"Hurricane? What Hurricane?"

At the Saint Sebastian carnival Thursday night on Walnut Street, the impending hurricane seemed to be the last thing on anyone’s mind.  At least, no one going to let a Sunday storm spoil their fun that night.  

I don’t care at all about this ‘hurricane’ – it doesn’t frighten me,” declared Johnny “Meatballs” DeCarlo cheerfully as he stood beside his mobile meatball cart.  “Rain, sleet, snow, I’m like the mailman!  I’m here.” 

Ahava Felicidad was equally nonchalant about the threat of the storm. “I love nature.  I love the rain and the cleansing of the earth,” smiled the Montclair “holistic hair healer" and practitioner. “There’s no such thing as a washout; when you stay positive you can make miracles happen.”  

“They’re thinking Sunday’s going to be a washout, but I think today, tomorrow and Saturday we’ll be all right,” said vendor Nancy Iovine.  Iovine, an artist who teaches at the Montclair Art Museum, was selling jewelry while her husband Joe, a member of the Saint Sebastian Society, explained how the coming storm could affect the weekend’s festivities. 

“Sunday afternoon, instead of doing the procession with the band and bringing the statue through the streets, we’ll just have it outside the church,” said Joe.  “That’s Plan B.” 

When reminded about the expected severity of the storm, he amended, “Plan C? We’ll be inside the church.” Canceling, he insisted, was out of the question. 

“We still have to have our 50/50 raffle.  We’re giving away Jets tickets,” he said.

Selling fried ravioli and mozzerella sticks,Newark deli caterer Viviana Rizitello said she “didn’t expect a problem,” while next door at the Zeppole tent, Gaetano “Tommy” Scala announced he intended to go fishing at the shore this weekend.  “I want to see what the waves look like,” he said breezily. 

Montclair dad Hemchand Tadikonda, who attended the carnival with his two kids, Rohan, 4, and Aditi, 2, said he didn’t feel overly concerned about the hurricane either. 

“I’m not much worried.  I don’t think there will be much damage.  It’s going to slow down,” he said.  “[The winds are] 100 miles per hour now but it will probably be 40 miles [per hour] when it gets to Montclair.” 

Added Tadikonda, “Near the coast, people should be a little bit worried.  And I think this fair will be in trouble on Saturday and Sunday.” 

Carousel operator Paulette Costa said she wasn't scared of the hurricane but acknowledged that other people might be. 

“People are afraid of the hurricane.  Usually this place is packed, but people are probably home getting their houses ready for the storm,” she said.  

In fact, on the warm Thursday evening, with the sun setting over the Walnut Street baseball diamond, it was hard to imagine that a significant hurricane was headed for New Jersey. 

“So if we get two good days out of the [long] weekend – two and half – we’ll be happy,” grinned Johnny Meatballs, shrugging his shoulders. "Simple as that."