Music, Dancing & Fellowship; Wed, Aug. 15–Sun, Aug. 19, 5pm–11pm

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) Everyone is family at Holy Rosary Church, and to celebrate our extended family, the Very Rev. Pastor Jerzy “Jurek” R. Zaslona invites everyone to La Festa Italiana, the annual Italian street festival held in August in Historic Downtown Jersey City.

Starting, Wed, Aug. 15, from 5-11 pm, and running every day through Sunday, Aug. 19^th, La Festa Italiana will transform 6^th & Brunswick Streets into a lively block party filled with vendors selling delicious ethnic foods, bands playing chart-topping hits, and rides and games guaranteed to give kids memories that last a lifetime.

The Bands

The entertainment roster for this yearâ€s La Festa Italiana is a Whoâ€s Who of talent who will get festival-goers swinging and dancing in the streets. Hereâ€s the schedule:  Opening night, Wed, Aug 15: THE CAMEOS; Thurs, Aug 16: DJ CARLOS SOUNDS; Fri, Aug 17: FIRST KISS; Sat, Aug 18: SUNSET SOUNDZ; and on closing night, Sun, Aug 19: TOTAL SOUL. Along with the bands, a DJ plays tunes at the corner of 6^th & Brunswick Streets – every night of the festival!

New to La Festa Italiana and looking forward to rocking the crowd is the band SUNSET SOUNDZ based in North Hudson. Band member Tony Annacone says the band may be new to La Festa Italiana, but theyâ€ve been playing together a long time and know how to get the crowd jazzed up: “We play Big Band songs from the 1940s all the way to Bruno Mars. We canâ€t wait to perform.”

On Sunday night, the 10-piece band Total Soul will take to the stage. This will be the bandâ€s eighth consecutive year performing at La Festa Italiana. Bandleader Jeff Deitrle says the band keeps coming back for the receptive crowd, and to help Holy Rosary. “We get everybody dancing,” Deitrle says, “and we like supporting the church.”

A Foodieâ€s Paradise

La Festa Italiana will be a “Foodieâ€s Paradise” with Food Trucks like Dellanoâ€s/ Anna Mariaâ€s mouth-watering Italian sausage sandwiches, Gyros and shish-ke-babs; and “Hold My Knots”, garlic knot chicken, meatball and eggplant parm sliders. The NYC Mac Truck will have dishes like deep fried mac ‘n†cheese bites; and Jerkin†Chicken will be cooking Caribbean jerk chicken, and rice and beans dishes.

NJ Corn Stars – grilled corn with all the toppings – returns along with Delenioâ€s pizza by-the-slice, pastas and Italian specialties. Las Delicios del Calvo will be serving tasty Latin treats like chorizo, rice and beans, and non-alcoholic Pina Coladas. Maison Creperie will be making yummy dessert crepes and smoothies. O La La Empanadas will be firing up delicious empanadas and other Latin specialties.

White Star Bar which offers craft beers & specialty cocktails returns to La Festa along with Maglioneâ€s Italian Ices; Mozzareppa; and VEGBAR Juice+Grub, specializing in fresh vegan juices. Lydia & Patâ€s Fresh Seafood Bar returns and gourmet gelati lovers will be thrilled that Giaâ€s Gelato will be back. So will Al & Marianneâ€s Pure & Simple Flatbreads with their artisanal brick-oven pizzas.

“La Festa Italiana is like coming home,” Marianne says. “Itâ€s a great neighborhood feast; so much fun. Itâ€s the one festival we look forward to every year. We love it!”

A huge highlight this year will be Fr. Jurekâ€s Authentic Polish Table, where Holy Rosaryâ€s pastor will be donning an apron and serving up specialties like kielbasa and pierogi. For ice cream lovers, Kreme Rollers will have the newest taste sensation, custom-rolled ice cream filled with delicious sweets.  

