The New Jersey Folk Festival is sponsored by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, as well as Douglas College. Admission is free to a one-day festival that is held on the campus at Rutgers and within walking distance of the New Brunswick train station. The festival, which got its start in 1975, is planned and managed by undergraduate students as part of a three-credit course. The festival celebrates the ethnically diverse culture of New Jersey and features three stages with live music, arts and craft vendors, dancing, activities for children and food stands. The central theme of the festival varies as it celebrates music from a different part of the world each year. The New Jersey Folk Festival is held each year in late April as part of Rutgers Day.
New Jersey Folk Festival
American Studies Department
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
131 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732-932-5775
njfolkfest.rutgers.edu
The Washington Square Music Festival, which dates back to the 1950s, is an annual event held in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. The festival features classical and jazz music every summer and is held in front of the the Holley statue in Washington Square. The festival takes place on four different Tuesdays in the month of July. The main purpose of the festival is to provide live classical and jazz music that is free of charge to the citizens of New York. Other free classical concerts are held in the city, but this is the only one sponsored by a local civic organization. In the event of rain, the festival is moved to St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, which is also in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.
Washington Square Music Festival
P.O. Box 1066, Village Station
New York, NY 10014
212-252-3621
washingtonsquaremusicfestival.org
The Gathering of the Vibes is a music festival that takes place at the Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This is an annual four-day event that got its start in 1996, and is held in late July and early August. Originally formed to celebrate the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia, it features a wide variety of music ranging from bluegrass, reggae, folk, rock and R&B. The festival has two stages that alternate back and forth with live entertainment. This is also an arts festival with an art gallery as well as booths with hand-made crafts and imported goods. Food and beverage vendors are also on the grounds. Some of the famous entertainers who have performed at the Gathering of the Vibes include James Brown, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and the remaining live members of the Grateful Dead. Camping is available on the grounds and music lovers can purchase tickets for one day, the weekend or the entire four-day event.
Gathering of the Vibes
P.O. Box 3377
Bridgeport, CT 06605
203-908-3030
gatheringofthevibes.com