Mark Your Calendars & Don’t Miss The Next One

While I have been buried under the responsibilities of my real job for the past month and a half, I couldn’t let the month of May end without letting folks know about one of my favorite outdoor events of the year and the official kick-off to summer – the Hoboken Arts and Music Festival. This bi-annual street fair takes place in the spring and again in the fall, and features all of the typical street fair fare that one can find in Jersey, along with many displays by local artisans and crafters. If that isn’t enough, there are also local Jersey bands — I almost never hear the bands; I’m there for the fried oreos (see my bio for explanation).

This year, while scouring Washington Street (the fair runs between Newark and 8th Street on Washington) for deep fried delights, I paid closer attention to the variety of “arts” in the festival, and was pleasantly surprised. There was a wide range of visual artists — from still life to abstract and Afrocentric to sculptures — something for everyone. What I found really interesting was that many of the artists I chatted with were not from the Garden State. While this is not the point of the Festival, it would have been nice to see more Jersey out on Washington. I also found that while many of the crafts were charming and kitschy, many were also a little over-priced. Or maybe that’s just my inner-grandma speaking, since I know I could have knit or crocheted any of the items on display, and for much cheaper. And there were some stands that were just, well, very “Jersey.” Like, the wind chime place or (speaking of crafts) the lady with the “fun fur” scarves for $20 a pop. And do you really need that many hand-crocheted doilies and giant pink and yellow baby dresses? I’m just saying…

The food — always my favorite part — was street-fair fabulous! While the line at the rice ball stand was way too long, I did get to taste a yummy Italian sausage (thanks for sharing, honey), a samosa from Hoboken’s own Karma Kafe, and I took home a big ol’ bottle of “Hoboken Eddie’s” hot sauce.

While some stuff was over-priced and I didn’t get a rice ball, I’ll be back in the fall for sure. Maybe I’ll even listen in to a band while I stand on line for my fried oreos.

— by Maleka C.
Maleka, who moved all the way to the Garden State from North Carolina, prides herself on knowing the newest, best place to get a fab meal.

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