Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 09/16/2026

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- New Jersey Symphony presents the Jersey City Music & Arts Festival from Thursday, September 24 to Saturday, October 3, 2026 in the Powerhouse Arts District (Provost Street between Bay and Morgan Streets). Admission is free and open to the public.
Eight days of music, movement, and making, right in the heart of Jersey City. Dance, listen, paint, create, and taste your way through a festival built for the whole community. All events will take place outdoors (weather permitting).
Hands-On & Family Fun - Try a painting class, get henna tattoos, try out an instrument at our Instrument Discovery Zone, catch outdoor movies, settle in for Library Bookmobile story time, and unwind with wellness meditations.
Eat & Shop Local - Food trucks and craft vendors line the square all festival long.
Festival Partners - Educational Arts Team; Jersey City Night Market; Jersey City Public Libraries; Kulture Kool; Let’s Talk Women’s Health and Wellness; Nimbus Dance; Riverview Jazz Festival; Studio 14C; Undead Arts.
Events and Live Performances
New Jersey Symphony Chamber Concert on Thursday, September 24 at 6:30pm
Family-Friendly Movie Night – Friday, September 25 at 7:30 pm
Kids Fest – Saturday, September 26 at 10:00am
Featured performances include: Peter and the Wolf (New Jersey Symphony); Bollywood Dancing (Kulture Kool); Arias (Undead Arts); Global Grooves (New Jersey Symphony); and more...
Featured tables: Instrument Discovery Zone (New Jersey Symphony); Bollywood Dancing, Henna & Instrument Demos (Kulture Kool); Library Bookmobile table; Educational Arts Team table; Undead Arts / Zombie Opera table; and more...
Wellness Day: Sound Bowls with Salvation Wellness – Sunday, September 27 at 12:00pm
Family-Friendly Movie Night – Tuesday, September 29 at 7:30pm
Salsa Night with Riverview Jazz – Wednesday, September 30 at 6:30pm
Nimbus Dance Performance – Friday, October 2 at 6:30pm
New Jersey Symphony Chamber Concert – Saturday, October 3 at 6:30pm
Founded in 1922, New Jersey Symphony is a non-profit organization. As the state orchestra of New Jersey, we are a century-plus institution that has grown from a small Montclair ensemble into a cornerstone of New Jersey's cultural life. We connect communities across the state through live music, education, and shared experiences. This festival carries that same spirit into Jersey City.

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Dementia Man, An Existential Journey
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 @ 11:00am
Grunin Center - Main Stage
1 College Drive, Toms River, NJ
Is it possible to believe in a meaningful future with a neurocognitive disease?

Lou Antonucci - "You, Me, & Harry" Celebrating The Music of Harry Chapin
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ
"You, Me & Harry" offers a unique opportunity to celebrate the music of Harry Chapin, transcending the typical tribute show. By integrating lesser-known anecdotes and backstories with a captivating solo musical performance, this show delves into Harry Chapin's multifaceted career - not only as a singer-songwriter but also as a storyteller, filmmaker, and, most importantly, as a humanitarian. His music resonates deeply, embodying truth, emotion, and purpose.

Will Hoge
Thursday, September 17, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ
Will Hoge has a career whose milestones include Number One hits, Grammy nods, major-label record deals, and hard-won independence. Years before Americana music received its own category at the Grammy Awards, Hoge was on the frontlines, helping to pilot and popularize the genre's blend of American roots music. In the current digital era dominated by influencers seeking shortcuts to stardom, Will Hoge proudly treads the scenic route, immersing himself in the journey rather than fixating on the destination.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 35mm
Thursday, September 17, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) - Main Stage
1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ
Raised in the sewers of New York, bathed in radioactive ooze, and trained in the art of ninjutsu by their rat sensei Splinter, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael – are heroes in a half shell!

The Rascals 60th Anniversary Tour
Thursday, September 17, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ
Celebrate 60 years of The Rascals featuring original frontman Felix Cavaliere. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, Grammy Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Songwriter Hall of Fame members, The Rascals are widely considered the best “blue-eyed soul” group to come out of the 1960s and their music is the soundtrack of a generation. The Rascals have 17 Top 20 hits, seven Top 10 hits, and three No.1 hits that include “Groovin’,” “People Got To Be Free” and “Good Lovin’.”
ADVANCED EVENTS
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EVENT PREVIEWS

Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents "Send Me No Flowers"
(HAMPTON, NJ) -- Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Send Me No Flowers from September 16 through October 22, 2026. When George Kimball, a Westchester commuter with a flair for hypochondria, overhears his doctor discussing a heart patient, he’s convinced his time has come.
SOPAC presents "The Unwitting Magician" on September 16th
(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) presents The Unwitting Magician on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 7:00pm. Is it a play? Sort of. Is it a reading? Kind of. Is it a magic show? Sure. With a magician? Definitely not.
LOVERULES at Rutgers Shines the Spotlight on a Jersey-Born Artist and Activist
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, the largest exhibition of art by Hank Willis Thomas in New Jersey to date, runs from September 17 to December 20, 2026 in the Voorhees Gallery of Zimmerli Art Museum.
Twenty-fifth Season of Westminster Conservatory Noontime Recitals Opens on September 17th
(LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ) -- On Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 12:15pm, the 25th season of Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will open with a recital of music for solo piano by Korean composers. The performer, Eunju Kim, is a member of the teaching faculty of Westminster Conservatory. The recital will take place in the Niles Chapel of Nassau Presbyterian Church (61 Nassau Street) in Princeton. It is open to the public free of charge.
The Newton Theatre presents Molly Tuttle on September 17th
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Molly Tuttle on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 8:00pm. Molly is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and virtuosic guitarist whose innovative blend of bluegrass, Americana, pop, and rock has made her one of the most dynamic artists in modern roots music.
SOPAC's Herb + Milly Iris Gallery Presents unveiled26, Celebrating the Artists of the 23rd Annual Studio Tour SOMA
(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) presents unveiled26, an exhibition featuring works by artists from South Orange and Maplewood, opening Thursday, September 17, at the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery. The exhibition will remain on view through November 8, 2026.
The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Will Hoge on September 17th
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Will Hoge on Thursday, September 17, 2026. Hoge has a career whose milestones include Number One hits, Grammy nods, major-label record deals, and hard-won independence.
PEAK Performances welcomes A.I.M by Kyle Abraham with White Space on September 17th
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- PEAK Performances at Montclair State University welcomes acclaimed choreographer Kyle Abraham and his celebrated contemporary dance company A.I.M for White Space, a haunting new evening-length work, co-commissioned by PEAK Performances, coming to Montclair State University on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 7:30pm.
Lighthouse International Film Society presents a screening of "Ask E. Jean" on September 17th
(LONG BEACH ISLAND, NJ) -- The Lighthouse International Film Society presents a screening of Ask E. Jean on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 7:30pm. This is director Ivy Meeropol's acclaimed new documentary about journalist, author and legendary advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.
Collingswood Community Theater presents Musical Comedy Cabaret on September 18th
(COLLINGSWOOD, NJ) -- Collingswood Community Theater presents Musical Comedy Cabaret on Friday, September 18, 2026 in the Collingswood Grand Ballroom. The event begins at 7:30pm. This is a fundraiser for the company.