Bridge Arts Festival Returns to Bayonne

Published: Thu Aug 16 2018


Arts, music, and culture will take center stage again in Bayonne during its second annual Bridge Arts Festival on Saturday, September 8th. With an expected crowd of several thousand people from Bayonne, the NY Tristate area and beyond, the festival will entertain attendees in Dennis P. Collins Park, located on 1st Street adjacent to the Bayonne Bridge.

Festival co-founder Cheryl Mack said this year’s event will be bigger and even more vibrant than last year’s, which was a big success. "Last year we got the sense that everyone who attended the festival had a blast, whether they were families, young artists seeking inspiration, or people just looking to have fun and soak in culture," Mack said. "This year we are staging an even more exciting and diversified event."

Starting at 11:00 am, this year’s festival will include two stages featuring music, dance and theatrical performances; a vendor market with work by visual artists and artisans; a free crafts corner for kids; a food truck row with a wide array of beverage and meal choices; and a beer garden. New to the festival is the Animodules Sculpture Garden provided by the Barat Foundation. "Art is very alive in Bayonne, and we’re thrilled about the artistic expression that people will be exposed to," Mack said. "This year we have a 25-percent increase in participation from visual artists. And I really think the sculpture garden is going to be a huge hit."

"From Brooklyn to Bayonne" is the underlying theme for this year’s musical stage, which kicks off with a performance by the Bayonne-based Anthony Fuscaldo Trio followed by Conundrum, an instrumental R&B, funk and hip-hop band that features graduates of Bayonne High School. Representing the borough of Brooklyn will be the incredible jazz vocalist Alicia Olatuja and the electrifying Latin group Los Hacheros.

The dance stage, hosted by the exquisite Heather Smith, will showcase mesmerizing performances by the award-winning Jersey City Ballroom Dancers, Dance with Me Dance Studio, #TapLife and the Surati Dance Company. "Bayonne brings together people of many different nations from all over the world," Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis said. "Through the performing arts, we can learn to appreciate the special gifts that each culture brings to our city."

The festival’s corporate partners include BCB, RWJBarnabas Health, PSEG, Shop & Stop and Ignite Physical Therapy.

For additional festival updates and announcements, visit www.bridgeartsfestival.com.

About the Festival Organizers
The Bridge Art Gallery is a vibrant exhibition space dedicated to advancing artistic activities through public engagement. Located in Historic Bergen Point, Bayonne, the Bridge Art Gallery shortens the distance Bayonne residents travel to view curated art exhibitions featuring new and emerging visual artists. The Bridge Art Gallery produces the Bridge Arts Festival.
Contact Name: Christopher Mack
Contact Email: connect@bridgeartsfestival.com

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