Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 05/22/2022
Here's a look at the top 10 most read articles published at New Jersey Stage during the week of May 15-21, 2022. Each week we publish about 70 articles, including several original columns and features, along with news releases for events happening throughout the state and nearby areas like Philadelphia and New York City. This week the Top Ten includes articles covering eight counties in New Jersey (Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Passaic, and Sussex).
1) Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest Returns June 3-5 - (AUGUSTA, NJ) -- After two years off due to the pandemic, Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest returns to scenic western New Jersey for three days of music, food and camping June 3-5. Samantha Fish and Tab Benoit, each a renowned guitarist-vocalist, headline over 20 New Orleans and Louisiana acts that will be performing on three stages from that Friday through Sunday at the spacious Sussex County Fairgrounds.
2) 2022 Jersey City Jazz Festival - (JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- The Jersey City Jazz Festival is back for a two-day celebration the weekend of June 4th and 5th in the Powerhouse Arts District. The free-to-the-public annual event will feature fourteen bands on two stages, food trucks, a full bar, and a VIP experience at the 107 Morgan Street lot in Jersey City. The event is produced by the Jersey City-based non-profit Riverview Jazz and presented by Exchange Place Alliance. The 2022 festival will coincide with another beloved annual event - Bike JC’s Ward Tour, Sunday, June 5th, which will culminate at this year’s jazz festival. There will also be an after-party jam session at Moore’s Place on Monticello Ave.
3) Music Legend Tito Puente Jr. to Kick Off Monthly "Salsa Night" at Newark Symphony Hall - (NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark Symphony Hall, New Jersey’s largest Black-led arts and entertainment venue, kicks off its monthly Salsa Night program with Billboard Music Award-winning musician Tito Puente Jr. on Friday, May 27 at 7:00pm. Salsa Night will take place every third Friday of the month throughout the year.
4) Paper Mill Playhouse Announces 2022-2023 Season - (MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse has announced its 2022-2023 season, including a gripping murder mystery, a Disney hero of mythic proportions, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved final musical, the Tony-nominated story of two Latin music icons, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that defined a generation.
5) Kick Back Tiki Cruises Launches in Wildwood - (WILDWOOD, NJ) -- Two shore locals have teamed up to bring their passion project to the waves of the Jersey Shore this summer. Vineland native Captain Tim Merighi and Ocean City business partner Matt Sawyer announce the launch of Kick Back Tiki Cruises out of Wildwood, New Jersey. Their new tiki boat and floating bar will offer private chartered BYO cruises departing several times a day from their dock at 626 W. 26th Avenue.
6) Bergen County Closes on $5.6 Million Dollar Bond Sale to Help Finance BergenPAC's "Invest In The Arts" Capital Campaign - (ENGLEWOOD, NJ) -- The Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) and Bergen County Executive James Tedesco have announced the closure of a $5.6 million sale of revenue bonds, a significant funding source for bergenPAC’s $15 million Invest in the Arts Capital Campaign.
7) GRAMMY Museum Experience (TM) Prudential Center Celebrates Black Music Month - (NEWARK, NJ) -- GRAMMY Museum Experience (TM) Prudential Center has announced their plans for the celebration of Black Music Month. During Black Music Month, the Museum will honor many pioneering artists whose music and legacy continues to be the pulse of the nation and the great state of New Jersey.
8) 2022 Passaic County Restaurant Week Slated for May 16-22 - The County of Passaic is hosting its 2022 Restaurant Week from Monday, May 16th through Sunday, May 22nd. In collaboration with local restaurants and dining venues, businesses within the County are presenting a catalog of limited-time, prix fixe menus for lunch and/or dinner.
9) Makin Waves with Asbury Park African-American Music Project: Preserving History, Celebrating Community, Cementing Future - Around Memorial Day Weekend 1970 when I was 5 years old, my grandmother won me yet another prize at a wheel of chance on the Asbury Park Boardwalk: a copy of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road,” my first big-boy LP. A few weeks later, civil unrest broke out throughout the city, and I didn’t step foot onto the AP boardwalk for a decade!
10) Review of "A Walk on the Moon" at George Street Playhouse - If you’ve wondered what is possible for the George Street Playhouse in its new home, wonder no more. A Walk on the Moon, the final show of the season, answers the question to a fare-thee-well.
Event previews are always one of the most popular areas of the website. Event previews get noticed when we first publish them and then get noticed again when they are brought back to the main area of the site the week the event takes place - sometimes even several months later. Make sure your events get previewed by sending press releases to us at [email protected] - for even more promotion, check out our ad rates which run $50-$100 for an entire month of targeted advertising which includes events listed in our online calendar.
