Category Archives: Sally Deering

art gala’s ‘big 3-0’

   JCs Cathedral Arts Festival to Host “Big 3-0” Gala, Sat, May 18

   Artists, Friends & Grace Church Community to Come Out & Celebrate

By Sally Deering



Gentrification Towers by Fermin Mendoza will be on view at CAF

It’s probably the hippest church in Hudson County: a congregation of people from all walks of life, where artists are not only welcomed, they’re celebrated.

On Sat, May 8, beginning at 7 pm, Grace Church Van Vorst on Erie Street in Jersey City will host its 30th Anniversary celebration of the CATHEDRAL ARTS FESTIVAL (CAF), a gala of friends and community members coming together to support the church’s outreach and regale in artworks by local artists. This year, five curators have put together an exhibition of eclectic art that will dazzle and inspire.  Beth Achenbach, Cat Hecht, Robinson Holloway, Andrea Morin and Amy Elise de Jong.

bOLLYWOOD FULL SWING

  JCs Shehnaaz Dance Academy Dancers Perform Sat, May 18

   Students of All Ages Present Classic Bollywood Dance

Founded in 2012, Shehnaaz Dance Academy in Jersey City offers Bollywood dance classes for adults and kids, and on Sat, May 18, the school’s students will present an afternoon of classic Bollywood moves. The show will be held at Cornelia Bradford Elementary School No. 16 in Jersey City; curtain rises at 3 pm.

Shehnaaz Dance Academy offers dance classes in several Jersey City locales including the Boys and Girls Club, and the Performing Arts Workshop. The classes are part of the after-school programs in several Jersey City schools including schools No.16, No. 37, No. 5 and Primary Prep.

“Our Adult BollyHIIT workout and dance choreography classes are popular and well-known in the Jersey City area,” Founder Shehnaaz Jagasia says. “Our students have performed at various cultural events in Downtown Jersey City, and Hoboken, as well as the NYC India Day Parade. In 2018, Shehnaaz Dance Academy and its Spring Recital 2018 participants were recognized by the Jersey City Council.”

Shehnaaz Dance Academy presents twice-yearly recitals for its students to showcase their talents and hard work, Jagasia says.

“These recitals offer an opportunity for our students to stand confidently on a huge platform, overcome their stage fright, and be lauded for all the efforts they put in throughout the semester,” Jagasia says. “Our audience is wowed by the sheer level of talent and professionalism displayed by our dancers.”

If you go

Sat, May 18, 3 pm

SHEHNAAZ DANCE ACADEMY RECITAL

Cornelia Bradford Elementary School No. 16

96 Sussex St, JC

(201) 245-0025

Shehnaazdanceacademy.com

ZEPPOLES, RAFFLES, DANCING— LA FESTA IS BACK!!!  

 

  La Festa Italiana 2017 Rocks On in JC

  Holy Rosary Church Celebrates Great Food, Fab Drinks, and Live Music

 Lafesta Italiana Jersey City 2017

By Sally Deering

 At every turn you’ll see a familiar face at La Festa Italiana Jersey City 2017, Holy Rosary Church’s 114th annual “Old World” Italian Street Festival to be held in Downtown Jersey City. For five consecutive days and nights, from Wed, Aug. 9th through Sun, Aug. 13th, Sixth & Brunswick Streets will be rockin’ with live bands, swinging soloists, fabulous foods, thirst-quenching drinks and frolicking fun for the kids. (Hours are Wed-Fri, 5 pm-11 pm; Sat & Sun, 3 pm-11 pm.) Continue reading ZEPPOLES, RAFFLES, DANCING— LA FESTA IS BACK!!!  

