Founded in 2016, Hudson West Fest is an Americana, Folk, and Roots music festival that presents artists from across North America. Beyond its main annual event, the organization also holds year-round music programming, including workshops, a talent search, open mics, free concerts featuring local musicians, and free school music programs.

Hudson West Fest 2025 Lineup and Schedule

The 2025 festival will feature two stages: an Indoor Stage inside the Nimbus Arts Center and an Outdoor Street Stage under the festival tent.

Indoor Stage Performances

• 1:00 p.m. â€?Emerging Artist: Matthew Gronert
• 1:30 p.m. â€?Alice Howe & Freebo
• 2:45 p.m. â€?Christina Courtin
• 4:00 p.m. â€?Emerging Artist: Maidin
• 4:30 p.m. â€?Dori Freeman
• 5:45 p.m. â€?Quadrature
• 7:00 p.m. â€?Amythyst Kiah

Street Stage Performances

• 1:15 p.m. â€?Rockness Music (for kids)
• 2:15 p.m. â€?Square Dance with the Americana Family Jamboree
• 3:30 p.m. â€?Songwriter Sandbox Song Swap featuring Route One, Robin Vincent, and Norman Salant
• 4:45 p.m. â€?Open Acoustic Jam with Hudson West All-Stars
• 6:15 p.m. â€?Niall Connolly Band
• 8:00 p.m. â€?Nick Dunbar Band

Spotlight on 2025 Hudson West Fest Performers

In 2025, Hudson West Fest brings together an impressive mix of artists, each with their own story, style, and stage presence.

• Amythyst Kiah â€?Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter acclaimed for her 2021 Rounder Records debut Wary + Strange and the anthem Black Myself.
• Dori Freeman â€?Virginia-based songwriter with five albums, blending Appalachian roots with modern Americana.
• Quadrature (Brooklyn Raga Massive) â€?Experimental ensemble infusing raga, rock, jazz, and psychedelia, featuring Neel Murgai, Indofunk Satish, Tripp Dudley, and Damon Banks.
• Christina Courtin â€?Singer, violinist, and educator known for her album Situation Station and collaborations with Bonnie Prince Billy, Nico Muhly, and Sara Bareilles.
• Alice Howe & Freebo â€?Duo combining Howe’s award-winning vocals with Freebo’s legendary bass work, including his years with Bonnie Raitt.
• Niall Connolly â€?Cork-born, New York-based indie folk songwriter praised for his authentic storytelling and vibrant performances.
• Nick Dunbar â€?Colorado musician who plays a mix of Western swing, honky tonk, and classic country, with his 2022 debut album Little Country.
• Americana Family Jamboree with Elena & Boo â€?Family-friendly square dance and roots music performance by longtime leaders of the Demolition String Band.
• Rockness Music â€?Interactive children’s program led by Michael Napolitano, offering music shows and education for young audiences.

The 2025 festival will also highlight two emerging artists: Matthew Gronert, a Jersey City-based musician influenced by Dan Reeder, John Prine, and Lucinda Williams, and Maidin, a singer-songwriter with folk storytelling and alternative pop influences.

Hudson West Fest 2025 Workshops

Festival workshops are free and led by performers:

• The Songwriter’s Toolkit with Alice Howe & Freebo
• Q&A with Amythyst Kiah
• Raga Music Appreciation with Neel Murgai of Brooklyn Raga Massive

These interactive sessions provide participants with the chance to learn directly from festival artists.

Community Support and Funding

The 2025 Hudson West Fest is supported by public funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund. Additional support comes from a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a division of the Department of State, and is administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, led by Hudson County Executive Craig Guy and the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners. The National Endowment for the Arts also provides funding.

Expanding the Festival Experience

For 2025, Hudson West Fest is expanding to include an outdoor street fair with local bands, open music jams, vendors, family programming, and the Americana Family Jamboree & Barn Dance.

Festival organizers have stated that any funds raised beyond what is needed for 2025 will be directed to the 2026 festival, which is planned to be even more ambitious.

The deadline to submit an application is Monday, September 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Hudson County Executive Craig Guy explained that the LAP and HPP represent investments in local organizations and municipalities that create innovative programming in both the arts and history. He added that the programs provide critical resources to maintain high-quality opportunities across all 12 municipalities in the county.

Upcoming Webinar on September 3 for Applicants

To ensure applicants are well-prepared, Hudson County will host a special online webinar on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

The session will provide detailed information about the LAP and HPP programs and guide participants through the application process. Municipalities and nonprofits interested in applying are encouraged to attend.

