Once again, a competition where if you snooze you win.
Mecca Strength Club repeated as champions of the Blairstown Enhancement Committee Fall Festival Bed Races this year.
The Dream Team rolled to glory at the Oct. 17 event after a victory in their debut at the 2025 Bedlam in Blairstown, living the dream of a possible three-peat next year.
It would be a blanket statement to say all the participants in the race had fun, but rest-assured, they did, according to BEC president Melinda Gaertner.
“We had a great turnout, and everybody seemed to have a lot of fun,” Gaertner said.
Notching a second-place finish was a team covered by Planet Networks, with Murphy’s Tree Service tucked in at third place for the second year in a row. Murphy’s Tree Service leader Adam Murphy said they have a year to train for a shot at the top bunk at the next race.
“We’ll sleep on it,” said Murphy, already dreaming of king-size mattress magic in 2027.
Teams that were hoping to cover the bedspread were Strawberry Moon Collective, Future Farmers of America, Nature’s Harvest, Princeton-Blairstown Camp, Peckville House of Horrors and the Holy Rollers.
The BEC provided finely engineered racing beds for each team. Participants were encouraged to bring their imagination and creative decorations for their breakneck berth.
The Fall Festival, which took place in Footbridge Park also included more than 40 vendors, music with the Jaris Cook Band, and activities for kids, said Gaertner. There was an inflatable obstacle course and bounce house this year, along with pumpkin painting for the children.
This year included a blacksmith demonstration along with a chainsaw carver demonstration. The Jaris Cook Band also performed.
Funds raised at the Fall Festival support community projects, such as the BEC’s Small Business Program, North Warren Regional High School scholarships, town cleanups and Jingle in the Park.
The Blairstown Enhancement Committee is a non-profit organization 501c3, so all entry fees, sponsorships and donations are tax deductible. Proceeds from the event directly benefit the community.
Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