Another new taste-treat, “Bacon Me Crazy” will delight festival-goers with hotdogs wrapped in bacon, and other treats. Owner Kathleen Sullivan, a Jersey City resident, says sheâ€s thrilled to be in La Festa Italiana this year: “Jersey City is an exciting place to be. “Itâ€s ‘foodieâ€. Itâ€s community. I canâ€t wait to sprinkle bacon all over it.”

For the kids, La Festa Italiana will have lots of rides and games, and Cynthiaâ€s Face Painting, too. A new festival highlight will be the “The HRC $10 Flea Market” held in the Parish Center Caffe where all the items will be just $10. Holy Rosary also supports local non-profits. This year, parishioner Stephanie Panzariello will oversee the Aluminum Cans for Burned Children (ACBC) program that raises funds for young burn victims admitted to the Burn Center at Saint Barnabas in Livingston. Throughout La Festa, red bagged-barrels will be available for festival-goers to recycle their aluminum cans. All the proceeds from the collected cans will go to the Burn Center.

As La Festaâ€s Opening Day – Wed, Aug. 15^th – draws near, Holy Rosary parishioners are busily preparing Italian specialties that attract festival-goers, year-after-year. Treats like Zeppoles showered in powdered-sugar, and Rice Balls (Arancini) drizzled with tomato gravy. At “A Taste of Campobasso”, weâ€ll have our Famous Wine & Peaches, and home-brewed Limoncello and Creamcello made by The Assunta Wine Girls, who will also be serving fine Italian wines. At Caffe Italiano, Holy Rosaryâ€s church ladies will sell freshly-made cookies, cakes, cannolis, pies, coffee and tea. Hourly and Super 50/50 raffle tickets will be on sale throughout the five-day festival; and, the popular Money Wheel will return to its original location in the backyard opposite Caffe Italiano.

Sponsors

La Festa Italiana is grateful for the vital financial support of our sponsors, especially our Platinum Sponsor Adapting Social, a design and marketing agency in Asbury Park and New York. President and owner John Vagueiro says that as a dedicated Catholic, he believes in giving back to the church: “Church and community are first and foremost,” Vagueiro says. “Holy Rosary really cares. I know church members who love the church. The most important thing is keeping God first and supporting the churchâ€s work.”

Our Gold Sponsor, Ziggyâ€s Auto Body, also deserves our thanks, as well as our Silver Sponsors Monteleoneâ€s Bakery, Riotto Funeral Home, The Brunswick School, Commonwealth Trucking/Fleetwood Forwarding, Tony Ferrara & Associates, SILVERMAN, and GothamWest. GothamWest owner Nima Nili says Holy Rosaryâ€s La Festa Italiana is a valued tradition for the Downtown Jersey City community: “Itâ€s where old traditions persevere and new traditions are created each year. GothamWest Builders would like to thank the Holy Rosary community for making it happen!”

We thank our Diamond Sponsors, too: LeeMark Electric, The Ambriola Cheese Company, Panepinto Properties, Sorrentino Electric, Catholic Cemeteries, DePierro Raddington LLC, and Yelp!

Triduum, and Feast Day Masses

On Sun, Aug. 12 through Wed, Aug. 15, Holy Rosary Church will hold the Assumption & St. Rocco Triduum. On the Opening Day of La Festa Italiana, Aug. 15, at 11 am, the Feast Day Mass in veneration of Maria SS. Dellâ€Assunta – a holy day of obligation – will be celebrated. Fr. Jurek, who serves as Dean of the Deanery, along with clergy of the Deanery, will offer Mass followed by a traditional street procession where the Holy Statue of Maria SS. Dellâ€Assunta will be carried through the streets as a blessing to the Downtown Jersey City community.

The St. Rocco Feast Day Mass will be offered on Thurs, Aug. 16, at 11 am, also followed by a traditional street procession. La Festa Italiana celebrates many traditions throughout the year. Fr. Jurek says: “Traditions and customs define us as a community and La Festa gives us the opportunity to become a more integrated community. When people come to La Festa, they come for the music and the food, but they also come for the fellowship, to see friends, and create happy memories for their children. We are here to serve the people of Jersey City.”