EVENT PREVIEWS
UBS Arena To Host International Soccer Watch Party on June 19th
(BELMONT PARK, NY) -- UBS Arena will host an International Soccer Watch Party, a public screening of two of the FIFA World Cup 26 (TM) matches on Friday, June 19 featuring USA v. Australia and Haiti v. Brazil. The fan-focused events will highlight all the excitement the tournament is bringing to the New York Metro area this summer and provide local residents with a unique way to experience these soccer matches together as a community.
Newark Restaurant Week Returns June 19-28 to Showcase the City's Global Flavors during FIFA World Cup 2026(TM)
(NEWARK, NJ) -- Taste the World: Newark Restaurant Week returns June 19-28, 2026, bringing together the city's celebrated restaurants, longtime local staples, and emerging destinations for 10 days of dining timed with the FIFA World Cup 2026™ festivities across the region.
37th Annual Manayunk Arts Festival to Take Place June 27-28, 2026
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Manayunk Development Corporation is excited to celebrate the 37th Annual Manayunk Arts Festival on Saturday, June 27, 2026 from 11:00am to 7:00pm and Sunday, June 28, 2026 from 11:00am to 5:00pm. The tradition of being the tri-state area's largest outdoor juried art festival - and the largest in Pennsylvania - will continue as Main Street hosts approximately 300 different local and nationally known artists and crafters.
Carteret's Independence Day Festival to feature country star Walker Hayes
(CARTERET, NJ) -- One of New Jersey's most popular Independence Day Festivals will take place in Carteret's Civic Center Park (100 Cooke Avenue) from 6:00pm to midnight on Friday, July 3, 2026 in celebration of America's 250th birthday.
Bergen County presents 3rd Annual Star-Spangled Spectacular
(RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ) -- County Executive Jim Tedesco, the County Board of Commissioners, and the Bergen 250 Initiative are excited to announce that Bergen County's 3rd Annual Star-Spangled Spectacular will return July 4, 2026 at Overpeck County Park. All are invited to attend this patriotic afternoon of family fun which will include live music, children's activities, over 20 food trucks, a beer and wine garden, carnival attractions, and stunning fireworks to conclude the evening over Overpeck Creek.
Washington Crossing Historic Park Launches Community-Wide Call to Support Expanded Independence Day Celebration in America's 250th Anniversary Year
(WASHINGTON CROSSING, PA) -- Washington Crossing Historic Park (WCHP) in Pennsylvania plans to host an expanded Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, July 4, 2026 from 4:00pm to 9:30pm featuring immersive living history experiences, family-friendly activities, live music, and the return of fireworks over the Delaware River. Designed as a community-wide celebration of America250, the event is intended to create a meaningful space for residents and visitors to commemorate this historic milestone year. Please note: Admission is required; registration is recommended only for the 4:00pm ‐ 8:00pm Living History Program. The evening concert and fireworks are free and open to the public; no registration is required to attend those portions of the event.
Passage Theatre Company presents 3rd Annual Word on Front festival
(TRENTON, NJ) -- Passage Theatre Company's third annual Word on Front event is set to be its biggest yet. In celebration of the United States of America's 250th Anniversary, the company is presenting Word on Front 250, three consecutive weekends of a variety of live arts from June 26 to July 12, 2026. This festival of spoken word, music, and solo performance will celebrate the untold and underrepresented stories of America.
Centenary Stage Company Announces Lineup for SUMMERFEST 2026
(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company's SUMMERFEST 2026 is set to take center stage in the Lackland Performing Arts Center with four productions running through the summer months. SUMMERFEST will feature, A Taste of Ireland presented by Pace Live, The Wedding Singer, Four Sticks: The Music of Led Zeppelin, and Maltby & Shire's Closer Than Ever.
Hallmark Stars Take the Stage at The Carteret PAC on July 22nd during First-Time Multi-City Tour Experience Hallmark Stars Live
(CARTERET, NJ) -- Hallmark and Gershwin Entertainment are proud to announce Hallmark Stars Live presented by Michaels, a new live tour kicking off at URSB Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 7:30pm where some of the network's most beloved stars step off screen and onto the stage. Hosted by fan-favorite Nikki DeLoach (A Grand Ole Opry Christmas), the tour will feature Hallmark mainstays for a night where the cameras are off – and the stories keep rolling.
Hallmark Stars Live comes to MPAC on July 26th
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Hallmark Stars Live presented by Michaels, is a new live tour kicking off this summer where some of the network's most beloved stars step off screen and onto the stage. Hosted by fan-favorite Nikki DeLoach (A Grand Ole Opry Christmas), the tour will feature Hallmark mainstays for a night where the cameras are off – and the stories keep rolling. The tour comes to Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 7:00pm.
FEATURED EVENTS
