Mayor Emily B. Jabbour and the City of Hoboken invite residents and visitors to the annual Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival on Sunday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Washington Street, between Observer Highway and Seventh Street. The annual event attracts more than 30,000 visitors each spring and showcases the city’s vibrant cultural scene with live music, local artists, food vendors, and family-friendly programming.
This year’s festival will feature an exciting lineup of legendary freestyle and dance-pop artists headlining the Observer Highway Stage, including George Lamond, Cynthia, Betty Dee of Sweet Sensation, and The Cover Girls.
Betty Dee, the lead singer of the freestyle/pop group Sweet Sensation. In the late 1980s, Sweet Sensation became one of the few freestyle acts to cross into mainstream pop charts after signing with Next Plateau Records and later Atco/Atlantic Records. Their debut album Take It While It’s Hot produced multiple Billboard Hot 100 singles and the No. 1 Hot Dance hit “Never Let You Go.” Their second album Love Child followed in 1990 with a No. 13 pop hit “If Wishes Came True.” Betty Dee has enjoyed a successful career spanning more than 30 years and continues to perform worldwide while also supporting Latino advocacy organizations focused on wellness and mental health.
The Cover Girls, one of the most successful female pop and dance groups of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group released four albums, sold more than three million records, and charted 11 consecutive singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Known for hits like “Show Me,” “Because of You,” and “Wishing on a Star,” the group continues to perform internationally and currently features members Evelyn Escalera, Sabrina Nieves, and Lorraine Munoz.
Joining them is DreamGirl Cynthia. Cynthia Torres, professionally known as Cynthia, is a legendary American freestyle and dance-pop recording artist born and raised in New York City’s Spanish Harlem. Proud of her Puerto Rican roots, she rose to prominence in the late 1980s after signing with MicMac Records and delivering freestyle classics including “Change on Me,” “Thief of Hearts,” “Endless Nights,” and the Billboard-charting duet “Dreamboy/Dreamgirl” with Johnny O. With a career spanning more than three decades, Cynthia has released five albums and remains one of freestyle’s most enduring female artists, known for her powerful vocals and electrifying live performances.
Rounding out the headliners, George Lamond, a nationally recognized American singer and songwriter called the “Voice of Freestyle,” rose to prominence with his iconic hit “Bad of the Heart,” which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped define the freestyle movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s. His career includes multiple charting records across the Billboard Hot 100, Dance, and Latin charts, with fan favorites such as “Without You,” “Look into My Eyes,” and “No Matter What” featuring Brenda K. Starr. Lamond has released seven studio albums and has spent decades touring and performing for fans around the world.
“The Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival is one of our city’s most anticipated events of the year,” said Mayor Jabbour. “Each spring, Washington Street comes alive with music, art, food, and thousands of residents and visitors celebrating the creativity and diversity that makes Hoboken such a special place. We’re thrilled to welcome these iconic freestyle performers along with an incredible lineup of local artists and musicians.”
In addition to the headliners, the festival will showcase performances on two stages throughout the day.
The Seventh Street Stage, located on Washington Street between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, will feature a variety of local and emerging performers, including local musician Finn Douglas, ska band Day 19, Hoboken rock band 3 Dollars, and dynamic singer-songwriter Janétza Miranda.
The Observer Highway Stage, located on Washington Street between Observer Highway and Newark Street, will open with Broadway's The Great Gatsby star and Hoboken resident Dariana Mullen performing the solo Second Hand Suit as well as a duet with costar Dan Rosales, Better Hold Tight, and include performances by Dallas Connors and Hoboken's own DJ Bripee.
In addition to live music, the festival will feature more than 300 artists, makers, crafters, and vendors, as well as Hoboken artists and businesses, and a wide variety of food from local eateries.
The Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival is funded in part by Ironstate, Veolia, Hackensack Meridian Health, and the Hudson County Division of Parks & Roads.
Wheelchair-accessible seating can be made available for each performance with one week’s prior notice. Please contact Hoboken Cultural Affairs at 201-420-2000 Ext. 1102 to make a request. Accessible restrooms will be located near the stages on Observer Highway and on Seventh Street.
