The weather smiled on about 200 North Bergen senior citizens as they enjoyed a scenic cruise on the Spirit of New Jersey out onto the Hudson River, down past the tip of Manhattan for a close-up look at the Statue of Liberty.

Indoors on a private deck the seniors dined on a generous buffet of great food, plus music and dancing – a LOT of dancing. Outdoors, they soaked up the sun and took selfies with the Statue.

Sponsored by County Executive Craig Guy and the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the event is one of the most popular among North Bergen seniors. Months of planning by local coordinator Ana Castello goes into arranging the event, with attendees chosen by lottery.

The completely free event included busing from North Bergen to the pier and back again. Many seniors attend regularly and look forward to it all year, while others attended this year for the first time.

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