Hoboken’s Fall Arts & Music Festival will take place Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Washington Street between Observer Highway and Seventh Street. The festival offers fun for people of all ages and will have over 300 vendors, including artists, restaurants, children’s entertainers, and live performances.
City spokesman Juan Melli said, “The festival is a great way to showcase Washington Street, bring visitors to town, and support the local business community. When the event started, there were few Hoboken businesses participating, but now they make up about a third of the participants and that number keeps increasing.”
He added that the police estimate about 30,000 to 40,000 visitors will attend.
The festival pays for itself, according to Melli, with additional proceeds going to the Cultural Affairs Trust Account to provide other free cultural events throughout the year.
Spyro Gyra, a contemporary jazz band that observed its 40th year together in 2014, is set to perform.
This is special, according to Geri Fallo, administrator of cultural affairs for the city, because one of the band members is from Hoboken. Julio Fernandez is the group’s guitarist and also composes some of their jazz fusion music.
“It’s very cool that they will be performing at the festival this year,” she said. “Julio is from Hoboken and has been a fixture on the music scene for many years. I know this is a dream come true for him. He has toured and played the world with Spyro Gyra.”
She added that, “Many people here know him and have seen him play around town, but most have not seen him play with Spyro Gyra.”
According to the city website, the previously-planned attraction, Leon Russell will not be able to perform because of “health issues.”
Other performers
Other performers will include Swingadelic, The Amazing Incredibles, Hudson City Rats, Zydeco Revelators, Mya Hansen, Jeremy Beck & the Uptown Horns, Chrissy Roberts, Emily & the Ideals, Preschool of Rock, Jason Didner & the Jungle Gym Jam, and more.
“They used to play at the festival when it first started…we are very excited to have them play.” — Geri Fallo
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The Amazing Incredibles split several years ago, according to Fallo, but will return for a reunion performance this year. “They used to play at the festival when it first started…we are very excited to have them play.”
Ed Fogarty of the Amazing Incredibles posted on the band’s website on Sept. 10: “We wish the great Leon Russell peace, healing, and only our most positive thought for his speedy recovery. Even though there is a great joy in being on stage with our good friend Julio Fernandez and Spyro Gyra, we will truly miss the presence and musical mastery of Leon Russell.”
Where to find everything
Admission to the festival is free and features three stages of live music, food, and craft vendors.
The festival will have a special kid’s section found on Third Street with rides, games, face painting, balloons, and sand art.
Fine artists will be located between Second and Third streets, and Fifth and Sixth streets. Artists from the Monroe Center for the Arts will be found between First and Newark streets.
Oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, sculpture, mixed media, and photography will be found in these sections.
Throughout the fair, patrons will be able to find craft displays with homemade items such as pottery, metalwork, wood items, furniture, blown and fused glass quilts, candles, soaps, lotions, and jewelry.
Hoboken restaurants will set up street cafes offering an eclectic variety of international foods such as Thai, Indian, Greek, French, Mexican, Cajun and Italian.
In a media release provided by the city, Hoboken thanked its sponsors including
Suez, NJ Lottery, WFUV, The Hudson Reporter, and This Is It Stage Productions.
Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com
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SIDEBAR
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Performance schedule (watch city website for any last-minute changes)
Observer Highway Stage
Noon – Zydeco Revelators
1:15 p.m. – Swingadelic
2:40 p.m. – The Amazing Incredibles
4:30 p.m. – Spyro Gyra
Third Street Stage – Children’s area
Noon – Garden Street School Band
1 p.m. – Jason Didner & the Jungle Gym Jam
2 p.m. – Jason Didner & the Jungle Gym Jam
3 p.m. – Preschool of Rock
4 p.m. – Chrissy Roberts
Seventh Street Stage
12:20 p.m. – Colleen Castle performs a Latin Dance Samba
with Serbian National Dance Champion, Uros Dekic
12:30 p.m. – Mya Hansen
1:15 p.m. – Hudson City Rats
2:15 p.m. – Emily & the Ideals
3:30 p.m. – Jeremy Beck & the Heavy Duty Horns
5 p.m. – Frankie Morales & the Mambo of the Times Orchestra