Sunday, July 10, 2011

Trentonians Show Their Heritage This Weekend

TRENTON-- Tourists and Trentonians alike head to the city's annual Heritage Day Festival for music, food, and fellowship this past weekend. The funnel cake was smelling good, the fish was freshly fried, and the music soothed the soul. Children were playing and couples were dancing Sunday afternoon as there were live bands, inflatable playgrounds, and African drums.


 The event was sponsored and coordinated by the city's Office of Cultural Affairs. The festival was held in the city's Mill Hill Park Sunday afternoon. A cultural highlight for the state's capital city, the Heritage Day Festival started this weekend and ended today. However, Heritage Day did not start off this way. It originally began 33 years ago as a pot luck run by local civic organizations. The city's mayor Tony Mack said Heritage Day is a time of fun and a time to showcase your heritage.

Anwar's Reflections-- a Trentonian affiliate-- was on hand to receive festival goer feedback.

James Royale, a local musician, said this Heritage Day was better than other years because there was a greater variety of entertainment available. However, Baye Kemet, head of Trenton's Marcus Garvey School, said the event was seriously lacking the energy Heritage Days have had in the past. Tyrone Riley, a city man, said that despite the event being smaller than previous Heritage Day Festivals, it was just as enjoyable as years past. Ballsey, a city man and musician, said that he enjoyed this year's event because it wasn't cramped up as previous years. Monique, a Bordentown resident, said she just so happened to stumble upon the event as she was driving by and said that she enjoyed the festival because she liked seeing all the kids and families together in a positive atmosphere. 

Please see videos below:










7 comments:

  1. Gee, I live in the city and didn't hear one word about black heritage days and totally missed it. Did the city actually promote this event outside city hall, mill hill and Wilbur section? Looks like the mayors friends had a nice time. When will the city hold a Heritage Days festival for non-blacks? No offense, just sayin is all!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You wouldn't have come anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  3. it was not black heritage days... just heritage days

    ReplyDelete
  4. People who live in Trenton and the surrounding area know that the Trenton Heritage Days Festival celebrates the history and cultural diversity of the capital city and its surrounding communities and has been doing so for 33 YEARS. Newspapers, flyers, and radio ads are just of few of the ways that this event has been publicized for the last three decades. In recent years the internet has also been used to promote the event. Attendees enjoy music on multiple stages, with dance performances, walking acts,a wide variety of ethnic foods and cultural crafts, and activities for families and children. It's a wonderful tradition.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think the festival was cancelled for one year in 2010?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes, the Heritage Day Festival was cancelled last year due to dwindling donations from private investors according to the Trenton Times.

    ReplyDelete
  7. how do you get fatty liver disease how do you
    get fatty liver disease how do you get fatty liver disease

    My homepage - chinese herbal medicine for fatty liver

    ReplyDelete