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New Brunswick Heart Festival

Saturday, August 12, 2023 @ 3:00pm



State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Presented by State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick Cultural Center, NBPAC, and Above Art Studios, this annual FREE outdoor family-friendly festival celebrates the vibrant arts and history of New Brunswick and Middlesex County.

The festival features live music and dance performances, dance classes for kids, an Arts Market, craft vendors, free balloon animals and face painting, a health & wellness tent hosted by Garden of Healing, a history corner featuring historical interpreters, arts & crafts activities, games, free Henna and caricatures, free button making, roaming musicians, giveaways, and more. 

The live featured performances include award-winning, multicultural family music band Hot Peas 'n Butter, celebrated tap-dancer Omar Edwards, InSpira Dance, LMNOP Band, Grupo de Danza Folklórica La Sagrada Familia, spoken word artists Rashad Wright and Queena, New Brunswick Brass Band, and more!

At 3:30pm, 4:30pm, or 5:30pm, take a behind-the-scenes backstage tour of the State Theatre. Also, stop by the Thinkery & Verse for The Livingston Tapestry Project. The Livingston Tapestry Project collects portraits and stories from locals who have a relationship to the Livingston Avenue Historic District. These portraits and stories will be featured on Instagram and other social media as a living tapestry of local history. 

Open House – 3pm-6pm

Tour Princeton Ballet School’s studios at the state-of-the-art New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. Princeton Ballet School’s staff will be on hand to provide you with school information, schedule, and registration details. Also, look out for a special drawing to win Free tickets to an American Repertory Ballet performance coming to NBPAC this September!

Free Dance Workshops

4pm-4:30pm | Beginning Dance - Ages 4-8 years old. This workshop explores rhythm and music through creative movement. A theme and story will inspire individuality and expression, with an introduction to classical ballet technique.

5pm-5:30pm | Contemporary - Ages 9-16. This workshop will explore interpretive dance that embraces innovation, blending techniques from various genres, including classical ballet, jazz, modern dance, and lyrical dance.




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EVENT PREVIEWS

(MONTVILLE, NJ) -- The Barn Theatre presents Monty Python's Spamalot weekends from May 15 through June 6, 2026. King Arthur's legendary quest for the Holy Grail gets a hilarious twist in this uproarious musical, lovingly ripped from the 1975 classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail.



Music

Music Mountain Theatre presents "Disaster!"

(LAMBERTVILLE, NJ) -- Music Mountain Theatre presents Disaster! weekends from May 15 through June 7, 2026. Earthquakes, tidal waves, infernos and the unforgettable songs of the '70s take center stage in Broadway’s side-splitting homage to classic disaster films.



Princeton

Princeton Summer Theater Announces 2026 Season

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater has unveiled its 2026 subscription season which will run from June 11th to August 1st, featuring an exciting lineup of three mainstage pieces and a family-friendly musical. Productions include Barefoot in the Park, The 39 Steps, True West, and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.



Shakespeare

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents "Private Lives"

(MADISON, NJ) -- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey presents Private Lives by Noël Coward from May 16 to June 7, 2026 in the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre. A razor-sharp comedy of manners, Private Lives crackles with Coward's signature wit and elegance.



Crossroads

Crossroads Theatre Company presents "Sizwe Banzi Is Dead"

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Crossroads Theatre Company presents Sizwe Bansi Is Dead from May 19 - June 14, 2026 at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. This is a powerful, funny, and deeply moving story about identity, survival, and the extraordinary ingenuity of ordinary people navigating an unjust system.












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