Anybody know the story behind Holiday Lake?

There was Holiday Lake and Olympia Lake. Riverside had Lake Lonnie.

Tina wrote:

Anyone interested, I found this link. Scorr all the way to the bottom for a lot of photos of holiday lake.
http://www.maglietta.org/mysocalledlife/holid...

thanks for the sharing the link to the photos. loved that place growing up. never found anyplace like it.

Holiday Lakes was always for the kids from out of the area (Philly, Camden etc). Olympia Lakes catered to Burlington County teens and families. Someone said music on the weekends. There was a dance pavillion and teens from different towns would mill around and get into mob fights fueled by kegs of been that the adults would have at the picnic ground. We'd sneak in from the gravel pit side behind the lake. Lot of good summer times there. I remember the slices of pizza from the concession.

Pat from Philly wrote:

I remember my dad who drove a cab in Philly, would come home after working all night, pile a bunch of neighborhood kids in the car drive over the bridge, then when we were getting close to Holiday Lake, we would fit as many kids as possible in the trunk and some on the floor in the back seat with a blanket over us, and he would proceed to the gate and pay admission for the kids that were visible. None of the neighborhood kids had money, and this was the only way we could afford to get in. We would stay for the entire day, have a really great time, and go home tired but happy. I remember the peach farm next to where we parked and someone would always climb the fence and grab a few peaches for the rest of us to eat. They were delicious. Loved the paddle boats too!

screw the whiner who went on the rant about "law abiding" showing their age. that's how things were done in those days. i think what your dad did is great. we did the same thing going to the drive-in. it was innocent fun. i also remember we used to steal watermelons from the A&P go across to the drive-in and have food fights. the same time one guy or gal would sneak in and turn up all the front row speakers so we could hear the movie. how sad those days don't exist anymore. now we listen to crybabies sniveling like such pranks are felonies and warrant prison time. FA Q's All

Some mention has been made about Sylvan Lakes in Burlington Twp. Wow I just looked at a map of the area. In the 70s we would camp out at Sylvan once in a while. There were old cabins along one side that people lived in. But, mostly Sylvan Lakes were just the usual cedar water, stained brown, sinkholes like a lot of lakes in the county. Later they stocked them with trout and had an opening day for the season. We would come in from the Sunset Road side through a private strawberry patch. Even though we were the bad kids from Willingboro we were always respectful of the people's crop. Not to say we didn't eat our fill now and then. The people never once bothered us for crossing their property. Now it's all built up and they made the one lake a recereation area. We never swam in that water though. Maybe they will fill it in and turn the place into a mega-WaWa.

I meant Sylvan Lakes in the 60s. Damned fingers go faster than the brain sometimes.

Beth wrote:

<quoted text>
Sunshine Lake was south on route 70 after the second cirle , I believe it is in Berlin, after it was Sunshine it became Alluvium lakes , and now is a beautiful housing development focused around the lake

you wouldn't to happen to have any photos of sunshine lake?

I just mentioned Holiday lakes to my dad. Me n my sis spent many summers having fun in.the lake. I drove pass it 10 yrs ago but never knew what happened. Thanks everyone for filling me in n wish it was still there to show my children n grandchildren. One of my favorite childhood memories from a Philly kid.

jrol11 wrote:

<quoted text> you wouldn't to happen to have any photos of sunshine lake?

Sunshine Lake was on rt. 73 south in Vorhees. It is know Aluvium? Or something like rhat. They closed and sold to the developer about 1976+- a few years.

My cousin Edger Batten (Ed ) managed the lake for awhile. I remember being there listening to LIVE AID on the pa system.

I remember going ther as a young mom with my baby...loved that place and always had a great time! Cooking out, volleyball, music playing...it was truly a great memory. Now I have 4 more kids wished they would have been able to enjoy it! It was cheap I believe 7 dollars, and a fantastic time! haven't found a similar or bettet place since then...