Jersey City’s All About Downtown Street Fair Returns

In addition to the grant announcements, Hudson County residents can look forward to a community event: the All About Downtown Street Fair in Jersey City.

The fair, organized by the Historic Downtown Jersey City Special Improvement District, is scheduled for Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. It will take place at Newark Avenue and Grove Street, one of the city’s busiest cultural hubs.

The event is free to attend and will go on rain or shine. Attractions include a Kids Zone, live music, shopping, food trucks, beer gardens, and a variety of activities for all ages.

By 2019, the festival was renamed the Jersey City Jazz Festival and brought in crowds of about 30,000 people, making it one of the largest jazz events in the tri-state area. Today, the event is held at its home on the Exchange Place waterfront, where the 2025 program is being billed as the biggest yet.

For supporters, the Latin Lover Package ($50) includes an official festival t-shirt and one drink ticket, plus an Early Bird t-shirt can be pre-ordered for $35.

Friday, September 5: Music on the Plaza

The first night will be staged entirely at the RWJBarnabas Health Plaza Stage, located at 10 Exchange Place, Jersey City.

Festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. with Dave Schumacher & Cubeye (CubeyeMusic.com). At 7:00 p.m., Alex “Apolo�Ayala & The Bámbula Project take over the stage (alexapoloayala.com). The evening wraps up from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with Doug Beavers�Titanes del Trombón, a Circle 9 presentation dedicated to John “Dandy�Rodriguez (circle9music.com).

Saturday, September 6: Three Stages of Music and Dance

The second day of the festival will run from the afternoon into the evening, with performances on the Plaza Stage, the Courtyard Stage, and the Pier Stage, plus a family zone with activities for kids.

The Plaza Stage at 10 Exchange Place opens at 2:00 p.m. with UCMP Latin Jazz (ucmusicproject.org/ucmp-academy). At 4:00 p.m., audiences will hear John Benitez (allaboutjazz.com/musicians/john-benitez/). At 6:00 p.m., Bobby Sanabria & AscensiĂłn perform (bobbysanabria.com). Closing the night at 8:00 p.m. will be The Palmieri Experience, presented by Luques Curtis (palmierimusic.com).

The Courtyard Stage at 15 Exchange Place begins at 3:00 p.m. with the WBGO Music for Kids Series, featuring Juanga Lakunza (wbgo.org, juangalakunza.com). At 5:00 p.m., the Chembo Corniel Quintet performs (chembocorniel.com), followed at 7:00 p.m. by Melvis Santa (instagram.com/melvissanta).

The Pier Stage at J. Owen Grundy Park will turn into a dance floor from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., where Salsa Fever On2 will lead salsa and mambo dance lessons (salsafeveron2.com).

Meanwhile, the Community Zone, hosted by the Jersey City Free Public Library, will be open from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Families can join in arts and crafts, try bucket drumming, and enjoy storytime.

Visitor Details and Accessibility

Admission to all events is free. Volunteers can sign up through the “become-a-volunteer�form, and anyone interested can join the festival’s mailing list.

The event is rain or shine, with stages fully covered. If severe weather raises safety concerns, performances will shift to Sunday, September 7.

Children are welcome, and pets are allowed at the plaza and pier but not on the courtyard grass. Because of the large crowds and loud music, pet owners are asked to use caution.

Food trucks and vendors will be on-site, with some accepting only cash. Credit cards will be accepted for merchandise and tickets. Attendees may bring their own chairs but are asked to take them when leaving.

The festival site at 1 Exchange Place is fully accessible, with one-level plazas, accessible restrooms, and staff available to help. For advanced questions, contact dave@riverviewjazz.org.

Getting There and Where to Stay

Exchange Place is easily reached by public transportation. The PATH train and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stop right at Exchange Place. NJ Transit buses and the NY Waterway Ferry also serve the area.

For drivers, LAZ Parking is offering discounted parking at the Harborside 6 Garage, 135 Greene Street, just three blocks from the festival site. Street parking may be available, but it is limited.

Hotel partners include Hyatt House, Hyatt Regency, and Canopy, all located in downtown Jersey City near the waterfront.

