New Brunswick HEART Festival Is This Saturday

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick Cultural Center, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) and Above Art Studios present the New Brunswick HEART Festival this Saturday, August 12, from 3-6 p.m.

It will be hosted by New Jersey Radio Hall of Famer Bert Baron and Founder of TSO Productions Sharon Gordon.

This free family-friendly festival celebrates the vibrant arts and history of New Brunswick and Middlesex County, featuring live music and dance performances; free dance classes for kids; food, craft, and art vendors; arts and crafts for kids; free face painting, Henna, caricatures, and balloon animals; and more.

The festival will take place in downtown New Brunswick on Livingston Ave (Monument Square, 2 Livingston Ave).

In addition to the festivities taking place on Livingston Ave, there will be a Block Party on Morris Street, held in front of Above Art Studios (55 Morris St). The Block Party will include live music and spoken word performances, stunts by the local bike club, and a fish fry fundraiser for Above Art Studios.

This year's lineup on the outdoor stage on Livingston Avenue include award-winning, multicultural family music band Hot Peas 'n Butter; celebrated tap dancer Omar Edwards; the New Brunswick Jazz Project Brass; a dance performance by InSpira Dance; R&B/jazz band, LMNOP; DJ IZM, and spoken word artists Rashad Wright and Queena.

New this year is the Studio Exhibition, open from 3pm-6pm and located in the State Theatre's Studio space, this exciting exhibit celebrates the history of the arts in New Brunswick featuring old playbills and posters, video, 1920s-1970s memorabilia, and costumes from Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet.

Other events at the New Brunswick HEART Festival includes a health & wellness area with Garden of Healing; a backstage tour of State Theatre New Jersey; dance classes for kids and teenagers hosted by American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School; and a history corner featuring historical interpreters by East Jersey Old Town Village & Cornelius Low House. Additional activities include button-making with the New Brunswick Free Public Library; Japanese black ink drawing with the Highland Park Arts Commission; free tie dye station with Dibble and Dabble, a community art project with Zimmerli Art Museum; a community listening game with AARP; giant Jenga with Live Well/Vivir Bien; free back-to-school supplies from New Brunswick Area NAACP, and more!

Schedule of events:

3pm-4pm

DJ IZM

New Brunswick Jazz Project Brass

Hot Peas N’ Butter

4pm-5pm

DJ IZM

Tap Dancer Omar Edwards

Spoken Word Artist Rashad Wright

Spoken Word Artist Queena

5pm-6pm

DJ IZM

InSpira Dance

R&B/jazz band, LMNOP