GET INTO THE SPIRIT WITH NJPAC’S KWANZAA FAMILY FESTIVAL AND HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKETPLACE

• By Mabel Pais

KWANZAA FAMILY FESTIVAL AND ARTISAN MARKETPLACE  returns to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC),the annual gathering of thousands for the Holiday Season. This takes place at 1 Center Street, downtown Newark on Saturday, December 20, 2025, 1-7:30 PM.

The festival, the Arts Center tradition lasting more than 26 years, includes family-friendly activities that embody the seven principles of **Kwanzaa (see below). Programming includes exquisite face painting, interactive storytelling, dance classes for all abilities and arts and crafts.

Get a sneak peek into the Festival – youtu.be/FzGMauXc9Ck

RSVP

RSVP (required) to the Kwanzaa Family Festival @ njpac.org/about/community-engagement/kwanzaa-festival-and-marketplace

“‘The Kwanzaa Family Festival & Artisan Marketplace’ is NJPAC’s annual gift to the community,” says Eyesha Marable, Assistant Vice President, Community Engagement. “In collaboration with our 80 engaged partners, we produce a day of creative, fun and joyous activities so that people of all generations can form meaningful holiday memories at the Arts Center.”

THE MARKETPLACE

The festival coincides with the Kwanzaa Artisan Marketplace, which will cover multiple floors of the Arts Center’s Prudential Lobby on Saturday, December 20, from 1 – 11 PM.

The Kwanzaa Artisan Marketplace is the destination for purchasing one-of-a-kind gifts from more than 20 local artists, designers and crafters. Specialty items for sale include natural beauty products, candles, crystals, African mud cloth, artwork, home decor, pet products and much more!

Returning artisans will include Ashanti Fields (ashantifields.com), a creator of conversation-piece jewelry and clothing sewn from colorful West African fabrics. Philadelphia milliner Suzette Art Couture (suzetteartcouture.com) will sell handcrafted hats and accessories.

FAMILY FESTIVAL & MORE

The weekend of the Kwanzaa Family Festival & Artisan Marketplace will also feature

· Holiday ceremonies such as a Kwanzaa candle-lighting and vibunzi (a tradition of honoring young people with a ear of corn, or fresh fruits and vegetables, to represent hope for the future)

· Kwanzaa-themed cookie decorating by The Cupcake Carriage

· Capoeira, salsa, Jersey club, soul line and West African dance and drumming classes

· A special film screening by the Newark Office of Film & Television

· Hourly performances by local dance troupes in the Prudential Hall Lobby, including a final share performed by participants in the festival’s dance and drumming classes. Dance groups include: Premiere Dance Theatre, Umoja Dance Company and Zawadi African Dance & Drum, Inc., Columbia High School’s Infinite Step team, Najah Riker’s soul line dancers and Solo Expressions.

· Fashion shows presented by Ancient African Formula and New Jersey Kids Fashion Week

· Storytelling led by the Beta Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; Newark Public Library; Reading Partners and Source of Knowledge

· Arts and crafts workshops led by GlassRoots, The Newark Museum of Art, The North Jersey Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated,

· Creative Stuff, Children’s Kwanzaa Village, Mansa Arts Education, Trust for Public Land and AARP Chapter 5398 of The Newark University Area

· A Kwanzaa Memory Wall and panel discussion on grief and mourning facilitated by Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss

· Health screenings offered by Clara Maass Medical Center and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

· Vision screenings and vision loss simulations presented by  Eyes Like Mine Inc.

· Two GRAMMY-winning artists will present ticketed performances during the festival: gospel star CeCe Winans (njpac.org/event/cece-winans) and the gospel group, the Blind Boys of Alabama (njpac.org/event/blind-boys-of-alabama)

CONCERT TICKETS

‘CeCe Winans’ will perform at two ticketed concerts: on Friday, December 19, and Saturday, December 20, each day at 8PM. Ticket buyers for Winans’ Friday night performance will have exclusive access to a poetry reading before the show at 7PM and to the Kwanzaa Marketplace from 7 – 11 PM.

The ‘Blind Boys of Alabama’ will perform on Sunday, December 21, at 3PM.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by activist and author  Maulana Karenga to offer people of African heritage a holiday that would celebrate their culture. Kwanzaa encompasses seven days dedicated to seven principles, also known as the Nguzo Saba. The **Kwanzaa principles are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). Each activity or event at NJPAC’s Kwanzaa Family Festival embodies one of the seven principles.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

NJPAC, located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is the most diverse performing arts center in the country, and the anchor cultural institution for both the city of Newark and the state of New Jersey.  It is an artistic, cultural, educational and civic center where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day.

NJPAC brings communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists, while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC Arts & Well-Being develops initiatives and programs that amplify the health benefits of the arts and measure the impact of the Arts Center on community health and well-being.

NJPAC has attracted more than 12.7 million visitors (including more than two million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.  Visit njpac.org for more information.