The Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC) announces that Illumination 250, a full-day regional cultural arts celebration marking America’s Semiquincentennial anniversary, will take place Saturday, Oct. 3, in Hackensack, New Jersey. The free public, interactive festival is open to all ages. If severe weather occurs, the festival will take place the following weekend on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Unique Experiences, Multiple Locations
The festival features six unique experiences across Downtown Hackensack from 10 a.m. through 9:30 p.m., according to a press release from the Hackensack Performing Arts Center. The celebration’s program will include:
- Live music
- Giant puppet procession
- Immersive fiber art installation
- Cultural folk performances
- Food trucks
- Vendors
- Complimentary food samples
A citywide audio adventure told through Revolutionary War history will culminate with a light display, transforming Hackensack’s Historic Green Bergen, one of New Jersey’s oldest public squares, into an unforgettable landscape, according to the statement.
Schedule of Events, Activities
• Family Fun Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., opens the celebration at Anderson Street Park with interactive arts activities for all ages, games, food, music, community resources, and a petting zoo.
• Quilt Trail at Anderson Street Park, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anderson Street Park will be transformed into an immersive historical and artistic experience, blending the past and present Hackensack community. Drawing on quilt motifs, local historical photographs, and stories, the park will host a whimsical, site-specific art installation.
• Pom Pom Field Fiber Art Workshop, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Anderson Street Park, led by artist Kate Eggleston.
• Folk Artists on Main: Cultural Folk Artist Performances on Main Street, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Journey around the world without leaving downtown Hackensack! Visitors can stroll Main Street, enjoy live music and dance, and see cultural performances from restaurants and businesses that reflect the community’s rich diversity.
• Sips & Samples: Main Street Culinary Celebration, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., on Main Street gets underway during the Procession. Main Street businesses will offer free tastings and non-alcoholic beverages to parade participants and passersby.
• Hackensacktoberfest, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Atlantic Street Park. The seventh annual Hackensacktoberfest will host live music, DJs, food trucks, and artisan vendors.
• HACPAC Art Gallery Illumination 250 Exhibition, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., located at 102 State St., will be open for the public to view art between sets.
• “A River’s Tale”: Giant Puppet Procession, 2 to 3:30 p.m., begins at Anderson Street Park and Ward Street in Hackensack with giant puppets created by Processional Arts Workshop and the community, music, dances by Center for Modern Dance Education, and community members. People can join the procession of giant puppets, musicians, artists, and neighbors by signing up to march in the parade or perform as a puppet manipulator online: https://tinyurl.com/Illumination250Parade.
• MP3 Experiment: Audio Flash-Mob. A Revolutionary Adventure, 7:50 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., Atlantic Street Park, Main Street, and in The Historic Green. The public is invited to sign up, bring their headsets or earbuds, and join in as the renowned Improv Everywhere, a comedic group founded by theater director and comedian Charlie Todd, presents the MP3 Experiment with a participatory flash mob. Meet new friends and celebrate the region’s Revolutionary War history. Sign up with your friends to participate in the MP3 Experiment: https://tinyurl.com/MP3ExperimentOct3.
• My Signature: My Declaration, Light Installation and Large-Scale Projection, 9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at The Historic Green, 42 Court St. Artist Leni Schwendinger Light Projects will create a large-scale light and music installation and a digital projection on the historic Green, as the festival’s finale. The projection will be unveiled at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, and shown from sunset to midnight on Sunday, Oct. 4. The installation on the Green will be on display daily through Sunday, Oct. 25, illuminated nightly from sunset to midnight.
• Hackensack River Songs, Saturday, October 10, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.Hackensack River Songs is a site-specific musical performance for singers, dancers, instrumentalists, and electronic music happening on and around the Hackensack River at Foschini Park. Beginning at sunset, a community of performers, boaters, and vehicles will converge to illuminate the urban waterfront with ritual and song celebrating and honoring the river. This program is made possible in part by a grant administered by the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs, funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Illumination 250 brings together a team of nationally and internationally recognized artists whose work transforms public spaces into unforgettable community experiences.