Founded in 1885, Holy Rosary Church is the first Italian Roman Catholic Parish in New Jersey; and La Festa Italiana is Holy Rosaryâ€s special way of saying thank you to its parishioners and neighbors. This year, the church celebrates 133 years of serving the spiritual needs of its parish and the Historic Downtown Jersey City community. For many years, La Festa Italiana has been the churchâ€s biggest fundraiser for the restoration and upkeep of the church. During La Festa Italiana 2018, the Church will be open for visitors to see, up close, the magnificent beauty that is Holy Rosary Church. Visitors are also welcome to donate a 7-day Memorial Candle in memory of a loved-one.

For more information, please call us at (201) 795-0120 or (201) 776-9222, or visit our website: www.lafestaitalianajc.com;

our Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/lafestaitalianajc; and our Instagram page, @holyrosarynj.

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN JERSEY CITYâ€S OLDEST ITALIAN 

FESTIVAL

 THE  FIRST  ITALIAN  PARISH  IN  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY

The post LA FESTA ITALIANA: THAT’S AMORÉ! first appeared on River View Observer.

Holy Rosary Church celebrates 113^th Italian Festival in Downtown JC

By Sally Deering

August nights are a time to celebrate when La Festa Italiana, the Old World Italian Street Festival hosted by Holy Rosary Church turns Historic Downtown Jersey City into five summer nights of music, dancing, food and fun!

La Festa Italiana 2016 begins Wed, Aug. 10, and continues through Sun, Aug. 14, on Sixth & Brunswick Streets. On these five summer nights, the neighborhood surrounding Holy Rosary Church will come alive with rocking dance music, games of chance, kids†activities, and a wide-array of delicious foods and libations. La Festa Italiana runs from 5 pm-11 pm Wednesday-to-Friday, and 3 pm-11 pm Saturday & Sunday. The last night (Sunday) at 11 pm, the “Super 50/50” Raffle winner will be chosen. Last yearâ€s ticket-holder won over $10,200.

La Festa Italiana honors the veneration of Maria SS. Dellâ€Assunta & San Rocco, and offers the Downtown community the opportunity to party with its neighbors. This yearâ€s La Festa Italiana features live bands, fun for the kids, food and souvenir vendors and Italian delicacies made by Holy Rosary Church parishioners like Fresh Hot Zeppoles, lemony Limoncello and “Our Famous Rice Balls”.

Founded in 1885, Holy Rosary Church is the first Italian Roman Catholic Parish in New Jersey. Pastor of Holy Rosary Church, the Rev. Jerzy (Jurek) Zaslona says La Festa Italiana pays tribute to the churchâ€s 131-year history and strengthens community ties.

“I thoroughly enjoy this five-night feast,” Rev. Zaslona says.  “As a church, we are here to serve the people of Jersey City and La Festa Italiana gives us the opportunity to become a more integrated community.”

La Festa Italiana 2016 has a 5-star line-up of music performed by live bands and music groups, featuring

Wed, Aug 10:               CRAZY 80â€s

Thurs, Aug 11:     LTZ (Less Than Zero)

Fri, Aug 12:                 Matt Colligan & Friends

   Mike Buscio Acoustic (Caffe Italiano)

Sat, Aug 13:     The Cameos

    Party of Five Acapella (Caffe Italiano)                  

   

   

Sun, Aug 14:                Total Soul

 Every night of the festival, on 6^th & Brunswick St., DJ Dan of Blueline Productions will keep the party dancing!

Our sponsors for La Festa Italiana 2016 include Brunswick Center, Tony Ferrara & Associates of Jersey City, Grillo for Council-Nicholas J. Grillo 2017, Dr. Michele J. Dimaira, DMD, MS, PA, Catholic Cemeteries, Panepinto Properties, Commonwealth/Fleetwood, Monteleoneâ€s Bakery, Sorrentino Electric, and Yelp.

