New Brunswick Heart Festival

FREE OUTDOOR FESTIVAL!
Sat, August 12 from 3pm-6pm

Presented by State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick Cultural Center, NBPAC, and Above Art Studios, this annual FREE outdoor family-friendly festival celebrates the vibrant arts and history of New Brunswick and Middlesex County.

The festival features live music and dance performances, dance classes for kids, an Arts Market, craft vendors, food vendors (Mozzarella Italian & Mexican, IL Forno Brick Oven Pizza) free balloon animals and face painting, a health & wellness tent hosted by Garden of Healing, a history corner featuring historical interpreters by the Arts Institute of Middlesex County’s East Jersey Old Town Village & Cornelius Low House, arts & crafts for kids, and free Henna and caricatures. Plus, free button making with the New Brunswick Free Public Library, show ticket and swag giveaways, free tie dye station with Dibble and Dabble, a community art project with Zimmerli Art Museum, a community listening game with AARP, giant jenga with Live Well/Vivir Bien, free back-to-school supplies from New Brunswick Area NAACP, and more! 

The live featured performances include award-winning, multicultural family music band Hot Peas 'n Butter; celebrated tap-dancer Omar Edwards and his band The New York Jazz Gypsies; InSpira Performing Arts & Cultural Center; R&B/jazz band, LMNOP; spoken word artists Rashad Wright and Queena; New Brunswick Jazz Project Brass; DJ IZM; and more! Hosted by New Jersey Radio Hall of Famer Bert Baron and Founder of TSO Productions, Sharon Gordon. Plus, from 3pm-6pm, also check out the Block Party on Morris Street in front Above Art Studios featuring live music and spoken word performances, DJ Cuqui Rivera, stunts by the No Worm bike club, a fish fry fundraiser for Above Art Studios, and more!

At 3:30pm, 4:30pm, or 5:30pm, take a behind-the-scenes backstage tour of the State Theatre. Also, stop by the Thinkery & Verse for The Livingston Tapestry Project. The Livingston Tapestry Project collects portraits and stories from locals who have a relationship to the Livingston Avenue Historic District. These portraits and stories will be featured on Instagram and other social media as a living tapestry of local history. 

New this year, is the Studio Exhibition, open from 3pm-6pm and located in the State Theatre's Studio space, this exciting exhibit celebrates the history of the arts in New Brunswick featuring  old playbills and posters, video, 1920s-1970s memorabilia, and costumes from Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet:

• Experience the sheer beauty and elegance of ballet through the remarkable costumes of three iconic productions: Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and Coppélia. Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of these timeless classics and admire the beautifully crafted attire that brings each character to life on stage. Let your imagination soar as you appreciate the artistry and attention to detail showcased in these stunning costumes.

Open House – 3pm-6pm | 60 Bayard St.
Tour Princeton Ballet School’s studios at the state-of-the-art New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. Princeton Ballet School’s staff will be on hand to provide you with school information, schedule, and registration details. Also, look out for a special drawing to win Free tickets to an American Repertory Ballet performance coming to NBPAC this September!

Free Dance Workshops by American Repertory Ballet
4pm-4:30pm | Beginning Dance - Ages 4-8 years old. This workshop explores rhythm and music through creative movement. A theme and story will inspire individuality and expression, with an introduction to classical ballet technique.

5pm-5:30pm | Contemporary - Ages 9-16. This workshop will explore interpretive dance that embraces innovation, blending techniques from various genres, including classical ballet, jazz, modern dance, and lyrical dance. 

3pm-6pm | Sculpture Exhibition at Mason Gross Galleries
LIU SHIMING: Life Gives Beauty Form
33 Livingston Avenue
The largest retrospective seen in the U.S. by the renowned modern Chinese Sculptor, Liu Shiming, features over 80 works whose themes engage the past and present, the epic, the mythological, and the everyday. An interactive clay room is set up inside the galleries where visitors can try their own hand at sculpting in Shiming’s flexible, intuitive style. Free and open to the public, for all ages.