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Free cultural celebration to showcase art, music, dance, crafts and food in day-long festivities
Trenton, NJ – Governor Jon S. Corzine and Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells will host New Jersey’s Cultural Festival on September 29 at South Riverwalk Park in Trenton from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Festival will showcase art, music, dance, crafts, special children’s activities and food during an all-day free event for the family. The rain date is September 30.
"New Jersey takes great pride in our rich cultural heritage with over 145 distinct ethnic populations that play an important role in our social fabric," said Governor Corzine. “The New Jersey Cultural Festival is a great way for families and individuals to celebrate the Garden State’s vast multicultural community.”
“We are so pleased to be able to offer such a unique cross-cultural and intergenerational experience for our families and children to showcase the breadth and depth of our state’s cultural richness,” said Secretary Wells. “The aim of this outdoor celebration is to heighten awareness among New Jersey residents and to foster a mutual understanding and respect for our State’s cultures and traditions through the exchange and performance of cultural arts.”
The Festival celebration kicks off at 11:00 a.m., with continuous cultural performances. A highlight will be a naturalization ceremony for new American citizens at 1 p.m. The festivities will continue until 5 p.m.
South Riverwalk Park was built in 2004 on the banks of the Delaware River in Trenton. The 6.5 acre venue will provide a beautiful backdrop for festival goers to enjoy a day-long lineup of cultural activities, ethnic foods and music and dance performances by artists from all over New Jersey. The park has recreational and picnic areas for the enjoyment of families and their children.
Festival highlights include performances by Native American, South and East Asian, Latino, Brazilian, Greek, Ukrainian, Chinese, Klezmer, jazz and hip-hop artists, among many others. The festival also will feature African American storytelling and spoken word poetry.
In addition to close collaboration with the New Jersey Departments of Education, Community Affairs and Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs, Festival partners include Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes; Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer; the Governor’s Ethnic Advisory Council, the New Jersey Black Cultural and Heritage Initiative Foundation, the New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs, the NJ Asian American Foundation; Celebrate NJ; the NJ State League of Municipalities; the NJ Business and Industry Association; the NJ Chamber of Commerce, the Mercer County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Trenton Downtown Association. The event is underwritten in part by generous donations from the following corporate sponsors: Comcast, the Official Media Sponsor; Wal-Mart; First Energy Foundation/JCP&L; State Farm Insurance; and the Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition.
The cross-cultural performance lineup will feature the following groups:
FESTIVAL ENTERTAINMENT
- Rahway Dance Theatre—multi-cultural dance troupe—Rahway, NJ, Union County
- Odessa Klezmer band—Eastern European music from secular Yiddish tradition—Columbus, NJ, Burlington County
- Trenton Jazz Ensemble, Trenton, NJ, Mercer County
- Trenton High School Marching Band, Trenton, NJ, Mercer County
- Camden Creative Arts High School Jazz Band, Camden, NJ, Camden County
- African Dance and Drum Ensemble, Camden, NJ, Camden County
- Naja Selby, National Poetry Out Loud finalist, NJ State Winner, Newark, NJ, Essex County
- Millicent Sparks and Marvin Jefferson—portraying Harriet Tubman and William Still, from Trenton and Montclair--Mercer and Essex counties
- Arturo Romay, Latino Guitarist-Mercerville, NJ, Mercer County
- Face DaPhlave, Hip Hop Dancers—Willingboro, NJ, Burlington County
- Chinese Opera Mask Dance, North Brunswick, NJ, Middlesex County
- Hellenic Dancers of NJ, Monmouth Beach, NJ, Monmouth County
- Brasil Tche, Brazilian Dancers, business in Somerset County, dancers from Newark
- Ensemble Barynya—Russian/Ukrainian/Gypsy balalaika music—Ft. Lee, NJ, Bergen County
- Soorya Dance Company—Asian Indian Folk Dance—Woodbridge, NJ, Middlesex County
- Second NJ Regiment--Civil War Re-enactment—set up camp; musket drill, fife and drum—members from all over NJ
- Sikh Sabha, Martial Arts, Lawrenceville, NJ, Mercer County, NJ
- Juvenile Justice Commission Drum and Step Corps, Trenton, NJ, Mercer county
- Princeton Guardsmen Barbershop Quartet—Princeton, NJ, Mercer County
- Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Ft. Lee, NJ
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES
- Henna painting, no dyes, only natural ingredients
- Face painting
- Ceramics tent --Courtesy of Mercer County
- Moon Bounce—Mercer County Boys and Girls Clubs
- Tours of South Riverwalk Park—geologic, historical, geographic, nature—with Park Naturalist
- Jenkinson’s Aquarium, Point Pleasant—ecological/environmental activities/games
- Poetry activities—Naja Selby—National Poetry Out Loud finalist
- Doll making- Cali Smith, Union County
- Science activity—NJ State Museum
For additional information visit www.nj.gov/state, call 609-777-0881 or email: feedback@sos.state.nj.us
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