Highlights include Mayor’s Charity Carnival, Freestyle Night,
Charity Car Show & music festival
CARTERET, NJ – The Carteret Music Festival, Annual Charity Carnival, and Car Show return Sept. 16 to 20 to Carteret Park. Highlights will include live jazz on Sept. 16, DJ-driven electronic dance music on Sept. 17, a Freestyle Night on Sept. 18, the 50th Annual Multicultural Day celebration of the most culturally diverse town in Central Jersey on Sept. 19, the 22nd Annual Charity Car Show on Sept. 20, and lots of rides, game, food, more music and other family fun throughout.
The Charity Carnival benefits The Children’s Charity Trust, which Mayor Daniel J. Reiman founded in 2003 at the beginning of his first term. Mayor Reiman recognized that the Borough’s younger residents often lack the finances needed to achieve their goals. The Trust Fund was created with the knowledge that these children are often high achievers with great potential who with proper financial support could continue on a path of success. The nonprofit supports education, health, athletics, veterans, art and culture and recently distributed $72,500 in community support this year, including scholarships for Carteret-based students from Carteret High School, Middlesex County Magnet Schools and local parochial schools.
“The Charity Carnival is a long-standing tradition here in Carteret,” Mayor Reiman said. “With summer coming to an end and the children returning to school, the Carnival is a great way to mark the end of the season as a community and raise money for a great cause. The Children’s Charity Trust Fund realizes the importance of helping our neighbors in their greatest times of need.
“Carteret is one of the most culturally diverse towns in New Jersey,” the Mayor continued. “Ethnic Day is an opportunity for us to highlight what makes Carteret unique as a community. Carteret is the melting pot of Central Jersey. We have so many different cultures coming together to form a strong communal bond and contribute to making Carteret a great place to live. Our annual Ethnic Day reflects that diversity as does our fantastic music lineup.”
This year’s headliner for the 50th anniversary celebration of Ethnic Day is CeeLo Green, a five-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, producer and rapper, and a celebrated pop culture and fashion icon. CeeLo’s free concert will take place at 8 p.m. on Sept. 19 followed by a special light show and fireworks display in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, Carteret’s 120 years and the 50th anniversary of Ethnic Day as a multicultural food festival. Past headliners have included Shaggy, Spin Doctors, C&C Music Factory, Smash Mouth, Sister Hazel, Taylor Hicks, Gin Blossoms and Carteret’s own New Jersey Hall of Famers The Smithereens.
Ethnic Day also will include food, art, craft vendors and cultural performances beginning at noon.
Freestyle Night, which will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. on Sept. 18, will include performances by:
- TKA, the popular ’80s & ’90s trio from New York City and Miami who just dropped a new EP, “Give Your Love to Me”
- Soave, the Jersey City native who had a huge hit in 1989 with “Crying Over You”
- Lisette Melendez, the Spanish Harlem singer who had a Top 40 hit with “Together Forever” in 1991 and has a new single, “Recalibrate”
- Joei Mae, lead singer of the Bronx freestyle group CBank, who had the 1997 hit “I Won’t Stop Loving You” and recently released a remix EP.
The freestyle performances will be presented for free by the Brooklyn freestyle legends Dom G & Dream Girl Cynthia, the folks behind the annual Dream Girl Cynthia Freestyle Cruise.
All four days of the festival are free to attend, but there is a cost for food, beverages, and tickets to rides and games. Unlimited Ride Wristbands are $37 per rider on Sept. 16 and 17.
Festival/carnival hours are 6-10 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17, 6-11 p.m. Sept. 18, and 3-11:30 p.m. Sept. 19.
Attendance to the 22nd Annual Charity Car Show is free to the public. Only cars entering the competition pay the $10 entry fee, which also will benefit The Children’s Charity Trust. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., participants will vie for trophies, including the grand Mayor’s Trophy.
Events sponsorship and naming opportunities are available at 732-541-3807.
More info also can be found on Carteret.net and @MyCarteret on Facebook, Instagram and X.