This year, La Festa Italiana 2016 will be a “Foodieâ€s Paradise” with vendors like Mayon Grillâ€s Filipino BBQ, Pure ‘n†Simple Flatbreads†coal-fired brick oven pizzas, the Angry Crab food truck serving crab cakes and lobster rolls; and Liege (Belgian) Waffles which will also serve crepes with lots of topping choices, and they have a gluten-free crepe, too. And thereâ€s more, like mouth-watering Italian sausage sandwiches, Greek specialties, and delicious desserts including hand-made cannolis at Caffe Italiano in Holy Rosaryâ€s backyard.

Lots of returning, local food vendors, too, like Gia’s Gelato & Café in Jersey City, which will be selling 26 flavors of Gelato like “Kitty Kitty Bang Bang”, vanilla gelato with Oreo cookies, raspberries and white chocolate. Owners Angela Ratliff and Deb Brackett agree La Festa Italiana has been great for business and offers many opportunities to meet people who eventually become regulars.

“It allows us to be part of the community and reach out to a large number of potential customers,” Brackett says. “When we sell Gelato at La Festa, we talk to so many customers who become aware of all we sell at Giaâ€s down the street.”

Lunaâ€s Bowtique will sell hair products like bows and headbands, and be sure to visit the Radical Wellness tent, where you can purchase essential oils, teas, and energy-therapy products.

“Weâ€ll be bringing a lot of new blends, teas, oils, and energy balancing bracelets, which were a big hit last year,” owner Jimmy Benito says. “At La Festa, we meet a lot of new people and build relationships with them.”

This is the 8^th year Jason Gitlin, owner of Delenioâ€s will be selling his delicious Brooklyn-style pizzas (thin crust) with fresh homemade Mozzarella, meatball sliders, clams and mussels.

“La Festa is a good experience and a great way to make new friends,” Gitlin says. “The people at Holy Rosary are really good people. I have a photograph from 1921 in my restaurant. Itâ€s the same festival. All the people and police are lined up on 6^th Street. La Festa is a long-running tradition thatâ€s great for the neighborhood.”

Lucky Honey Bee is a full-range of natural bee products that will again be sold at this yearâ€s La Festa Italiana. Other ‘stars†of the festival are the Hourly 50/50s, and the popular Money Wheel.

On Sat, Aug. 13, church parishioners who are Ferris High School alumni can meet at the Parish Center for the 7^th annual Ferris High School Reunion & Caffe Italiano, where Michael Buscio Acoustic and Party of Five Doo Wop will be entertaining. Both Buscio and Party of Fiveâ€s Joe Calamito are sons of Holy Rosary Church.

Religious traditions are another important highlight of La Festa Italiana 2016.

A Novena will be celebrated for nine days from August 6-14, in veneration to Our Lady of Assumption.

On Mon., Aug. 15, at 11 am, the Assumption Feast Day Mass, in veneration to Maria SS. Dell’Assunta will be celebrated. At this Mass, we will celebrate the memory of Most Rev. Thomas A. Donato, a son and dear friend of Holy Rosary Church. The Most Rev. John W. Flesey, a long-time friend of Bishop Donato is the Celebrant.

On Tues., Aug 16, at 11 am, the St. Rocco Feast Day Mass will be celebrated.

La Festa Italiana is Holy Rosary Churchâ€s special way of saying thank you to its parishioners and neighbors, as it celebrates 131 years of serving the spiritual needs of its parish and the Historic Downtown Jersey City community. For many years, La Festa Italiana has been the churchâ€s biggest fundraiser for the restoration and upkeep of the church. During La Festa Italiana 2016, the church will be open for visitors to see up close the magnificent beauty that is Holy Rosary Church. Visitors are also welcome to donate a 7-day Memorial Candle in memory of a loved-one.

“Traditions and customs define us as a community,” Rev. Zaslona says. “As a country we have traditions and customs that are recognized and embraced by those who come here; the same with our traditions as a church.  People like to become part of established traditions, therefore, it is important to cultivate and cherish these traditions for generations to come.”

