracting shoppers from South Jersey.<ref>[http://downtownhammonton.com Home Page], Downtown Hammonton. Accessed December 9, 2013.</ref>

Every year the downtown has three parades. The Halloween and Christmas parades are the two major parades that happen in downtown. In May, there is a smaller Memorial Day parade. The Downtown also hosts the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, which is a large celebration that includes the lighting of a large tree on the corner of Bellevue and Central Avenue, Christmas carolers, a music show, carriage rides, a live nativity and the arrival of Santa. During these events the downtown stores are open late.

On the third Thursday of every month, the downtown host the "Third Thursday Events", with a different theme each month. Stores offer discounts, and people perform on the street.

The downtown was one of the finalist for the Great American Main Street Award in 2013. The award recognizes three communities each year for their successful revitalization efforts, based on documented economic impact, small-business development, historic preservation, volunteer involvement, public/private cooperation and success over time.<ref>Post, Michelle Brunetti. [http://m.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/hammonton-among-eight-semifinalists-for-national-main-street-award/article_49c7415c-749e-11e2-b42e-0019bb2963f4.html "Hammonton among eight semifinalists for national Main Street Award"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232706/http://m.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/hammonton-among-eight-semifinalists-for-national-main-street-award/article_49c7415c-749e-11e2-b42e-0019bb2963f4.html |date=March 3, 2016 }}, ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', February 12, 2013. Accessed December 9, 2013.</ref>

===Events===
In 1949, Hammonton was the winner of the [[Little League World Series]], after finishing third in the tournament in both 1947 and 1948. The Hammonton team was the first official team located outside of Pennsylvania.<ref>LeConey, Bill. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AC&p_theme=ac&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAEAED7D5861682&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Baseball / Hammonton's Boys Of Summer / A Glance At Hammonton's 1949 Little League Journey"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', August 28, 1999. Accessed May 15, 2012. "Hammonton's Little League team was the original 'Beast of the East.' Founded by local businessman Al Mulliner, it was the first sanctioned Little League team outside of Pennsylvania. In 1949, it made its third straight trip to Williamsport after finishing third in the first two years of World Series play."</ref>

[[File:Longest Line of Cakes Guiness Record in Hammonton New Jersey.jpg|thumb|Longest Line of Cakes Guinness Record in Hammonton New Jersey]]
On July 24, 2011, Ricca's Italian Bakery set a [[Guinness World Record]] for the Longest Line of Cakes topped with fresh blueberries donated by local farmers. This received recognition from the [[Mayor]] Steve DiDonato and all members of the Hammonton Town Council. The Hammonton Town Council Deputy Mayor Tom Gribbin announced the recognition during a town council meeting on local TV in 2011 August.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130411015340/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/12000/longest-line-of-cakes], [[archive.today]] [[Guinness World Records]]. Accessed June 14, 2013. "The longest line of cakes measured 571.5 m (1,875 ft) topped with fresh blueberries donated by local farmers and was achieved by Ricca's Italian Bakery (USA) in Hammonton, on 24 July 2011. [[Hammonton Gazette]] Ricca's Italian Bakery Attempt at World Record 20 July 2011 in Hammonton."</ref>

In November 2014, in a study conducted by CreditDonkey.com, Hammonton was ranked second-happiest city in New Jersey. The ranking was based on restaurants, crime rate, commute, departure time, income, divorce rate, and housing.<ref>Lake, Rebecca. [http://www.creditdonkey.com/happy-new-jersey.html "Study: Happiest Cities in New Jersey"], CreditDonkey.com, November 3, 2014. Accessed March 28, 2016.</ref>

===Wineries and alcohol consumption===
Hammonton has three active wineries – [[DiMatteo Vineyards]], [[Plagido's Winery]], and [[Tomasello Winery]].<ref name=NJMonthly2012/>

On June 7, 2013, the Eagle Theatre in Hammonton became the first theater in New Jersey to sell alcoholic beverages and allow spectators to drink wine during the show. Under an arrangement reached under the authority of the [[New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control]], [[Sharrott Winery]] will be able to sell patrons bottles of wine that can be consumed during shows at the theater.<ref>Post, Michelle Brunetti. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/wine-sales-planned-at-hammonton-s-eagle-theatre/article_8df627a8-4232-5c1a-88c9-d9cddc2913ea.html "Wine sales planned at Hammonton's Eagle Theatre"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', June 5, 2013, updated June 6, 2013. Accessed June 14, 2013. "Starting Friday night, audience members at The Eagle Theatre will be able to enjoy a glass of wine before and during shows. Sharrott Winery, located just over the border from Hammonton in Winslow Township, has gotten permission from the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control to sell half and full bottles of wine at the theater.... It is the first such agreement in New Jersey, said Eagle Theatre President Jim Donio."</ref>