GRINGO’s JERSEY CITY -FOUR ‘GRINGOS’ & A TACO

4 Friends Open Mexican Eatery Off the Beaten Path

   Rustic Hip Sets the Tone at Gringo’s in Jersey City 

   Gringo's Jersey City Gringo's Jersey City

By Sally Deering

Photos by Fermin Mendoza

Gringo’s Jersey City,  It’s the only restaurant in town with a sawed-off milk truck in the dining room. Gringo’s, the new Mexican eatery that just opened a few weeks ago in Downtown Jersey City features a sawed-in-half milk truck where Chef Rick Truocchio and his crew prepare dishes like Holy Mole tacos and Guac. Continue reading GRINGO’s JERSEY CITY -FOUR ‘GRINGOS’ & A TACO

 THE COMEBACK KID- Hard Grove Café Re-Hangs Its Cuban Star on First Street

  Hard Grove Café Re-Hangs Its Cuban Star on First Street

 After 3 Years, Traditional Cuban Dishes Are Back in Downtown JC

 

By Sally Deering

 Its been three years since Cuban cuisine-lovers could duck into the Hard Grove Café in Jersey City for a traditional Cuban sandwich. Well, good news!  On June 26, Hard Grove opened its new restaurant & bar on First Street off Newark Ave, and so far, customers are stopping by for Hard Grove’s traditional Cuban fare and a freshly mulled Hemingway Mojito. 

“June 26th was our ‘soft’ opening,” owner Evelyn Padin says, “In this industry, it’s not smart to rush into a grand opening.” Continue reading  THE COMEBACK KID- Hard Grove Café Re-Hangs Its Cuban Star on First Street

ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER 20 Rockin’ Bands, Musicians & Vocalists Perform Live on Weehawken’s Waterfront

Rollin on the River

Billy Valentino, Joey Cimino and Matt Gale of Finish This perform in Weehawken’s Hamilton Park. (Photo by Fermin Mendoza)

Lawn Chairs, Picnic Baskets, the NY Skyline and Free Music

By Sally Deering

On a recent Sunday afternoon, Hamilton Park on Boulevard East in Weehawken, with its breathtaking view of the New York Skyline, transformed from pastoral park to electric guitar-riffing rock concert with residents and visitors chilling on its great lawn. Continue reading ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER 20 Rockin’ Bands, Musicians & Vocalists Perform Live on Weehawken’s Waterfront

LOVE HURTS-Hudson Shakespeare Presents Romeo & Juliet in Hudson Parks

  Rival Families, Two Teens in Love, A Dismal Fate Awaits

By Sally Deering

“These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder
Which, as they kiss, consume.”

 Love Hurts Romeo and Juliette

Mackenzie Menter as Juliet and Joshua Blount as Romeo in HSC’s Romeo & Juliet.

What happens when two feuding families poison the love of their offspring with their hatred? Do the sins of the fathers cast evil on their children?  Can love ever survive when surrounded by hate?

​These are the questions that come to mind in Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, the story of two star-crossed lovers who cannot escape the rivalry of their families and although they are madly, deeply in love, theirs comes to a tragic end.   Continue reading LOVE HURTS-Hudson Shakespeare Presents Romeo & Juliet in Hudson Parks

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! COMETH TO BOHO FOR SOME FUNETH  

Bayonne Renaissance Festival
The Bayonne Renaissance Committee

    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 2nd annual Bayonne Renaissance Festival happens Sat, July 22nd 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? Continue reading HEAR YE, HEAR YE! COMETH TO BOHO FOR SOME FUNETH  

GIRL GROUP GROOVES

Vicki Kristina Barcelona to Perform in the Parlour at Fox & Crow

Band Returns for a Swinging Night of Tom Waits & Original Tunes

 By Sally Deering

girl group grooves
Terry Radigan, Amanda Homi, and Rachelle Garniez are the Vicki Kristina Barcelona band

Girl groups are a rare breed of women doing their own thing in the male-dominated music world; they create their own unique sound and groove just as cool as the boys.

Vicki Kristina Barcelona fits those stilettos perfectly – a girl group with its own style, doing music their way. The three singer/songwriter/musicians – Amanda Homi (percussion), Rachelle Garniez (accordion/guitar) and Terry Radigan (guitar) – sing original tunes they wrote and a Tom Waits’ repertoire. They perform throughout the Metropolitan area and are returning to the back parlour at Fox & Crow on Thursday, June 22 at 8 o’clock for another show.   Continue reading GIRL GROUP GROOVES