If you go

Wed, Thurs, Fri, Aug. 10, 11, 12 from 5 pm-11 pm

Sat & Sun, Aug. 13 & 14, 3 pm-11 pm

La Festa Italiana 2016

Sixth & Brunswick Streets, JC

(201) 795-0120

www.lafestaitalianajc.com

www.Facebook.com/lafestaitalianajc

The post EAT, PRAY, LOVE…  La Festa Italiana 2016 promises Fun, Dancing and Great Food first appeared on River View Observer.

The Everything Jersey City Festival will Celebrate Community Pride and UEZ Support at a Time when Budget Cuts Loom

By Sally Deering

 If you don’t know by now, one-third of Jersey City is a designated Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ\) a designation that offers local businesses tax and other financial incentives to help grow their businesses and stimulate local economy.  Sale tax revenues generated by UEZ businesses go for economic development and neighborhood improvements like street lights, paving, flowerboxes — and other programs that give constituents a feeling of pride in their community.

To celebrate the UEZ’s success revitalizing the Heights section of Jersey City – the neighborhood nestled on the cliff above Hoboken – the Central Avenue Special Improvement District (CASID) Management Corporation presents the Everything Jersey City Festival which takes place Sat., May 21st from 11 am-to-6 pm along Central Avenue from Congress to Hutton Streets.

The Festival will feature four stages with live entertainment including Queen of Freestyle Judy Torres who has made Jersey City her home for the past 16 years, has recorded numerous CDs and is an on-air personality on WKTU radio. Torres sings Freestyle, a form of dance music with a Latin influence that became popular in the late 1980s and early 90s and her hits include “No Reason to Cry,” and “Come into my Arms.” Torres performs nation-wide and just returned from a show at the Continental Airlines Arena in Miami. She has a huge local fan base and she’s excited to be bringing her show live to her Jersey City fans for a second year.

 “This is home,” Torres says. “Two weeks ago I performed at Michael Anthony’s on the waterfront; I performed at Pershing Field. There aren’t too many places in Jersey City to perform. When I did the Everything Jersey City Festival two years ago, we had a great crowd. It was a lot of fun It’s very nice to see people in the area coming out to have a good time. It’s a wonderful community celebration.”

Central Avenue will be lined with tables and tents featuring local artists showing (and selling) their work, vendors selling foods and crafts and of course, goodies from the eateries and stores that line Central Avenue. Arts groups like Pro Arts Jersey City, a non-profit community arts group that sponsors the annual Jersey City Studio Tour and Art House Productions, a 2,000-member multi-arts non-profit group are participating and several community organizations will present interactive demonstrations. Activities for kids will include a rock climbing wall, petting zoo, obstacle course, moonwalk and super slide. And for bargain-hunters, CASID has something very special planned: a huge one day sale among Central Avenue businesses (jewelry, clothing, shoes, furniture,) on the day of the Everything Jersey City Festival. Sales will offer 10% to 50% off select merchandise and festival-goers will find great bargains when business owners sell their wares at the Sidewalk Sales.

 “One of the reasons for the Everything Jersey City Festival is to show how great Central Avenue is,” William Clarke, Director of CASID says. “We try to involve our business owners as much as possible. It becomes a true community event. We focus on Jersey City-Hudson County based artists and we try to focus on the creative aspects of Jersey City. You’ll see things here you won’t see anywhere else. We try to make it as unique event as possible.”

The Festival’s mission is to prove the UEZ Program builds and sustains communities, but on July 1^st when the New Jersey State Budget is finalized and approved, community activities like the Everything Street Festival and many local non-profits may no longer receive UEZ funding.

“The status of the UEZ remains iffy,” Clarke says. “We won’t know for sure until the New Jersey State budget is finalized. But even if it ends in July, our organization will continue to exist. Sure it will change things, but it’s not the sole source of our organization. We’re an autonomous agency. We’ll exist no matter what.”

 When Governor Chris Christie released his budget, it called for no administrative or project funding for the cities, Steve Lipski, CEO of the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation says. That means there will still be a UEZ program, but no monies will be turned over to municipalities or the zones to administer programs. Businesses will still realize tax benefits but they won’t receive assistance from the zone leaders and municipalities through the monies that were collected from the UEZ and returned to the cities.