My Family moved to Willingboro in 1968. Back then I was just a little kid, my Dad bought a membership to Holiday Lakes that included the pool and the lake, also had use of the pattle boates.I remember the snack bar at the pool was awsum. But like Willingboro by the late 70s it all went down hill in a big way!! Its sad, back in the day that whole area was beautiful! It seems there was a steep decline in the class of people that where moving in the 08046 area code. I hate to say the big dreams we had for the intire area was sold out wright from under our feet to a clintel that tore down so much so quick, I do have bright childhood memeries of Holiday Lakes, Olimpia Lakes and even the Buckingham public swimming pool! Those days are long gone never ever to return. Well I will always remember the summers of the early 70s they were AWSUM!!!!!!!!!!

When I was a kid in the 70's and 80's I would spend most of my summers in the lakes across from Holiday Lake. I can remember the nights and days it was running along with the ice cream shop. Olympia lakes next door was long abandoned but a waterskii club my parents belonged to rented it to ski on. We wold camp out there for days at a time and practice. As a kid it was great to play in a place full of abandoned playsets, builings and a place with such history. Spent many years out there and witnissed the ramblin raft race and a few drownings.

April Mae-Iorio wrote:

Hi!
Yes Holiday Lakes sadly isn't there anymore, but when I was a kid I remember it. My Dad, Phil Iorio, was in a rock-n-roll band in the 50s-60s, think slick suits and greased back hair, playing the rockin' hits of the brand new Rock N'Roll movement.
The group also featured Al Leconi on guitar.
The band was called the 3 Holidays...because their infamous gig was playing on the roof of the building next to the swanky pool at Holiday Lakes. There was also a very large lake there.
The decal in circulation now shows a Ferris Wheel...I don't remember that, but I only remember the complex circa the 70's.
Sadly the lake was filled in, the pool and adjacent building gone...there is a big church complex there now.
Makes me year for yesteryears whenever I drive by.
I hope this helps.
Peace & Love,
April Mae
www.AprilMAEandTheJuneBugs.com

Just happened to run into this- is your dad the Phil Iorio from Riverside? He and I were friends in the 1950's before I moved. How is he doing?

No,you're thinking of a different Phil Lorio.

My brother got 'molested' at Holiday Lake by an older man. My brother was fruity to begin with so it was really more like he got lucky, but he wanted money so the term 'molested' was used in court.

place looked cool; be nice to have a place to go to local

don jr wrote:

you speak of jack acardi i presume. not sure of spelling. i do recall him very well and recall many days watching him on the lake saving lives. it was an everday thing at the lake to prevent a life from being lost. he was always on the job. so many times we would be standing around the lake , anywhere really , and without a word and fast as a flash jack was gone and off to the rescue. and man could that guy run. it seemed he would never stop at times. my dad don sr knew him much better and i just talked to him moments ago and asked if he knew you. hes going to look here on friday.
nice remembering with you,
don jr.

I remember Jack. I remember Don - he gave me my first summer job when I was 12 at Holiday Lake. Don was a great guy - skinny, usually wore sunglasses and told some interesting stories to us when we were waiting for work. As for work: We white washed curbs, picked up trash by using sticks with ice picks taped at the end of them and drove trucks around picking up garbage from the large cans in the picnic areas and on Sunday and holiday we parked cars behind the picnic area. We clocked in only when told to and clocked out when there was no work -$1.00 per hour and if you returned the next summer you made a nickel more an hour. Also worked for Hap at the pool one summer - not a nice guy. Had a cigar in his mouth all the time and was red faced from drinking all day. Guess it was a different world. Worked there two summers 1967 and 1968. We played pinball in the little room off of the snack bar area when we had nothing else to do. Pinball was 5 cents back then but we rigged the machine so we could play for free. Funny watching paying customers come in and pay for what we could easily get for free.

Hi

Hello Vanessa! What brings you to our forum on holiday lake?

Vanessa wrote:

Hi