Hampton Day features competitions, demonstrations and fireworks

Hampton - Eight-year-old Cara Giovanetti had a mission. Sporting a pink cowboy hat and her Junior Girl Scout uniform, she was determined to attract patrons to her troop’s bake sale table at Hampton Day on Saturday, June 9. At her side, were fellow Troop 859 members, her sister Alison, and friend Briana Komlinik. “Hampton Day is a lot of fun, and we’re going to sell lots of baked goods,” they said. Bouncy rides and activities for kids lined the side of the fields behind Kittatinny Regional High School as people moved from booth to booth and stopped to watch the new Kittatinny Youth Lacrosse Team play against Lenape Valley. One of the hallmarks of Hampton Day is the Little Prince and Little Princess Competition. It’s been part of Hamton Day for nearly two decades and is open to kids ages 3 to 6-years old. “They have fun and the kids are cute,” said Hampton resident, Sue Rude. “Every now and then one of the younger kids will get upset, but for the most part, they love it.“ Rude’s daughter, Nicole, has been running it for the last three years, and under the Kittatinny seniors’ direction, the competitions have attracted about a dozen girls and a dozen boys each year. “This year we were a little light,” Sue Rude said, “But that was just on the boys’ side.” This year’s Little Princess is six-year-old Jessica Pirrello, and the Little Prince, also six, is Christopher Pollison. Both were crowned Saturday at Hampton Day. Aside from the competition, the big attraction at Hamton Day for most kids was the fireworks. Shot off at dusk, they lit up the sky and brought lots of “ooos” and “ahhhhs.” Kids like Kittatinny Middle School seventh grader, Hailey Guhr, had been waiting all day for the fireworks, said her mom, Kim. “It’s a real home town tradition.”