Annual HP Arts in the Park features fine arts, funky entertainment, fabulous food, Sunday, Sept. 20

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Arts in the Park, Highland Park New Jersey’s annual arts street festival, showcases fine arts and crafts from all over the region and shines a spotlight on Highland Park’s vibrant, diverse, multi-faceted arts scene. Now in its eleventh year, this renowned outdoor juried art show and street fair draws thousands of people from the tri-state area to the streets of Highland Park to enjoy top-notch art, music, and food while exploring Highland Park’s downtown as a shopping and dining destination.

The festival will be on Sunday September 20 from 11:30 am – 4:30 pm along Raritan Avenue (Route 27) in downtown Highland Park, New Jersey. Raritan Avenue will be closed to traffic for the event.

The main attraction of Arts in the Park is the juried art show and arts sale, highlighting Highland Park’s many artists as well as artists from around the region. Participants display and sell their work under tents downtown along Raritan Avenue. There will also be promotional booths from local businesses and organizations, a kids’ arts and crafts zone, a kids’ art show, food from local restaurants as well as out-of-town food trucks, and dance, spoken word, and music performances by top entertainers from the region. The entire list of participating artists, vendors, and restaurants can be found at www.mainstreethp.org.

 

Juried Art Show

This year’s art show judges represent a diverse array of artists, arts professionals, and local celebrities. The juried art show features cash awards for first, second, and third places in six categories: Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Fine Crafts, Graphics/Drawing/Printmaking, and Mixed Media. This year’s jurors are:

 

  • Peter Stanhope Arakawa, Painter
  • Chris Gash, Illustrator at chrisgash.com and visiting specialist at Montclair State University
  • Rita Kaplan Herzfeld, Painter
  • Vesselin Kourtev, Artist and Director, Alfa Art Gallery
  • Julie Langsam, Painter; Assistant Professor of Drawing, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University
  • Sheryl Magaziner, Calligrapher; educator, Highland Park Public Schools

 

Live Music

On the festival’s three music stages, there is a packed lineup of talented local musicians:

 

STAGE #1

Raritan Avenue @ 2nd Avenue

  • 11:30 am — 12:30 pm: Magnolia Street String Band (Bluegrass)
  • 12:45 pm — 1:45 pm:   The Jazz Burglars (Jazz)
  • 2:00 pm — 3:00 pm: Jerry Lardieri of The Brixton Riot (Rock)
  • 3:15 pm — 4:15 pm:   Do Rights (Rock/Funk)
  • 4:15 pm — 4:30 pm:   Musica Dolce, Highland Park Recorder Society (Classical)

 

STAGE #2

Raritan Avenue @ North 4th Avenue

  • 11:30 am — 12:15 pm:   Tsu Fil Davids (Klezmer)
  • 12:30 pm — 1:00 pm:   Gary Kaplan of The Fletchers (Rock)
  • 1:30 pm — 2:30 pm:   John Bianculli Group (Jazz)
  • 2:50 pm — 3:35 pm:   Daoine (Traditional Irish)
  • 3:50 pm — 4:30 pm:   Danny & Jeremy (Rock)

 

STAGE #3

Raritan Avenue @ 5th Avenue

  • 11:30 am — 12:15 pm:   Mr. Ray (Kids Rock)
  • 12:30 pm — 4:30 pm:   Speak Music students & faculty (Salsa, rock, and jazz)

 

Performing Arts

 

On the festival’s performing arts stage on Raritan Avenue and North Third Street, there is a lineup of dance, spoken word, and poetry performances:

 

  • 11:30 am — 11:45 pm: Mason Bolton (Spoken word and poetry)
  • 11:45 am — 12:00 pm: Jonah Botvinick (Juggling)
  • 12:00 pm — 12:30 pm: Scarlet du Monde (Middle Eastern dance)
  • 12:45 pm — 1:15 pm: American Repertory Ballet (Performance of The Grumpy Bird)
  • 1:30 pm — 2:00 pm: Millstone River Morris & Handsome Molly (Traditional English ritual dancing)
  • 2:00 pm — 2:30 pm: Kinetics Personal Fitness (Zumba demonstration)
  • 2:30 pm — 3:00 pm: Ziran Martial Arts (Martial arts demonstrations)
  • 3:00 pm — 3:15 pm: Marlon Dunn (Poetry and standup comedy)
  • 3:15 pm — 3:45 pm: Kopriva (Bulgarian folk dance)
  • 3:45 pm — 4:00 pm: Pandora Scooter (Spoken word and poetry)
  • 4:00 pm — 4:30 pm: Encore Dance Studio (Dance demonstrations)

 

Learn More

For detailed music and performing arts stage schedules, the list of artists, and more information, please visit Main Street Highland Park’s website, www.mainstreethp.org, or Main Street Highland Park’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/MainStreetHP, or contact Main Street Highland Park Executive Director Rebecca Hersh at rebecca@mainstreethp.org or 732-828-8444.

 

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Sponsors

Main Street Highland Park would also like to thank our generous arts festival sponsors, without whom this festival would not be possible.

Highland Park Artists Collective

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