Photo courtesy of VisitHudson.org.
Jersey City’s culture and history will be celebrated for the third time in a row today.
The city’s third annual Bergen Square Day will take place on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the intersection of Bergen Avenue and Academy Street.
Bergen Square was once the home of the indigenous Lenni Lenape people. It became the first permanent European settlement in what is now New Jersey, which was founded in 1660.
Today, Bergen Square is a diverse community where residents, shoppers, commuters, students and churchgoers crowd the streets.
The family-friendly festival will feature activities and performances for all ages, including live bands, a DJ, 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 the Indian cultural organization, Surati for Performing Arts; local bands Chill Brown, Instruments of Praise, and The Dirty City Band; Joel Chasson’s Participatory Drum Circle with Chihiro Cute-Beat; and John Paul Garcia.
Local Jersey City DJ Deejay Khadi will also be playing Afro Beats and party pop on the main stage throughout the day.
“The event will celebrate and feature our local talent and our extraordinarily diverse community,” local historian James Dievler said in a statement, who is organizing the event and the chairperson of the Journal Square Community Association History Committee and a member of the Museum of Jersey City History’s board of directors.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop will speak at 3:00 p.m. on the stage.
