curate your kwanzaa experience!

Celebrate culture, community and creative expression at NJPAC’s annual Kwanzaa Family Festival & Marketplace! 

Join the hundreds of families who make the free Kwanzaa Family Festival part of their annual celebration. It’s a full day of uplifting programs — including a candle-lighting ceremony and vibunzi — based on the seven principles of Kwanzaa. 

NJPAC’s Community Engagement makes Kwanzaa magical … and memorable.

Date: Dec 21, 2024 | Time: 12PM-7PM | Location: njpac

overview

From 12 – 4PM enjoy holiday-infused activities including dance classes for all abilities, arts and crafts, interactive storytelling and exquisite face painting. 

From 12 – 7PM watch energizing performances by local dancers and musicians in Prudential Hall Lobby. 

From 12 – 7PM shop the popular Kwanzaa Marketplace. Gift your loved ones with one-of-a-kind items from local crafters and artisans such as custom and cultural clothing, handcrafted jewelry and accessories, bath and body products, crystals, artwork, books and more. 

Program details

Principles

The festival, a tradition lasting more than 25 years, includes family-friendly activities that embody the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

UMOJA (Unity)

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.

KUJICHAGULIA (Self Determination)

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.

Ujamaa (cooperative economics)

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)

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.

IMANI (Faith)

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.

UJIMA (Collective Work & Responsibility)

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)

Nia is about making our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore African people to their traditional greatness.

See a show over the weekend!

Supported by

NJPAC’s Kwanzaa Family Festival & Marketplace are made possible through the generosity of Leon and Toby Cooperman.
Additional support provided by Newark ShopRite.

Community Partners

AARP Newark, African American Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Akil Khalfani, Aura’s Creative Palette/Aura Highsmith, Bhangra Rhythms, Creative Stuff/Cassandra A. George, Debbie Kirkland, Dyani Star, GalleryRetail, LLC; La Rocque Bey Dance School/Brother Jerome, Leah Jenea, Leslie Lucy, Najah Riker, Newark People’s Assembly, Newark School of the Arts, NJPAC African American ERG, Premiere Dance Theatre, Samar Newsome, Sheila Reis, Weequahic Park Sports Authority