What Do SZA's Mom, ACLU, And Maxwell's Band Booker Have In Common? A Maplewood Festival

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood's Ideas Festival kicks off next week with events and discussions related to everything from "Jazz vs. Rock" to race relations to civil rights.

The festival is held each year at the library and other sites in town, with high-profile guest speakers.

This year, the festival kicks off next Tuesday with a filmmakers' panel, then continues Wednesday with a ceremony at Town Hall.

Wednesday night, officials will give out the Carol Buchanan Award for Outstanding Contribution to Civic and Intellectual Life.

This year’s recipients are Audrey Rowe and Nancy Gagnier, who will be recognized for their work on the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race.

(Rowe is the mother of singer SZA, who is a graduate of Columbia High School in Maplewood.)

Other speakers during the festival range from a representative from New Jersey's ACLU to the former band booker from Maxwell's rock club in Hoboken.

See more information below:

• Detailed information on each event is here.
• The schedule and Maplewood Library calendar of events is here.