The gallery, located at 345 Marin Boulevard in The Hendrix building, will open the exhibition with a public reception on Saturday, September 6, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. A special artist talk is also planned for Sunday, September 21, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, giving visitors the opportunity to hear directly from the artists about their approaches to narrative in painting. The show will also coincide with JC Fridays, with extended hours on Friday, September 12, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Themes of the Exhibition

The focus of Artist Narrator is the way painting can serve as a form of storytelling. While each artist brings a unique visual language, their works intersect around themes of identity, gender, class, sexuality, and personal history.

Grace Graupe-Pillard is known for her direct, emotional portraits that portray the complexity of lived experience. Giustina Surbone creates large-scale works exploring individuality and questions of beauty and sexuality. Robin Tewes uses carefully detailed, surreal interiors to reflect on social and psychological themes. Christina Schlesinger works in painting and collage, often addressing self-portraiture and lesbian culture, adding depth to narratives that have long been overlooked.

Together, their contributions form a layered conversation about how contemporary painting continues to carry forward one of the oldest traditions in human expression: storytelling through image.

The Artists�Journeys

Each of the artists featured in the exhibition has a long history of contributions to contemporary art.

• Grace Graupe-Pillard, based in New Jersey, has shown her work in major museums and galleries across the country. Her practice includes painting, public art, and writing, with her work often highlighted in national and international publications.
• Christina Schlesinger, who divides her time between New York City and East Hampton, is recognized for her fine art and for her large-scale murals. Her career spans decades of exhibitions and public projects, with her series exploring identity and culture presented at institutions across the United States.
• Giustina Surbone, originally from Buffalo and now living in Brooklyn, has exhibited in a wide range of galleries and alternative spaces. She has also explored video and performance, with projects that expand her practice beyond painting.
• Robin Tewes has built an international career, with work held in museum collections and supported by numerous residencies and grants. Her paintings often carry subtle narratives that reveal tensions of class, gender, and the subconscious.

Accessibility, Transportation, and Visitor Information

The Art House Gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM throughout the exhibition, in addition to the special event dates. All works in the show will be available for purchase in person and online through the Art House Online Gallery.

The venue is fully accessible, with wheelchair access and options such as large-print materials and descriptive tours available by request. Visitors can find parking through SpotHero or plan public transit routes using the Transit App.

For details, directions, or inquiries, visitors may contact the gallery at gallery@arthouseproductions.org or by phone at 201-484-9595. More information is available on the Art House Productions website

The mural features a large-scale photographic composition showing an individual standing on the pavers of the waterfront walkway at Pier A, looking out across the Hudson River. Drawing inspiration from Hoboken’s architectural elements and the abstract traditions of modern art, the piece was created using Sagat’s method of blending color, texture, and imagery.

Artistic Style and Influences

Jason Sagat is a longtime resident of Hoboken. He is known locally for creating abstract urban visuals through photography. His work often combines multiple images to create layered, mosaic-like textures that convey movement and memory.

Sagat has cited inspiration from artists Wassily Kandinsky and Gerhard Richter. His approach examines the contrast between simplicity and complexity in daily life. He has described photography as an inherently historical act, in which each image is a moment fixed in time.

In “Layers,�these influences are visible through the overlapping of images and the incorporation of visual textures, resulting in a composition that presents a familiar Hoboken waterfront scene in an abstracted form.

 

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Selection, Display, and Funding

The Hoboken Arts Advisory Committee selected Layers for installation. It is now on permanent display in the historic lobby of City Hall, positioned beside the main staircase.

The mural was funded under a city policy established in 2018 through an executive order by Mayor Bhalla. The order directs that up to one percent of all municipal bond ordinance funds be allocated to public art installations throughout Hoboken.

Exhibition Content

The exhibition includes 33 works, among them 21 monumental canvases painted between 2014 and the present. It examines Telfair’s work at the intersection of realism and imagination, as well as art and the natural world.

The paintings are hyper-realistic and immersive. They are created from memory, imagination, and emotion, rather than direct observation. The works convey the grandeur of nature, its capacity to inspire awe and wonder, and its unnerving power.

Additional Features

A fully illustrated catalog accompanies the exhibition. The catalog contains essays addressing Telfair’s aesthetics, techniques, creative rhythms, and her position within the tradition of American painting.

The installation also features a curated selection of minerals and global material culture from the Morris Museum’s collection, all of which were selected by the artist and are displayed alongside her paintings.

Support and Availability

The presentation of Tula Telfair: NATURE Does Not Locate Itself is supported by Melanie and Alan Levitan, with installation assistance from Novartis. The exhibition catalog is available for purchase in the Morris Museum shop and through its online store.