Riverview Jazz, the non-profit producer of the Jersey City Jazz Festival, has just announced the lineup for its ambitious 2025 festival. The annual event where hundreds of musicians perform for thousands of attendees will take place on Friday, May 30, beginning at 6 pm, and Saturday, May
31 at Exchange Place plaza on the Hudson River waterfront from noon to 9 pm. The festival will also host events throughout Jersey City leading up to the festival beginning Tuesday, May 27.

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 Three days of Arts Events throughout Bayonne begin Sept. 7^th

By Sally Deering

Bayonne is more than just a bridge that connects to Staten Island, and the Bridge Arts Festival directors Cheryl and Christopher Mack want to prove that with three days of arts events highlighting the cityâ€s artists and artisans.

On Thursday & Friday, Sept. 7 & 8, live music and poetry readings at several Bayonne locations are the kickstarter to the main event: Sat, Sept. 9^th, the Bridge Arts Festival which starts at 11 am at the Dennis P. Collins Park adjacent to the Bayonne Bridge.  (Go to www.bridgeartsfestival.com for complete event listings.)

“The reason weâ€re holding this in Dennis P. Collins Park is that we want people inside and outside to know that Bayonne is not just a bridge,” Cheryl Mack says. “Itâ€s a hot bed for the creative community. We have a lot of visual artists, dancers, actors, writers – its a growing artistic community in Bayonne.”

Art by Nathan Singer to be on view

The Saturday event will feature an artist vendor market with 36 visual artists displaying their works in mixed-media; and artisans selling jewelry and home décor. Dessert and Food vendors will be offering lots of treats along with specialty food trucks like The Empanada Lady and Yankee Doodle Dandy, which offers chicken fingers lots of ways. Bring the kids because theyâ€re getting their very own craft corner.

Two stages featuring bands, dancers and music groups perform throughout the day and include the Beninghoveâ€s Hangman band, the soulful sounds of V Music featuring Dave Watson, and the Latin jazz sensation Son 3 y Mas featuring Grammy winner Ralph Irizarry. The Dance Stage led by internationally renowned choreographer Diana Castore will feature the Dance with Me Dance Studio, the Jersey City Ballroom Dancers, and a performance by the Surati Dance Company.

Surati Dance Company “Bayonne brings together people of many different nations from all over the world,” Bayonneâ€s Mayor Jimmy Davis says. “Through the performing arts, we can learn to appreciate the special gifts that each culture brings to our city, state, and nation.”

The festivalâ€s corporate partners include RWJ Barnabas Health, Bayonne Community Bank, PSEG and Target. The festivalâ€s co-founders, Cheryl and Christopher Mack, are owners of the Bridge Art Gallery in Bayonne that spotlights new and emerging artists.

Christopher & Cheryl Mack

“Bayonne is a really unique place,” Cheryl Mack says. “Itâ€s a quaint city thatâ€s the perfect mix of suburban, urban, and green space. Itâ€s a city thatâ€s reminiscent of all the neighborhoods weâ€ve grown up in. if youâ€re a city kid or had a city childhood, if you grew up knowing your neighbors, itâ€s that experience, too. Itâ€s very family-oriented, as well as a great city for young professionals and creative artists. Bayonne has a little bit of something for everyone.

If you go

Sat. Sept 9, 11 am-6 pm

Bridge Arts Festival

Dennis P. Collins Park

1^st St, BOHO

(adjacent to the Bayonne Bridge)

www.bridgeartsfestival.com

The post Bayonne’s Bridge Arts Festival to Spotlight Art, Music, Community first appeared on River View Observer.

    Visit the Bayonne Renaissance Festival on July 22nd for some Medieval Fun!

   Where Pirates Sing, Knights Joust, and a Magician Breathes Fire in a Kilt

 By Sally Deering

 Theater troupes have a passion for costumed period pieces and the Bayonne Theater Company has gone back to the Middle Ages to bring Boho residents and visitors some rollicking medieval fun.

The 2^nd annual Bayonne Renaissance Festival happens Sat, July 22^nd from noon to 7 pm and much of the entertainment is a step back in time. For instance, when was the last time you witnessed a joust, watched a pirate sing and dance, or caught a Celtic Magician dressed in a kilt breathe fire?

Thatâ€s just some of the fun Adam J. Semanchick, President of the Bayonne Theater Company and the Bayonne Renaissance Committee has up their chain mail sleeves when they turn the G. Thomas DiDomenico Park into an amphitheater filled with music, Shakespeare, games, food and lots of medieval shenanigans.

