Look Out For Summit's Two-Week Arts Festival Coming This May

SUMMIT, NJ — It's showtime this May in Summit, as 14 arts organizations get together for the Summit Arts Festival — a two-week long celebration of all things music, art, theater and dance.

The festival will begin May 1 with a series of performances and events lasting through May 14. Candace Wicke, the executive director of The Continuo Arts Foundation, spoke about the festival at Summit Common Council's meeting last week.

"We want to showcase the best of the arts in Summit to really raise awareness, support and appreciate for the arts," Wicke said. "The arts is integral in the makeup and texture of what makes Summit so special and unique."

In particular, Wicke said the performing arts was hit hard during the pandemic and this festival will spotlight several theater performances.

Wicke said this is the debut season of the festival, but she hopes to make this an annual occurrence in Summit.

The organizations participating in the festival include: The Continuo Arts Foundation, Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble, Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Vivid Stage, Summit Playhouse, Summit Public Art, Summit Junior League, The Larks, The Children and Youth Choirs of New Jersey, New Jersey Conservatory of Music and Civic Chorale of New Jersey.

The following is the festival's schedule of events:

• May 1: Balli Di Primavera — presented by New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble
• May 1: Bright Star — a performance presented by Summit Playhouse set in the 1920s and 40s
• May 3: Art Exhibit — "In And Out Of Focus" presented by Reeves-Reed Arboretum
• May 4: Meet the Artist — presented by Vivid Stage, allows people to engage with playwrights, directors and actors
• May 6: VIP Reception (invite only)
• May 7: Summit Public Art Walk & The Larks — presented by Summit Public Art and The Junior League
• May 7: Opera Under the Stars — "The True Story of Cinderella" presented by The Continuo Arts Foundation and Clarum Sonum
• May 10: Exhibition at Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
• May 11: Meet the Artist — presented by Vivid Stage
• May 13: Bright Star — presented by Summit Playhouse
• May 14: The Closing Event "The Promise of Living" — a concert reflection on the "lives we live," presented by The Continuo Arts Foundation with artists from the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey

More information about each event, as well as tickets, can be found on the Summits Arts Festival website.

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