Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 05/04/2025
(FRENCHTOWN, NJ) -- The Hatch, a free family-friendly festival featuring colorful costumes, upbeat musical performances, and a community procession, returns to Frenchtown for the sixth time on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
“The Hatch is a moment to come together with friends, family, neighbors, and strangers alike to create art, be silly, and dream,” said Jill Kearney, ArtYard’s founder and executive director. “All are invited to participate by dressing up as a bird, joining the procession, dancing to the music, and imagining the change you wish to hatch into the world.”
The Hatch is a biennial festival established in 2016 celebrating the founding of ArtYard, an arts center dedicated to incubating new work, as well as a nod to the location’s 20th-century history as an egg hatchery. This year’s festival is inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers.”
The festival starts at 2:00pm with the “cracking” of a towering 14-foot steel-welded egg perched on the edge of ArtYard’s riverside courtyard at 13 Front Street. Colorful flocks of human birds and giant bird puppets will emerge, and a marching band, mariachi, and 25-person Brazilian drum corps will lead the procession to Sunbeam Lenape Park and through the borough’s idyllic downtown, ending in a lively dance party back at ArtYard. Viewers will not want to miss this fast-moving performance so arriving with plenty of time to park and arrive at 13 Front Street is recommended.
The festival features performances by Day Day Juicy Couture, featured on HBO Max’s reality voguing series Legendary; Orquesta La Sagrada Concepcion, a New Brunswick brass band; Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer, of Queens, NY; Batala Philly, an all-percussion community band; and crooner Eric Mingus, son of legendary jazz musician Charles Mingus.
Partnering organizations include Frenchtown’s Studio Route 29, Frenchtown Elementary School, the Lambertville Library, and coLAB Arts. A group of local seniors will perform a dance choreographed by Michael Sazonov, a dancer and teaching artist who leads ArtYard’s Creative Movement series.
Anyone planning to attend the festival in costume that wishes to hatch out of the egg may arrive for the parade lineup promptly at 1:00pm, when Sazonov will lead a bird walking lesson.
Costume workshops in ArtYard’s Hatch Workshop are ongoing through Sunday, May 11. Visitors may also purchase a colorful bird suit at ArtYard’s Contrary Art Shop to embellish, or make their own costume, prop, or puppet at home.
Shoppers and diners can witness the community procession along Bridge Street. Local business owners will join the festival by lining the parade route playing whimsical instruments. FiNNBAR will offer Hatch-themed menu items.
Parking for the festival is at Old Frenchtown Field, 1001-1109 Harrison St., a short walk along the rail trail adjacent to the Delaware River from ArtYard. Suggested $5 cash donations support the Delaware Valley High School Performing Arts Boosters, who will be on hand as parking greeters. Handicapped parking is in ArtYard’s parking lot on Lott Street.
The Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge is only open to traffic from Pennsylvania to New Jersey as part of an improvement project by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission which allows visitors to easily arrive at ArtYard. Drivers heading west to return to Pennsylvania can follow detours north to Milford or they can travel south to cross the river in Stockton.
The Hatch is made possible with funds from the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
EVENT PREVIEWS
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.
SOPAC presents Stewart Copeland: Have I Said Too Much? on July 16th
(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stewart Copeland brings his first American spoken-word tour (Have I Said Too Much?) to the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 7:30pm. Copeland is the founding drummer of The Police and one of rock's most inventive forces.
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.
North to Shore Festival Returns with Hundreds of Free Events Across Asbury Park, Newark, and Atlantic City
The North to Shore Festival is back for its fourth summer, lighting up New Jersey with hundreds of free events spanning Asbury Park, Newark, and Atlantic City. Alongside a roster of big-name concerts featuring superstar artists, the festival offers an array of community gatherings, pop-up performances, and unique collaborations that celebrate local talent and the arts.
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
