On Saturday, December 17, NJPAC’s annual Kwanzaa Festival and Marketplace celebrates culture, community and creative expression.

This Newark tradition — now in person — honors the seven principles of Kwanzaa with free and joyous programs. The Kwanzaa Festival and Marketplace opens at NJPAC on Saturday, December 17, from 10AM to 10PM; RSVP for the Free Kwanzaa Family Festival online today or register in-person on December 17 at 9AM. The day’s festivities begin at 10AM with a variety of activities, including dance classes, arts and crafts, storytelling, face painting, and a Kwanzaa candle lighting ceremony, leading into a special Show and Share from 1PM to 2PM for your loved ones to perform what they learned at the Festival. Enjoy free live performances in the lobby every hour from 10AM to 6:30PM as you shop at the Kwanzaa Marketplace, from 12PM to 10PM. The festival is a collaboration between the Newark Museum of Art, Newark Arts, City of Newark, Newark Symphony Hall and Newark Public Library. Whole Foods will provide water, cornbread, and fruits and vegetables as our vibunzi.

in partnership with

 activities 

UMOJA (Unity): Chase Room & community room

Umoja’s is centered around achieving and maintaining unity in the family, community, nation and race. The activities associated with this principle celebrate coming together and moving in unity to the uplifting rhythms of drum beats and dance forms influenced by deep-rooted African culture and traditions.. These 45-minute dance sessions conclude with a one-hour performance for participants to share their newly learned moves and skills from the day’s activities.

KUJICHAGULIA (Self Determination): East Shadowbox

The principle of Kujichagulia centers on defining, naming, creating and speaking for ourselves. Express your self-determination through creativity and Kwanzaa-related arts and crafts projects with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, North Jersey Alumnae Chapter.

Ujamaa (cooperative economics): Prudential Lobby & tier 1 faux boxes

Ujamaa is about collectively benefitting from businesses by building and maintaining our own stores and shops. Support local Black-owned merchants with an expanded Artisan Marketplace. Dozens of vendors cover two floors of NJPAC selling one-of-a-kind handcrafts, jewelry, soaps, lotions, clothes, art and much more for your gift-giving needs. At the same time, support local musicians, dancers, and artists who will share live performances in the Prudential Lobby.

KUUMBA (Creativity): victoria theater lobby

Kuumba encourages us to always do what we can to improve and leave our community more beautiful than we inherited it. With this principle in mind, participate in activities that beautify the body and benefit the soul. There’s creative face painting, storytelling with Newark Public Library and stories coming to life with an enactment by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis, as well as a hands on art-making activity connected to the story. 

IMANI (Faith): West Shadowbox

Imani asks us to believe, with all of our hearts, in our people, parents, teachers and leaders and in the righteousness and victory of our struggle. By faith, we will work together to create Adinkra cloth with Newark Museum of Art utilizing traditional block prints.

UJIMA (Collective Work & Responsibility): tier 2 faux boxes & tier 2 hallway

Ujima is centered on actively building and maintaining our community. Individual problems become our collective responsibility and we work together to overcome them. Break through your creative challenges with help from our engaged partners who will facilitate art projects and nurture your creative expression.

NIA (Purpose): Parsonnet Room

Nia is about making our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore African people to their traditional greatness. With that principle in mind, join Shanell Dunns, founder and CEO of Roots and Bridges, for empowering conversations on education, politics and health, and how these are impacted by various socioeconomic factors.