About Illumination 250
With support from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s (NJEDA) Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (A.R.T.) Phase II program, Illumination 250 builds around the Hackensack Main Street Business Alliance’s popular HACKENSACKtoberfest. HACPAC was one of 39 organizations awarded funding from the NJEDA’s $15 million investment supporting arts and cultural programming throughout New Jersey.
Processional Arts Workshop, Improv Everywhere, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects, Nocturnal Medicine, Paul Pinto, and Kate Eggleston worked alongside Hackensack residents, local artists, businesses, and cultural organizations to develop original works inspired by the city’s history, diversity, and shared stories. Their participatory, interactive artworks and experiences incorporated community voices to shape a once-in-a-generation festivity.
The public is invited to experience these works that reflect the County Seat’s spirit while also commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.
The public may register in advance for one, any, or all of the experiences here: https://tinyurl.com/RegisterIllumination250.
Illumination 250 Celebration: A Collaboration
Illumination 250 is a collaborative celebration developed by Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC), Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF), Main Street Business Alliance (MSBA), Greater Bergen Community Action (GBCA), and the City of Hackensack. The celebration will expand beyond the annual HACKENSACKtoberfest from Atlantic Street Park to multiple downtown locations — Anderson Street Park, Banta Place, Demarest Place, and the Courthouse Green—featuring live performances, cultural programming, and interactive art installations to celebrate the City of Hackensack’s diverse communities and drive foot traffic to local businesses.
Illumination 250 is a project of the Hackensack Performing Arts Center, in partnership with the Northern NJ Community Foundation’s ArtsBergen, Hackensack Main Street Business Alliance, Greater Bergen Community Action, and the City of Hackensack, supported by funding through the NJEDA’s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program.
Additional information and updates about the celebration may be found on the festivity’s official website, www.illumination250.com. For inquiries, contact Danielle De Laurentis, Associate Director of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, at artsbergen@nnjcf.org. Updates will also be posted on the partners’ social media accounts, including MSBA on Instagram at @DowntownHackensack and on Facebook at @DowntownHackensack and HACPAC on Instagram at @HACPAC_arts and on Facebook at @Hackensack Performing Arts Center, and on the celebration’s website https://www.DowntownHackensack.org/illumination250.
About The Organizations
Hackensack Performing Arts Center stands as Hackensack’s cultural centerpiece, nurturing artists across disciplines. Its Performing Arts Center provides a platform for emerging and established talent, from Broadway stars to Grammy-winning musicians and local artists. The organization celebrates creativity and offers a home for the next generation of performers. For more information, visit https://hacpac.org/.
Main Street Business Alliance is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit public/private partnership between the business community on Main Street and the City of Hackensack. The MSBA’s mission is to improve the local economy and overall business climate. For more information, visit http://downtownhackensack.org/.
Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, founded in 1998, is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Hackensack that works with local governments, school districts, businesses, nonprofits, and citizen groups to improve community life through collaborative partnerships. The Foundation’s ArtsBergen initiative advances creative placemaking and is the largest producer of community-relevant public art in Bergen County. For more information, visit www.nnjcf.org.
Greater Bergen Community Action, Inc. is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit Community Action Agency headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey. Established in 1967, GBCA is Bergen County’s federally designated anti-poverty agency serving Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties. Its mission is to reduce poverty by addressing the causes and conditions of persistent economic instability through comprehensive, community-based programs. For more information, visit https://www.greaterbergen.org/.
City of Hackensack serves as the historic county seat of Bergen County, offering a unique blend of urban energy and suburban charm just seven miles west of Upper Manhattan. This diverse city of approximately 47,000 residents is currently undergoing a vibrant downtown revitalization. For more information, visit http://www.hackensack.org/.