It might not get as much ink as Chelsea or Brooklyn, but Bergen County has a vibrant arts scene. We would know; we’ve been providing custom fine art framing and conservation services here in Englewood for over 50 years.
To celebrate the countless galleries and annual events in our county, we put together a map. All of the points on the map are listed below.
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments!
Edgewater: Arts & Music Festival
The Edgewater Arts Council’s main annual event event is the Edgewater Arts and Music Festival, which is in its 26th year. This year, it’ll be held on September 10 “at the idyllic Shadyside location of Old River Road at Thompson Lane in Edgewater,” and over 4,000 people are expected every year. Even better: this event features Bergen County’s largest juried art competition with over $5,000 in prizes across seven categories: Art, Photography, Craft, Mixed Media, Fiber Arts, Student, and Best in Show. For more information, visit edgewaterartsnj.org
Fort Lee: Arts & Music Festival
In June, Fort Lee held its 15th annual Arts & Music Festival featuring over 100 vendors. There’s also a juried art show that is open to all artists, amateur and professional; members of the Fort Lee Artists Guild get the $75 entry fee waived. Here are some pictures from this year’s event.
Hackensack: CAT Walk
Starting in 2016, dozens of local and regional artists have contributed to CAT Walk, an outdoor art exhibition/event that shows off Hackensack’s creative side. Last year, events were held in June and in October and were produced by the Hackensack Creative Arts Team (CAT), the Main Street Business Alliance, the Hackensack Art Club, and the Northern NJ Community Foundation/ ArtsBergen. Nothing is announced yet for 2017, so stay tuned to the Main Street Business Alliance website for more information!
Paramus: Bergen County Art Show
For over 50 years, Van Saun County Park in Paramus has hosted the Annual Bergen County Art Show, which is put on by the NJ State Council of Arts/Department of State. No official date for 2017 is public yet, but last year, more than 100 artists were featured in a juried exhibition across five categories: Drawings/Prints/Pastels, Acrylics/Oil, Mixed Media, Watercolors and Photography. Last year’s show is written up here, and the Bergen County website advises that artists interested in applying contact: “Gregory Lucente, Glucente@co.bergen.nj.us or by phone: 201-336-7292.”
Also Paramus: Teen Arts Festival
Paramus also has the pleasure of hosting the Teen Arts Festival at the Bergen County Community College campus. In May, it was held for the 42nd time, with involvement by 15,000 students in some way, from about 55 local schools. The day combines a multitude of workshops led by college teachers on the topics of creative writing, dance, music, theater, video and visual arts. Here’s the program from this year’s event.
Ridgewood: Fall Craft & Art Street Fair
A winner of Best of Bergen, this fair is held downtown on East Ridgewood Ave, and is said to draw close to 15,000 attendees, who browse 175 exhibitors’ wares of arts & crafts, festival foods, music and more. This year’s event will be held on September 17, 2017, rain or shine.
Teaneck: Bergen Street Fest
A new event called the Bergen Street Fest is coming to Bergen County this September 16 & 17 at the Teaneck National Guard Armory. Although it’s primarily a food truck festival, there will also be local arts & crafts vendors and activities, like Paintbrush Studio. For more info and registration info, visit www.bergenstreetfest.com.