'American Idol's' Kennedy Grey to Perform at Montclair Festival

Clear the calendar. The 24th annual Montclair African-American Heritage Parade and Festival is Saturday, with entertainment planned throughout the entire day.

This year's festival will include live performances from Montclair's American Idol competitor Kennedy Grey, as well as Blue Magic and Soul Generation.

The parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. at Glenfield Park (Maple Avenue) and travels up Bloomfield Avenue to Elm Street and Orange Road behind the South End Parking Lot and to Cedar Avenue, where it ends at Nishuane Park at the site of the festival.

Along with many community organizations and members, this year’s parade participants will include:

• National Double Dutch League
• Camden Sophisticated Sisters at "Dancing With The Stars"
• United Panamanian Veterans Marching Band of Brooklyn
• Devastation Dance Crew of Trenton
• Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corp. of New York City
• East Orange Unified Marching Band
• Orange High School Marching Tornadoes

The festival will take place from noon to 6 p.m. at Nishuane Park on Cedar Avenue and High Street. Children’s entertainment will include pony rides, inflatables and face painting.

Parade Grand Marshals will be Kathryn Allen-Curry, a founding member of the festival, who has been an active committee member and treasurer since 1990, and local chiropractor Dr. Alfred Davis, who has also been involved with the parade since its inception.

Rain date is Sunday, June 2.