NJPAC: The annual Kwanzaa Family Festival & Artisan Marketplace goes down this month
When it comes to the weekend goals - how about putting the shopping sprees on pause for a few hours and turning up with good vibes? Look no further than the New Jersey Performing Arts Center coming through with a huge Kwanzaa Festival and Artisan Marketplace outing for the win? Oh yes.
It’s all in the details and if you’re in the Garden State Saturday, December 20 - fully tap into the festivities.
Thousands are expected to gather at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) for the return of the annual Kwanzaa Family Festival & Artisan Marketplace on Saturday, December 20, from 1 – 7:30PM. NJPAC is located at 1 Center Street in downtown Newark, New Jersey.
The festival, an Arts Center tradition lasting more than 26 years, includes family-friendly activities that embody the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Programming includes exquisite face painting, interactive storytelling, dance classes for all abilities and arts and crafts. RSVP to the Kwanzaa Family Festival here.
“The Kwanzaa Family Festival & Artisan Marketplace is NJPAC’s annual gift to the community,” says Eyesha Marable, Assistant Vice President, Community Engagement. “In collaboration with our 80 engaged partners, we produce a day of creative, fun and joyous activities so that people of all generations can form meaningful holiday memories at the Arts Center.”
The festival coincides with the Kwanzaa Artisan Marketplace, which will cover multiple floors of the Arts Center’s Prudential Lobby on Saturday, December 20, from 1 – 11PM.
The Kwanzaa Artisan Marketplace is the destination for purchasing one-of-a-kind gifts from more than 20 local artists, designers and crafters. Specialty items for sale include natural beauty products, candles, crystals, African mud cloth, artwork, home decor, pet products and much more!
Returning artisans will include Ashanti Fields, a creator of conversation-piece jewelry and clothing sewn from colorful West African fabrics. Philadelphia milliner Suzette Art Couturewill sell handcrafted hats and accessories.
The weekend of the Kwanzaa Family Festival & Artisan Marketplace will also feature:Holiday ceremonies such as a Kwanzaa candle-lighting and vibunzi (a tradition of honoring young people with an ear of corn, or fresh fruits and vegetables, to represent hope for the future) Kwanzaa-themed cookie decorating by The Cupcake CarriageCapoeira, salsa, Jersey club, soul line and West African dance and drumming classesA special film screening by the Newark Office of Film & Television Hourly performances by local dance troupes in the Prudential Hall Lobby, including a final share performed by participants in the festival’s dance and drumming classes. Dance groups include: Premiere Dance Theatre, Umoja Dance Company and Zawadi African Dance & Drum, Inc., Columbia High School’s Infinite Step team, Najah Riker’s soul line dancers and Solo Expressions.
Fashion shows presented by Ancient African Formula and New Jersey Kids Fashion WeekStorytelling led by the Beta Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; Newark Public Library; Reading Partners and Source of KnowledgeArts and crafts workshops led by GlassRoots, The Newark Museum of Art, The North Jersey Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Creative Stuff, Children’s Kwanzaa Village, Mansa Arts Education, Trust for Public Land and AARP Chapter 5398 of The Newark University AreaA Kwanzaa Memory Wall and panel discussion on grief and mourning facilitated by Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss Health screenings offered by Clara Maass Medical Center and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.Vision screenings and vision loss simulations presented by Eyes Like Mine Inc.Two GRAMMY-winning artists will present ticketed performances during the festival: gospel star CeCe Winans and the gospel group, the Blind Boys of Alabama.
Winans will perform at two ticketed concerts, on Friday, December 19, and on Saturday, December 20, at 8PM. Ticket buyers for Winans’ Friday night performance will have exclusive access to a poetry reading before the show at 7PM and to the Kwanzaa Marketplace from 7 – 11PM.
The Blind Boys of Alabama will perform on Sunday, December 21, at 3PM.
NJPAC’s Kwanzaa Family Festival & Artisan Marketplace are made possible through the generosity of Leon and Toby Cooperman. Additional support is provided by ADP, PSEG Foundation and M&T Bank.
About Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by activist and author Maulana Karenga to offer people of African heritage a holiday that would celebrate their culture. Kwanzaa encompasses seven days dedicated to seven principles, also known as the Nguzo Saba. The Kwanzaa principles are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). Each activity or event at NJPAC’s Kwanzaa Family Festival embodies one of the seven principles.
About NJPAC
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is the most diverse performing arts center in the country, and the anchor cultural institution for both the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey. It is an artistic, cultural, educational and civic center where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists, while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC Arts & Well-Being develops initiatives and programs that amplify the health benefits of the arts and measure the impact of the Arts Center on community health and well-being. NJPAC has attracted more than 12.7 million visitors (including more than two million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit njpac.org for more information.