Hammonton has also seen a growth in the craft beer industry. Since 2015, three breweries have opened in town, Tomfoolery Brewing Company, Three 3's Brewing Company, and Vinyl Brewing.<ref>Fusco, John Howard. [http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/entertainment/2017/06/20/hammonton-becoming-cultural-hub/412232001/ "Hammonton is becoming a cultural hub"], ''[[Courier-Post]]'', June 20, 2017. Accessed October 2, 2017. "There are two craft breweries in town — Three 3's and Tomfoolery — with a third expected to come on‐board later this summer. Vinyl Brewing, which will be occupying space at a building that was once part of the Perrone Door Company, has family roots that go back for more than a century in Hammonton."</ref>

===Popular culture===
The 2002 direct-to-video horror film ''[[13th Child]]'', about the hunt for the [[Jersey Devil]], was filmed in Hammonton.<ref>Nash, Margo. [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/13/nyregion/the-devil-you-think-you-know.html "The Devil You Think You Know"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 13, 2002. Accessed August 4, 2013. "Most of the film, made by Painted Zebra Productions, was shot at Wharton State Forest, Historic Batsto Village and Hammonton in the Pine Barrens. Its stars include Cliff Robertson, Robert Guillaume, Christopher Atkins, Lesley-Anne Down and Michelle Maryk."</ref>

A 2011 episode of ''[[Supernatural (U.S. TV series)|Supernatural]]'', [[Supernatural (season 7)#Episodes|"How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters"]] about the Jersey Devil, is set in Hammonton, though it wasn't filmed there.<ref>Anders, Charlie Jane. [http://io9.gizmodo.com/5963470/one-of-ben-edlunds-finest-hours-the-secret-history-of-supernaturals-deadly-turducken-slammers "One of Ben Edlund's Finest Hours: The Secret History of ''Supernatural''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Deadly Turducken Slammers"], [[io9]], November 30, 2012. Accessed August 1, 2016. "'How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters' Something is eating campers in Hammonton, New Jersey – could it be the Jersey Devil?"</ref>

Hammonton made a cameo appearance in the first two episodes of the HBO series ''[[Boardwalk Empire]]'', with a scene towards the end of both episodes showing the town sign "Welcome to Hammonton, The Blueberry Capital of the World".<ref>Procida, Lee. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/hammonton-welcomes-boardwalk-empire-sign/article_13140b50-71f7-11e0-8821-001cc4c002e0.html "Hammonton welcomes ''Boardwalk Empire'' sign"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', April 29, 2011. Accessed October 22, 2012. "In the first episode of "Boardwalk Empire," an ill-fated group of bootleggers passes by a wooden sign that reads 'Welcome to Hammonton, The Blueberry Capital of the World.'"</ref>

The [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] TV show ''[[American Idol]]'' aired its first episode of its 12th season in January 2013 with a performance by Sarah Restuccio, a seventeen-year-old girl from Hammonton. The judges enjoyed her rendition of "[[Mama's Song]]" by [[Carrie Underwood]], but she impressed them when they asked her to sing something else and she rapped "[[Super Bass]]" by [[Nicki Minaj]]. The show featured a short clip about Sarah's life, which included showing her everyday life in Hammonton.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130122225747/http://www.americanidol.com/videos/season_12/season_12_road_to_hollywood/sarah-restuccio "Season 12 Road to Hollywood: Sarah Restuccio"], ''[[American Idol]]'', backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of January 22, 2013. Accessed September 15, 2014. "Sarah Restuccio auditioned for American Idol in honor of a friend that had passed away. Discover more about this Hammonton, NJ resident."</ref><ref>Jackson, Vincent. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/hammonton_egg-harbor-city/hammonton-teen-cut-from-american-idol/article_37d48218-7659-11e2-889f-001a4bcf887a.html "Hammonton teen cut from 'American Idol'"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', February 13, 2013. Accessed September 15, 2014.</ref>

In October 2013 the MTV reality show ''[[True Life]]'', featured the episode "True Life Presents: My Dad Is A Bro" about a girl in her twenties and her father in his fifties, who both party. The episode takes place throughout Hammonton.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131101210310/http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-presents-my-dad-is-a-bro/1716316/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=5232&channelId=1 "True Life Presents: My Dad Is A Bro"], [[MTV]]. Accessed December 9, 2013.</ref>

In the summer of 2013, scenes from the independent film ''The Honour'' were filmed in Hammonton.<ref>Staff. [http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=BZ&Dato=20130802&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=308020803&Ref=PH "Indie Film, The Honour, Shot in Hammonton"], ''[[Courier-Post]]'', August 2, 2013. Accessed December 9, 2013. "Daria Berenato (left) of Hammonton and Christina Heath of Hamilton film a scene in their upcoming indie film called The Honour. The LGBT film was shot in Hammonton and other places around South Jersey."</ref>

In May 2015, a commercial for the male clothing brand, Chubbies Shorts, was filmed on South Second Street in Hammonton.<ref>Post, Michelle Brunetti. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/film-shoot-transports-hammonton-back-to-the-s/article_9eb10f70-fda6-11e4-aab1-1bc66390e1d8.html "Film shoot transports Hammonton back to the 1980s"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', May 18, 2015. Accessed August 31, 2015. "The big dance number, which shut down Second Street between Bellevue Avenue and Vine Street, is part of a short film the Hammonton company is doing for California-based Chubbies Shorts."</ref>