 But the fight to restore funding isn’t over, Lipski says.

 “We stand squarely with Mayor Healy in the fight to restore UEZ funds which are absolutely essential to help small businesses and fund essential projects critical to the city,” Lipski says. “Governor Christie sent in his version of the budget and the State Legislators are reviewing it to make their necessary input. There are budget hearings going on as we speak.”

 The end of UEZ funding would have a negative impact on community organizations like Washington Park Association (WPA), says President Mory Thomas.

 “The UEZ funding allows for festivals like these which brings thousands of people to the Heights and unites the community in a way that hasn’t happened for years,” Thomas says. “At the first Everything Festival, it was the first time I’d seen the community come out and be engaged in an event. For people to come out and enjoy being on the street, talking to each other and hanging out as a community, that’s something you can’t put a dollar amount to. What I would like to see from the UEZ money is more community-engagement activities.”

 The Washington Park Association along with the Riverview Neighborhood Association, the Jersey City Parks Coalition and St. Anne’s School will host a special “green” event in the heart of the Everything Jersey City Festival. Amid the urban landscape of storefronts, in the middle of Central Avenue, they will create a green “Open Space” – a little park with trees and plants and benches. And there’ll be a “greening” workshop for festival-goers, too.

 “During last year’s Everything Jersey City Festival, we decided that this year we would create an open space on the streets where the festival is,” Thomas says. “It will be a nice little breather in this concrete jungle we live in and bring people awareness to the issue of open space especially in Hudson County which is one of the most densely populated in the country.”

Along with headliners Judy Torres and The Black Hollies, CASID has lined up more great entertainment:  Celtic Cross, Celtic folk-rockers performing classic Irish music; Rumba Con Son, Central New Jersey’s hottest salsa band; Woodfish, a funk-rock band from the Jersey Shore; Ray Rodriguez y Swing Sabroso, a salsa swing band; Ed Solomon & Go Falcon!, poppy punk rockers; Lea Le Grace, pop-rocker; Stephie Coplan & the Pedestrians, a piano-driven pop-rock trio; and Catch Wild, alternative rockers from Jersey City.

 The Actor’s Shakespeare Company at NJCU and the Hope Center Dancers will perform and Family Fitness Martial Arts and Jang Star Tae Kwon Do will present demonstrations.

 The Black Hollies, a Jersey City-based rock band with psychedelic influences has several hit songs out in the mainstream. “Can’t Stop These Tears (From Falling)” was featured on an episode of “The Vampire Diaries,” and “Tell Me What You Want” was picked up by the NFL which used it for an ad campaign. The band features Jon Gonnelli, guitar and organ; Herbert Wiley, lead guitar; Nick Serrante, drummer and Justin Angelo Morey, lead singer and bass guitar. Several members reside in Jersey City, including Morey, who says the band has lots of fans, but may be more well known in other big cities like Austin, Texas, thanks to iTunes and YouTube.  “The song we did for ‘Vampire Diaries’ became one of the most downloaded songs on iTunes and YouTube,” Morey says.

 Art House Productions will be at the Festival to talk about their programs and Pro Arts Jersey City will be featuring several artist-members who will be on hand to discuss their work – always a fun thing to do at a festival. Who doesn’t enjoy talking to artists about their inspirations? Artists exhibiting for Pro Arts Jersey City will be Ibou Ndoye, Deirdre Kennedy, Christina Soto, Sharon Harvey and Holly Williams.

 Art House Productions, a 2,000-member multi-arts organization that produces visual arts programs for more than a decade in Jersey City produces on average one community-art event a week including JC Fridays – a city-wide happening held four times a year that presents art programming at approximately 40 venues. It’s a way to introduce people to the arts in Jersey City, Christine Goodman, Founder and Executive Director says, and each event attracts 3-5,000 people. But if the UEZ funding is cut in July, JC Fridays may not go on.

