Essex County Summer Music Series Begins: Fireworks, Jazz, Doo Wop, Rock & Roll, Reggae, Latin and More

By TAPINTO Montclair Staff

Essex County, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. invites the public to attend the 2018 Essex County Free SummerMusic Concert Series. The free Concert Series brings a diverse group of musicians and entertainers to perform at locations throughout the historic Essex County Park System and provides residents with an evening leisure activity to enjoy the parks. This year’s series features three concert and fireworks spectaculars, Friday night concerts in Brookdale Park, 17 concerts throughout the County and eight cultural festivals.

“The Essex County Free Summer Music Concert Series offers a diverse lineup of performers who will take center stage throughout our historic Parks System. Pack a blanket, enjoy the cool evening breeze, and dance to the sounds of classical, rock and roll, jazz, big band, Latin and more. We have an amazing line-up that is sure to entertain and impress,” DiVincenzo said.

The SummerMusic Concert Series is being sponsored by Rose Squared Productions, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and TD Bank. The series is also made possible, in part, by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State.

Over the course of 13 summer weeks, there are 33 different events, featuring some of the best local and international acts in jazz, rock and roll, big band, reggae and more. The 2018 SummerMusic Concert Series begins Saturday, June 9^th with a Gospel Festival in Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park and concludes Sunday, September 9^th with Mike Griot’s Essex County South Mountain International Blues Festival in Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex. There will be three Concert and Fireworks Extravaganzas this summer: the first features the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra on Friday, June 29^th in Essex County Branch Brook Park in Newark, the second features the Motor City Revue on Monday, June 2^nd in Essex County Weequahic Park and the third features the Belletones and Total Soul on Tuesday, July 3^rd in Essex County Brookdale Park in Bloomfield/Montclair.

The 2018 concert series schedule is as follows:

·   Saturday, June 9^th, 12 noon to 5 p.m., Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park, Orange: Gospel Festival*

·   Thursday, June 14^th, 5:30 p.m., Essex County Branch Brook Park, Concourse Hill Pavilion, Clifton Avenue entrance, Newark: Jazz in the Park

Thursday, June 21^st, 5:30 p.m., Essex County Branch Brook Park, Concourse Hill Pavilion, Clifton Avenue entrance, Newark: Jazz in the Park

·   Saturday, June 23^rd, 12 Noon, Essex County Weequahic Park, Newark: House Music Festival*

·   Tuesday, June 26^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Yanticaw Park, Nutley: Jukebox Legends

·   Wednesday, June 27^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Verona Park, Verona: Julian and Dominique

·   Thursday, June 28^th, 5:30 p.m., Essex County Branch Brook Park, Concourse Hill Pavilion, Clifton Avenue entrance, Newark: Jazz in the Park

·   Friday, June 29^th, 7:30 p.m., Essex County Branch Brook Park, Heller Parkway, Newark: Concert by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and a Fireworks Spectacular

·   Monday, July 2^nd, 7:30 p.m., Essex County Weequahic Park, Newark: Concert by the Motor City Revue and a Fireworks Spectacular

·   Tuesday, July 3^rd, 7:30 p.m., Essex County Brookdale Park, Bloomfield/Montclair: Concert by the Belletones and Total Soul, and a Fireworks Spectacular

·   Friday, July 6^th, 7:30 p.m., Essex County Brookdale Park, Bloomfield/Montclair: Garden State Radio

·   Tuesday, July 10^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Veterans Memorial Park, Newark: Bradford Hayes

·   Wednesday, July 11^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park, Orange: Pulse Jazz Quintet

·   Friday, July 13^th, 7:30 p.m., Essex County Brookdale Park, Bloomfield/Montclair: Billy Gilman, finalist on NBC’s “The Voice”

·   Tuesday, July 17^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Riverbank Park, Newark: Latin Splendor

·   Wednesday, July 18^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Watsessing Park, Bloomfield/East Orange: Denise Hamilton

·   Friday, July 20^th, 7:30 p.m., Essex County Brookdale Park, Bloomfield/Montclair: The Infernos

·   Tuesday, July 24^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Ivy Hill Park, Newark: Richard Reiter

·   Wednesday, July 25^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Vailsburg Park, Newark: Gordon James

·   Friday, July 27^th, 7:30 p.m., Essex County Brookdale Park, Bloomfield/Montclair: Jazz Under the Stars featuring the Nicolas King Quartet and Alex Bugnon

·   Tuesday, July 31^st, 7 p.m., Essex County Irvington Park, Irvington: Group TBD

·   Wednesday, August 1^st, 7 p.m., Essex County Cedar Grove Park, Cedar Grove: Cameos

·   Friday, August 3^rd, 7:30 p.m., Essex County Brookdale Park, Bloomfield/Montclair: Tusk: Fleetwood Mac Tribute

·   Saturday, August 4^th, 12 noon to 8 p.m., Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park, Orange: African Caribbean Festival*

·   Tuesday, August 7^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Grover Cleveland Park, Caldwell/Essex Fells: Steppin’ Out

·   Wednesday, August 8^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Independence Park, Newark: Nanny Assis Brazilian Experience

·   Friday, August 10^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Eagle Rock Reservation, West Orange: Joey Arminio and Family

·   Saturday, August 11^th, 4 to 9 p.m., Essex County Ivy Hill Park, Newark: International Food and Music Festival*

·   Sunday, August 12^th, 12 noon to 8 p.m., Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park, Orange: Latino Festival*

·   Tuesday, August 14^th, 7 p.m., Essex County Anderson Park, Upper Montclair: Kennedy Dancers

·   Sunday, August 19^th, 2 to 7 p.m., Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park, Orange: Rayfield Morton’s Talent “Gong Show”*

·   Saturday, September 8^th, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Essex County Branch Brook Park, Newark: African Caribbean Festival*

·   Sunday, September 9^th, 12 noon to 8 p.m., Essex County South Mountain Reservation, West Orange: Mike Griot’s Essex County South Mountain International Blues Festival*

Events with an asterisk (*) are co-sponsored by the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Concerts are held at accessible sites. Persons who require special accommodations or assistance are asked to call at least two weeks prior to the concert to alert staff as to their needs. Admission to the concerts is free. For more information, please call the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs at 973‑268-3500.

The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 23 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, Treetop Adventure Course, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, two miniature golf courses, Treetop Adventure Course, three off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens.