The celebration will kick off with music and performances from some of Hudson County’s finest local talent including the Union City High School Band and West New York Salsa Performers. They’ll also meet the nominees for HCCC’s first-ever Homecoming Court and see the winners crowned. Other highlights will include a live ice sculpting by Chef Kevin O’Malley and the dedication of HCCC’s 50th anniversary time capsule. A special “Golden Hour Toast” will close the formal program, honoring both the College’s legacy and the bright years ahead.
Music and energy will fill the air all day and keep the block party atmosphere lively and engaging. Attendees can explore campus facilities, connect with faculty and staff, learn more about HCCC’s array of academic programs and life at the College, and celebrate alongside students and alumni who make HCCC a cornerstone of the Hudson County community. There will be plenty of family-friendly fun and entertainment including henna artists, caricatures, face-painting, pumpkin carving, cotton candy, candy apples, plus a variety of games including axe throwing, basketball free throws, and more.
“We are thrilled to welcome our students, alumni, neighbors, and friends to celebrate this extraordinary milestone with us,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “Our 50th anniversary celebration is the perfect moment to launch a new tradition with our first-ever Homecoming party. This event reflects the true spirit of HCCC — inclusive, vibrant, and deeply connected to our community. We look forward to welcoming back our old friends and saying hello to new ones for the first time.”
This Golden Anniversary event is free and open to the public. HCCC welcomes everyone to join the celebration, honor the College’s rich 50-year history, and look forward to an even more vibrant future.
Event: HCCC Homecoming & Open House Block Party
Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: HCCC Journal Square Campus, Jersey City NJ – Culinary Conference Center and Culinary Plaza Park (161 Newkirk Street)
For more information or to register for the event, visit HCCC’s 50th anniversary events website at https://www.hccc.edu/50th/events/index.html.
About Hudson County Community College
Hudson County Community College serves more than 23,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers more than 90 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management; Nursing and Health Professions; and Humanities and Social Sciences. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. The College’s School of Continuing Education and Workforce Development offers cutting-edge, industry-recognized, stackable credentials in alignment with high-priority workforce needs.
HCCC has partnerships with major four-year colleges and universities in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.
The College has received dozens of national awards throughout the years. In 2023, HCCC received the Outstanding Member Institution Award from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). HCCC was a finalist in seven categories of last year’s American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) national “Awards of Excellence” and earned CEO of the Year, Faculty of the Year, and Student Success awards. For the fourth consecutive year, HCCC was selected as one of the few community colleges in the United States to be named among the “2025 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges” by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD).
HCCC was one of 22 community colleges in the nation, and the only college in New Jersey, to be recognized by ModernThink LLC and the “Chronicle of Higher Education” as a 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022 “Great College to Work For®” and named to the 2024 and 2023 “Honor Roll of Distinction.”
HCCC was one of two colleges in the United States to be named a Top Ten Finalist in all three program categories for the nationally recognized 2023 Bellwether Awards, and received the 2023 Bellwether Award for the College’s cutting-edge “Hudson Scholars” program, which also won the 2024 Bellwether Legacy Award.
The College’s exemplary work in advancing student success has been recognized with 2024 and 2023 “Leader College of Distinction” designation by Achieving the Dream, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as catalysts for equity and mobility in their communities. HCCC was also presented the Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention in 2025, 2024, and 2023 for demonstrating leadership in digital prevention programming focused on student safety, well-being, and inclusion.
