With the Thursday farmers market finished for the year, where does River Vale's public life go in November? The township's 2026 market ran Thursdays from 1 to 6 p.m. at 406 Rivervale Road, May through October. October 29 was the last date on the township calendar. Since then, most of what is new and scheduled has moved to one address off Piermont Avenue. It is the Mark Lane Athletic Complex, which the Turkey Trot organizers list as Mark Lane Sports Complex, 400 Mark Lane.
The township has finished an outdoor gym there and has said the turf field is next. On Thanksgiving morning the town's charity 5K starts and finishes at the same gate. For November, Mark Lane works as River Vale's town square.
A free outdoor gym, two and a half years from grant request to opening
The newest thing at Mark Lane is the Mark Lane Fitness Zone, an outdoor exercise park next to the hut on the north side of the complex. Mayor Mark Bromberg announced it in a September 23, 2026 letter to residents on the township website:
"Designed to promote health, wellness, and community connection, the park features a variety of durable fitness equipment, which is free to use, and suitable for all ages and fitness levels."
According to the same letter, the project was paid for with grants from Bergen County Open Space and from the State of New Jersey's Recreation and Municipal Open Space funding.
Public records show how long the project was in the works. In February 2024, the township council authorized an application for roughly $50,000 from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for outdoor exercise equipment at Mark Lane. That was a request, not a confirmed award. Bids for the work were opened on September 4, 2025. A published bid result lists Green Valley Group Inc. as the apparent low bidder at $232,897. The bid covered 10 outdoor exercise units and 2,304 square feet of poured-in-place safety surface. An apparent low bid is not a final contract, so those figures describe what was bid, not what was spent or installed. They still show the size of the project the township put out to bid, which is far larger than the early grant request.
About 31 months passed between the first grant request and the mayor's announcement. The park opened in time for the cooler months, and using it requires no membership fee or court reservation.
The turf field is still on the to-do list
The same September letter had a second update and a promise. The tennis courts next to Town Hall were resurfaced with more grant money, and the mayor called them "complete and ready" for play. Anyone who went to the farmers market this summer probably saw that construction.
The promise is the Mark Lane turf field. The letter says its resurfacing is "scheduled for later this Fall" and asks residents to "stay tuned for updates." As of this writing the township has not posted a start date or any field closures. That matters this month more than most. The new Fitness Zone, the fall rec programs and a Thanksgiving race all depend on the complex, and any of them could be affected once turf crews arrive. Before planning a weekend around the field, check the township's live feed for a closure notice.
Thanksgiving morning's 3.1 miles start at the same gate
The biggest single event on Mark Lane's calendar this fall is the 2026 River Vale Run 4 the Love and Fitness with Friends Turkey Trot Charity 5K, on Thursday, November 26. The race page on RunSignup says the Township of River Vale sponsors it. Run 4 the Love LLC and Fitness with Friends organize it, and they first brought a 5K to River Vale in fall 2022.
The details you need for that morning:
- Where: Mark Lane Sports Complex, 400 Mark Lane
- When: Registration opens at 7 a.m. and the race starts at 8 a.m.
- Route: North from Mark Lane up River Vale Road, through residential streets, then south back to Mark Lane for the finish
- Who: Runners and walkers of all ages, with strollers and costumes welcome
- Prizes: Five $100 Visa gift cards, one each for the first adult male, first adult female, first boy and first girl age 13 and under, and the first River Vale resident
- Shirts: Commemorative shirts are guaranteed only for people who register by November 15. After that, shirts depend on how many late registrations come in.
Because of the resident prize, a River Vale runner can win $100 without being the fastest person on the course.
On fees, the registration listing has shown $25 for adults and $15 for ages 0 to 13. The page also mentions price increases, and its sections give different dates for them. The price shown at checkout is the one that applies. Since the shirt deadline falls on November 15 either way, registering before then settles both questions.
Where the entry fees go
All race proceeds go to the Helping Hand Food Pantry of Hillsdale. Volunteers run the pantry entirely, and it serves Emerson, Hillsdale, Oradell, Montvale, River Vale, Washington Township, Westwood and Woodcliff Lake. The race page says the pantry serves about 1,252 people a month, including seniors, people with disabilities, active military members and veterans. It also says the organizers' Spring Fling, Town Day, Shamrock Run and Turkey Trot races have given the pantry more than $8,000 in total.
The pantry serves people every month of the year, so it depends on donations well beyond race day. Here is how to give directly.
According to the Helping Hand Food Pantry's contact page, it is open every Monday from 5:15 to 7 p.m. and on the first Saturday of each month from 9 to 10:30 a.m. It is located at Hillsdale United Methodist Church, 349 Hillsdale Avenue, Hillsdale. In the next few weeks, the Saturday sessions fall on November 7 and December 5. Donations are accepted during open hours, and non-perishable food can go in the covered outdoor bins at any time. The pantry's site also invites residents to organize their own food drives.
Saturday, November 14 is the busiest day before Thanksgiving
Mark Lane anchors the month, but one Saturday collects much of the rest of River Vale's calendar. In time order:
- 9:45 a.m. The USA Sport Group Cheer Dance Squirts class for ages 3 to 4.5 begins its Saturday run, which continues through December 12. The listing on the provider's River Vale recreation page names River Vale but gives no street address.
- 11 a.m. Story Time with a Twist for ages 6 months to 4 years, listed on the River Vale Public Library's children's schedule.
- Noon to 1 p.m. Candle Making with Girls 4 Girls an online River Vale Public Library program for River Vale residents age 18 and older. Registration is required, and the event link is emailed to people who register.
- Same day. The township's rabies vaccination clinic. The township's September 24 notice gives the date and points residents who can't attend to other free fall clinics nearby. Check the notice for the time and location.
A parent with a preschooler and a dog could fill that entire Saturday with township and library programs.
The rest of November, on one list
- Friday, November 6, 1 to 2:30 p.m. "First Friday: Go, van Gogh!", an online program from the River Vale Public Library
- Sunday, November 8, 2 to 3:30 p.m. An online flute-and-piano concert of Beethoven-era music, also from the library
- Sundays, November 22 through December 20, 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. USA Sport Group Flag Football Squirts for ages 4 to 5, in River Vale
- Thursday, November 26, 8 a.m. The Turkey Trot at Mark Lane
- Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27. The library is closed, according to its 2026 holiday schedule, and it will close again December 24 and 25 and at 3 p.m. on December 31
The Fitness Zone, the turf field waiting for its resurfacing and the Turkey Trot start line are all at 400 Mark Lane, while the summer market used Town Hall's corner of Rivervale Road.
Public spaces like the Mark Lane Fitness Zone and the resurfaced Town Hall courts are part of what a River Vale address is worth, and they change faster than most listings mention. If you're thinking about what your home might sell for next spring, Fast Track Real Estate Company can prepare a valuation that reflects what is new around you. Get Your Home Valuation.
