5th Annual Bergen Square Day Celebrates the NEW Historic Bergen Square

Bergen Square Day, a celebration of the rich, diverse culture and history of Jersey City, will be celebrated Saturday, September 14th. from 12:00 noon until 6:00 p.m. in Bergen Square. The celebration, hosted by the Journal Square Community Association and the Museum of Jersey City History, together with the Journal Square Special Improvement District and Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs, will take place at the intersection of Bergen Avenue and Academy Street.

Jersey City has transformed Bergen Square from its previous paved and concrete surfaces into a green, inviting public square replete with trees, seating, lawn surfaces, and pedestrian friendly sidewalks and street crossings. As it was back in days of the Dutch, the Square is once again a locus of community, a cultural crossroads and nexus of human interaction.

Once the home of the indigenous Lenni Lenape people, the site became the first permanent European settlement in what is now New Jersey, founded in 1660. Today, Bergen Square is a bustling community where residents, shoppers, commuters, students, and churchgoers alike come together to form an extraordinary, unique urban enclave. Bergen Square has welcomed immigrants from around the world for centuries and now flourishes as the historical and cultural wellspring of Jersey City.

This family-friendly festival will feature activities and performances for people of all ages, including live bands, a deejay, dancing, tours of local historic sites, local food and merchant vendors.

Featured acts this year include jazz band The Spirit of Life Ensemble; music and dance performed by Spektrums Afrikans (African folk dance); and reggae band 5 Outta 12. Local Jersey City DJ Deejay Khadi will also be spinning Afro Beats and family-friendly party pop on the main stage throughout the day. The Museum of Jersey City History at the Apple Tree House (298 Academy) will be open throughout the day. History walking tours of Bergen Square will leave from the museum. The Speranza Theater company will perform there at 6 p.m.

"I believe this event will further renew and re-establish Bergen Square on the map and in the public consciousness as an important historical and cultural destination," said local historian James Dievler, who is organizing the event. "The event will celebrate and feature our local talent and our extraordinarily diverse community," added Dievler, the chairperson of the Journal Square Community Association History Committee and president of the Museum of Jersey City History’s board of directors.

"The Journal Square Restoration Corporation is committed to creating clean, safe and active public spaces for Journal Square shoppers, business owners, and residents," said Chris Bernardo, administrator of the Journal Square Special Improvement District. "We're proud to partner with the Journal Square Community Association, Bergen Square Historical Society and Jersey City's Office of Cultural Affairs to underscore the rich history of Journal Square, as we work together to build a great future for current and future stakeholders."