This is the second year for the Bayonne Renaissance Festival and Semanchick says 2017 is going to be a banner year for the event with more entertainment, more concessions, more childrenâ€s activities and special offerings for the adults, too. Couples that want to renew their vows will get their chance to say “I Do” once again at the Vow Renewal tent run by Gia Pace.

“Weâ€ll have a little service; it will be Renaissance-themed,” Semanchick says. “Itâ€s the first year weâ€re doing it.”

Moving things along throughout the day will be the Bayonne Theater Companyâ€s troupe of 30 members performing their best wench and knight imitations along with a special Shakespeare performance of LOVEâ€S LABOURâ€S LOST by Stratford-Upon-Duncan in Jersey City.

Flanked by fans, Bayonne City Council members Gary LePelusa and Sal Gullace portrayed knights in 2016

“The theater company has only been around three years,” Semanchick says. “We just did GOD by Woody Allen. It was well-attended. We did HOORAY FOR HOMOCIDE, a murder mystery. This started as a Shakespeare in the Park event and before you knew it, we were running a Renaissance Festival. Our first year we started out small. Weâ€re getting bigger as we go. People join us and stick around.”

Three stages will be set up in DiDomenico Park with acts performing throughout the day, Semanchick says. The Gazebo will be used for Shakespeareâ€s LOVEâ€S LABOURâ€S LOST by Stratford-Upon-Duncan. Other entertainers include Firebreather Daniel GreenWolf.

“This year weâ€re adding jousting, archery, a blacksmith, a fiddler, a bar band, and a local art show,” Semanchick says. “Our art curator Erin Kachmar runs the Jewish Community Center Art Gallery in Bayonne. About 30 artists, all Bayonne & JC artists., will be displaying their works.” 

BCB Bank and Carepoint Health are sponsors for this yearâ€s event, Semanchick says, and the theater company has been scouting acts for the event.

“Weâ€ve been pulling acts from other Renaissance Festivals,” Semanchick says. “Weâ€ve been scouting around and and got to meet some really cool acts. And we brought every act back from last year.”

Pirate Charles Waldron from Valhalla Pirates with Gabriel DeMaria

Along with firebreather Daniel GreenWolf, other entertainers will be knife-thrower Doug Stafford who also does the Philadelphia Renaissance Fair; the Valhalla Pirates featuring live cannon fire. (The leader of the Pirate crew is chiropractor Charles Waldron of Bayonne.) The Knights of Avalon will perform sword fights and the Crimson Pirates featuring Dan Oâ€Driscoll of Bayonne will also be featured. Another musical act to take the stage will be Three Pints Shy.

“Theyâ€re a really funny band,” Semanchick says. “Theyâ€re from Manhattan. Theyâ€ve been at the the New York Renaissance Fair for more than 10 years.”

Also on hand, Blacksmith G. Paul Salvetti from the Red Mill Museum in Clifton and archery by Jersey City Archery.

There will be a costume contest, and more than 30 vendors selling food, drinks, fairy wings and flower crowns. The Vic Tavern of Bayonne will have a beer garden set up and an art show is also planned. In addition, jousting will be performed by knights of the Round Table Productions of Pennsylvania.

“Theyâ€re high profile,” Semanchick says. “They used to do the Renaissance Fair in New York.”

If you go

Sat, Jul 22, from noon to 7 pm

Bayonne Renaissance Festival 2017

1. Thomas DiDomenico Park

375-409 Ave “A” (16^th Street), BOHO

Admission: $10 adults; Children 16 & under admitted free.

For more info: (201) 780-8378

BayonneRenFest@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/bayonnerenfest

The post HEAR YE, HEAR YE! COMETH TO BOHO FOR SOME FUNETH   first appeared on River View Observer.

Come and celebrate Mother Earth Festival “talk to the animals, walk with the animals at Historic Jersey City  and Harsimus Annual Family Friendly Festival of eco exhibits, urban farming, live music, food/drink, mini tours, and of course, the animals!!

This year the Cloverland Ranch will be  at the event with their goats, baby sheep, bunnies, livestock and More surprises!!! Bring the Kids to get closeup with these furry cuties and get to pet, brush, and feed them!

We welcome our Eco friends & urban farming & gardening exhibitors! The Hudson County Sierra Club will be there! The Liberty Human Society will also be on hand with some cute kitties and pups who need loving homes, so maybe you’ll be bringing home a new lifelong friend!

