African American Heritage Festival Returns to Weequahic Park

NEWARK, NJ — The African American Heritage Festival will return to Weequahic Park in Newark for 2018.

According to a city event flyer, the festival is slated to take place from Friday, May 25, to Monday, May 28 (Memorial Day). The Heritage parade is slated to take place on Sunday, May 27 and kick off at Broad Street at 1 p.m.

For more information about the annual festival and parade, click here. Watch a video from a previous incarnation of the festival below.

City officials released the following information about the annual event:

"Mayor Ras Baraka will lead the annual African-American Heritage Parade on Sunday, May 27 at noon, starting at Lincoln Park, and proceeding up Broad Street to Lafayette Street. There it will head down Lafayette to Mulberry and end at Edison Place. The parade grandstand will be located in front of the steps of City Hall on Broad Street. Mayor Baraka will lead the parade, and RWJ Barnabas Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Michellene Davis, Esq., will serve as the Grand Marshal.

"The parade is the state’s largest celebration of African-American heritage and culture. This year’s theme is 'Passing the Torch: Reach, Teach and Encourage.'

"The parade is the highlight event of the African-American Heritage Festival, which takes place in Weequahic Park in Newark’s South Ward, from Friday, May 25 through Monday, May 28. The festival will provide a Health and Social Service Pavilion featuring health care providers and a variety of non-profit organizations to educate the public on health issues affecting the African-American community. There will also be family entertainment and an array of activities, including carnival rides, giant balloons, vendors, games, a petting zoo, pony rides, skydivers, a health pavilion, marching bands, and live entertainment.

"The event is also honoring the following individuals this year: Tai Cooper, Khary Orr Leadership Awardee; Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, Public Service Heritage Awardee; Max Bruny, Labor Heritage Awardee; Reverend A. Mitchell, Sr., Interfaith Leadership & Community Service Awardee; Lorna Romans, Culture Heritage Awardee.

"The event is sponsored by RWJ Barnabas, PSE&G, NJ Devils, Verizon/NJ Shares, Pepsi, RWDSU, UFCW, ShopRite of Newark, Golden Krust, Local 108, RWDSU, UFCW, Prudential Financial and print media sponsor Local Talk."

TRAFFIC ALERT

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose announced that streets will be closed to accommodate the 51st Annual African American Heritage Parade, to be held Sunday, May 27th, 2018, commencing on Broad Street and Lincoln Park at 1:30 p.m.

Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday, the following streets will be closed to traffic:

· Broad Street between Chestnut and Murray Streets

· Pennington Street between Broad and Orchard Streets

· Tichenor Street between Broad and Orchard Streets

· South Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Orchard Street

· Thomas Street between Broad and Austin Streets

· Parkhurst Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Austin Street

· Gillette Place between Pennsylvania Avenue and Broad Street

The parade will proceed northbound on Broad Street to Lafayette Street and then proceed eastbound on Lafayette Street, ending between Broad and Mulberry Streets. Traffic will be allowed to cross the parade route on Market Street and on East and West Kinney streets during breaks in the parade. Drivers should expect delays, officials said.

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Photo: YouTube / Charles N. Hall, Jr.

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