 “If UEZ funding is cut, it will have a huge impact on our decision to continue JC Fridays,” Goodman says. “We’d like to keep it going. We’ve faced this problem in the past, but it’s going to be a challenge. The future of JC Fridays is a little uncertain at this point.”

Designed to stimulate the local economy, the Everything Jersey City Festival is sponsored by corporations, local businesses, government officials, city agencies and non-profit community groups serving the Jersey City area including Capital One Bank, Christ Hospital, LibertyHealth/Jersey City Medical Center, Metro Honda, City of Jersey City, City of Jersey City Division of Cultural Affairs, County of Hudson, County of Hudson Cultural Affairs and Tourism, C-Town Supermarkt, El Sabroso Restaurant, Footprints Realty, Goehrig’s Bakery, Hauptman Carpets, Hudson County Community College, Infinite Print, Jersey City Incinerator Authority, Jersey City Independent, Jersey City Parking Authority, Milrose Consultants Inc, Panepinto Properties, PSE&G, Spectra Energy, State Farm Insurance, Stop & Shop Supermarkets, Susan Newman Design, Inc., The American Flag Company, the Hudson Reporter, Jersey Journal, Jersey City UEZ Program/EDC, U.S. Representative Steve Rothman, United Water and Wells Fargo Bank.

Things may change after July, but for now, the Everything Jersey City Festival, paid for in part by the Jersey City UEZ Program promises to be a great event that celebrates community spirit and pride.

 And with a little luck come July, let’s hope it won’t be the last.

  Everything Jersey City Festival

Sat, May 21,

Central Avenue between Congress and Hutton Streets

Jersey City

For more information, call CASID at 201-656-1366,or visit its website, www.centralavesid.org

 

For more information on the sources included in this story visit:

www.judytorres.com

www.theblackhollies.com

www.arthouseproductions.org

www.proartsjerseycity.org

www.wpanj.org

www.jcedc.org

The post Jersey City’s Got Everything -For Now first appeared on River View Observer.

The traditional Champagne Gala will officially open the visual art gallery on Saturday, November 14th and will remain open throughout the fall holiday season. The vibrant and stunning visual art gallery, housed in the sanctuary of Jersey City’s beloved and historic Grace Church Van Vorst, remains the heart and soul of this great cultural celebration.

For the 20th Anniversary of the Cathedral Arts Festival, artwork in all media and encompassing all subject matter was considered, including painting, drawing, textiles, sculpture and photography – all to help showcase two decades of creative excellence. “Over 327 artwork submissions from over 69 artists arrived after the call to art was sent out”, according to Mark Guerette who leads the artwork submission and selection process.

“Gifts of the spirit have long been celebrated at Grace Church Van Vorst, and creativity has always been a hallmark of our faith community. Many professional artists call our church their spiritual home. Our jury each year is uniquely and intentionally collaborative. We draw upon the expertise of the creative talent within our walls, and we seek out professionals of note from the art world outside our doors, in an effort to bring together a team that is both qualified and committed to assembling an inspiring and salable exhibition of great quality” says Guerette.

All artwork is for sale with a percentage of each sale going to Grace Church Van Vorst. Proceeds from the sale support the operational and outreach activities of Grace Church Van Vorst. These activities include, but are not limited to, religious services and adult education, Grace Van Vorst Community Services (our non-profit, 501c3) and the Grace Senior Center for Healthy Living, which provides various services to the elderly. And, Grace’s Breakfast Plus Program provides hot meals on Saturday and Sunday for the hungry and homeless of Jersey City.

According to Grace parishioner Bayla Kallstrom, one of the founders of the Cathedral Arts Festival, “Twenty years ago, Grace Church had just completed a renovation which opened up the sanctuary so that it could be used for–among other things–performance, banqueting, dancing, and gallering art. As soon as we recognized the possibilities, we soon discovered that Jersey City was a cornucopia of talent.”