Also coming  good friends from Sustainable JC, the Jersey City Parks Coalition, the Jersey City Gardening Coalition, Rutgers Extension & Master Gardeners, Learn about the Cemetery’s Youth Urban FARM CLUB & other volunteer opportunities.

The Community UPLIFT Community Garden friends will be there too!! Enjoy WONDERFUL LIVE LOCAL MUSIC by Ronald McNair High School Chorus, The Sensational Country Blue Wonders , the 4th Street Night Owls, P@tomic and the Bomb, The Porchistas! , and Adam and the Plants!!! (With outstanding help from Rock-it Docket!!) Will be facepainting, Garden Stone painting, and Seed Planting oppportunies for the kiddies too!!

Come have a MAGICAL DAY and  CELEBRATE NATURE and the WONDERS of this  amazing historic site!!!

$5 Admission will directly benefit the All Volunteer Preservation Mission that is operating and restoring our amazing historic cultural heritage site. www.jerseycitycemetery.org

The post Celebrate Mother Earth Festival at Historic Jersey City Harsimus Cemetery April 29th, 2017 first appeared on River View Observer.

Party of Five a Acappella Doo Wop Vocal Group will appear at the Bergen Point Fall Festival the annual community Festival will feature Music Entertainment, Great Food, Inflatable rides, Caricaturist, Sand Art, Face Painting and more.

The Windwill Alliance will also host the following events: Basketball Throw in front of Highways Store, Pumpkin Painting on the Trinity Parish Lawn, The Windmill Center Bake Sale, Basket Raffles.

There will be a Dog Costume Contest at 12 noon

If You Go

October 15

Broadway from 5th street to Cottage Street in Bayonne

12 Noon-6 PM

For more information  call the Bayonne UEZ Office  201-858-6357

The post Party of Five Acappella Doo Wop Group to appear at Bayonne Bergen Point Fall Festival October 15th first appeared on River View Observer.

The post Take A Walk Through the Bayonne Bergen Point Fall Festival first appeared on River View Observer.

Saturday, October 18 is a full day of screenings at 2 locations – WFMUâ€s Monty Hall, 43 Montgomery Street and the Caroline L. Guarini Theatre, Jersey City Museum (building operated by JCMC-Barnabas Health) at 430 Montgomery Street – beginning at noon at both locations. Also on Saturday, very special screening of Gen Silent will be shown at the Caroline L. Guarini Theatre at 8:00 pm. This documentary explores the older LGBT community, who fought the first battles for equality, and who are now facing discrimination, bullying and abuse. This is a critically acclaimed film from director Stu Maddux, and is the winner of the Frameline San Francisco LGBT Film Festival Best Documentary Audience Choice Award.  

 Also showing at the festival will be, Mala Mala, the electrifying new documentary about an LGBT and drag community of performers in Puerto Rico which is showcased in this roundtable conversation with performers and filmmakers, Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini. Also Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution, a short documentary about why the Syrian people are fighting for their freedom, as told through the emotional words of two powerful characters whose lives have been turned upside down and torn apart by war. And The Last American Guido – In the 90’s, Tommy ruled the Jersey club scene. His style, moves, and sheer confidence were unprecedented. Nowadays, Tommy runs an Italian Deli. His hairline has receded, his fashion has faded. When he discovers his fiancée, Stefi had an affair, he’s forced back into a world that has passed him by.

Sunday, October 19 screenings begin at the Caroline L. Guarini Theatre, Jersey City Museum, Montgomery Street from 1:00 – 5:30 pm. Student category entries include several from local Jersey City film students from NJCU as well as others from around the world.

Screenings on Friday and Saturday evenings will followed by an after party at the Liberty Prime Steakhouse on Montgomery Street, where you can meet the filmmakers, the JCITFF team, film industry experts and like-minded film afficiandos. Please visit the website at www.jcitff.org  for more information.  Also visit:  http://jcitff.brownpapertickets.com  to purchase tickets for all three days.

The post JERSEY CITY INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION & FILM FESTIVAL –OPENING NIGHT FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17th, 2014 first appeared on River View Observer.

On Tuesday, September 16th the GDIFF launched its 2014 Kick -Off Party at the Loew’s Jersey City on Journal Square.

The night included Fashion guru Tommy Hilfiger, acclaimed actor Paul Sorvino and host of other film producers, actors, writers many who have submitted films to this years 2014 festival.

Actor and founder of the GDIFF Bill Sorvino hosted the event introducing Hilfiger.

Our photographer Steve A Mack took all the photos in this post.

The post Golden Door International Film Festival Gala Kick Off Party Photos by Steve A. Mack first appeared on River View Observer.