“Originally, the Festival was called the Cathedral Arts Market. It was based on the concept that once upon a time, cathedral spaces belonged to the entire community and served it in many ways–places of worship, socializing, commerce, etc. We wanted to create something that reflected our congregation’s theme of “Community, Diversity and Creativity.”

“All was capped by an elegant black tie gala in our new sanctuary–quite an accomplishment in pre-gentrification J.C.– which had great food, champagne, music, and a list of attendees that truly reflected the eclectic, exuberant and varied nature of our community. (One wag referred to our festival as the “jewel in the middle of the swamp”.)”

As per The Reverend Nick Lannon, Curate of Grace Church Van Vorst, “The Cathedral Arts Festival is one of the best ways that we, as a church, can give back to the community. We open our glorious sanctuary to the talent of Jersey City and beyond. Come, appreciate the wonderful art, and help us, as we raise funds, give back to the community in other ways: helping those less fortunate than ourselves, both spiritually and materially.”

Mr. Chi Modu, professional photographer and one of the Wardens of Grace Van Vorst says, “It’s not often that a church, which is primarily known as a place of spiritual guidance and worship in the community is also looked to as a place of artistic expression and creativity. This is only possible due to the uniqueness of the Jersey City community. We are honored to be able to be a source of creative inspiration to the local community and a legitimate venue for both new and established artists to show their work. We look forward to another twenty years of art at Grace Van Vorst in Jersey City.”

Not only does the Cathedral Arts Festival receive participation from local artists, just about everybody from the congregation volunteers in some capacity or another, so it’s truly a great community building event where lifelong friendships are made. Also, local Jersey City businesses have been very supportive of the Cathedral Arts Festival. Major sponsors in the recent past have included Panepinto Properties, Pershing, The LeFrak Organization, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, and The Provident Bank Foundation among others. Also, a beautiful program guide is put together allowing smaller businesses in the community to advertise in support of the festival as well. Support from the city of Jersey City and Hudson County has been received in the past as well as from local politicians.

The community at Grace Church Van Vorst mirrors the great diversity of Jersey City; performing and visual artists; professionals and trades people; straight and gay; Asian, Black, Latino, Indian, Filipino, and white all worship together in a progressive, inclusive, urban congregation. Creativity permeates all aspects of church life-from innovative multi-media worship to the use of our landmark building as a center for education and performance. Community, Diversity and Creativity are the hallmarks of parish life at Grace Church Van Vorst. Regular services with Holy Communion are held every Sunday at 9:15 and 11:00 AM. All are welcome to attend. The festival will end with the closing of the gallery on Friday, December 4th. It will be a fall extravaganza this year not to be missed.

This Cathedral Arts Festival Champagne Gala Opening takes place on Saturday, November 14th at 7:30 pm at Grace Church Van Vorst – located at 39 Erie Street and 2nd Street in downtown Jersey City, NJ. Admission to the Gala Champagne event on Saturday November 14 is $40 in advance via www.gracevanvorst.org. Tickets at the door the night of the event will be $50.

The post Grace Church Van Vorst celebrates its 20th Annual Cathedral Arts Festival first appeared on River View Observer.

Each year the ArtRageous Ball is host to a sell-out crowd comprised of real estate developers, financial services professionals, artists, cultural enthusiasts and elected officials from the local area and throughout the state.

This year’s ArtRageous Ball promises to be the most dazzling to date and will feature colorful cocktails, a silent art auction showcasing the works of renowned artists from throughout the tri-state area, and an exciting 50/50 raffle. Dinner, drinks, dancing, and mingling will round out the evening.

Fidelity Investments is the Lead Sponsor of the event. Panepinto Properties, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, PSE&G and Sovereign bank are also sponsors at this year’s event. Additional sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are still available and include tickets to the event, and recognition in the program journal, from the podium throughout the event, on signage, and on the museum’s website.

For more information regarding becoming a sponsor and all other inquiries, please contact the museum’s event hotline at 201-413-0303, ext. 104 or email Nancy Shannon, Director of Development, at nshannon@jerseycitymuseum.org. More information can also be found on the event’s continually updated website, at www.artrageousball.com.

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