ZEPPOLE, RICE BALLS, LIVE BANDS … HERE COMES LA FESTA ITALIANA 2023!

from River View Observer August1-August15,2023

FALL 2023 CLASSES AT HCCC! Hudson is Home! DISCOVER WHY

Cont’d from Cover exciting block party of family and friends. Every evening, festival goers will choose from local restaurants and food trucks serving delicious street foods; neighborhood pubs pouring frothy brews, and crowd-pleasing cover bands blasting the hottest hits where the sidewalk becomes LIVE BANDS

This year’s entertainment roster is a Who’s Who of musical talent that plays the top hits from Bruno Mars to Bruce Springsteen with a new band performing every night from 7-11pm. The B-STREET BAND, a Springsteen Tribute Band kicks oﬀ La Festa Italiana on Wednesday night performing the best of The Boss. Performing Thursday, Aug 10: THE COUNTERFEITERS.

Friday, Aug 11: TOGA PARTY BAND. Saturday, Aug 12: THE CAMEOS; and Closing Night, Sun, Aug 13: TOTAL SOUL, the 9-piece rock band that plays dance hits like ‘Shout’ and ‘Proud Mary’. Band leader Jeﬀ Dieterle says. “We’ve been performing La Festa since 2010 and it has become the highlight of Total Soul’s summer All the members of the band look forward to La Festa. Everybody from the church treats us great. The whole community comes together and we just love being a part of that.”

Delicious Foods

Back from last year’s success YOUR SISTERS BALLS food truck will serve homemade meatballs and sauce. It wouldn’t be La Festa without an authentic Italian sausage and peppers on a hard roll and DELLANO’S is back once again to bring festival goers those traditional Italian sandwiches. The KREME BAR plans to serve mozzareppas, and MAGLIONE’S ITALIAN ICES and the MILK & CREAM BAR will offer cool summer treats.

TROPICAL ISLANDS with three locations will sell smoothies, and waffles and crepes to sweeten things, and WHITE STAR’S three bars with craft beers & cocktails promise to cool off the crowds. PATI BROS’ wood-fired pizzas and mozzarella sticks will be a big hit at La Festaalong with HOBOKEN

CUCINA’S Italian food by aria Kling who will serve up her mouth-watering Fried Raviolis, Meatballs, Eggplant Stackers, and Mozzarella & Roasted Peppers sandwiches.

“I love La Festa,” Kling says, “and I love serving my food to the people who go to La Festa.”

Also serving delicious wood-ﬁred pizzas, PIE OHMY returns once aain.

New this year is MARIACHI GRILL with a menu of Mexican Tacos and Nachos.

“My friend Tony, a Jersey City police oﬃcer told me about La Festa Italiana,” owner Rigo Alvarez says. “He said, ‘Try it. Everybody’s nice there,’.”

Highlights of La Festa are the Italian specialties handmade by church parishioners like the Zeppole created from a secret recipe and dusted with powdered sugar. Homemade Rice Balls (Arancini) drizzled with tomato gravy always wow the crowds. At Caﬀe Italiano located behind Holy Rosary, our ‘Church Ladies’ will sell freshly made cakes, cannoli, pies, coﬀee and tea. There’s plenty of family seating in the back along with the popular Money Wheel and DJ CARLY who will provide the backyard’s musical soundtrack.and also PARTY OF FIVE Another DJ will rock Brunswick Street with nonstop tunes.

This year marks the 3rd summer, O’Leary’s Publik House on Garﬁeld Avenue hosts the Wine & Peaches and Limoncello booth.

“We love doing it,” owner and Jersey City ﬁreﬁghter Kevin Hennessey says.

“It’s a great neighborhood and it’s fun getting to know everybody. Last year was phenomenal. We’re hoping for the same great weather. It’s classic Jersey City and a classic Italian event.”

Feast Day Masses And Procession

On Aug. 13, 15, & 16, Holy Rosary Church will celebrate the Assumption & St. Rocco Feast Days. On Sun, Aug. 13, at 11:30 am, the Feast Day Mass venerating Maria SS. Dell’ Assunta and San Rocco will be celebrated. Holy Rosary’s traditional Street Procession will follow the Mass, with statues of Maria SS. Dell ‘Assunta and San Rocco carried through the neighborhood as a blessing to Downtown Jersey City. The Clarity Festival Band will join us once again to play traditional Italian melodies along the Procession route. Faithful are invited to return on Tues, Aug 15, at 11 am for the celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and again on

“Every summer our parishioners’ families and friends and those visiting Jersey City come together in both a community and spiritual unity,” Fr. Jurek says. “Holy Rosary Church has always been a church of inclusivity – we welcome everyone – and La Festa gives us the opportunity to celebrate that inclusiveness with lively music, delicious food, and meaningful fellowship.”

Founded in 1885, Holy Rosary Church is the first Italian Church in New Jersey; and La Festa Italiana is Holy Rosary’s special way of saying thank you to its parishioners and neighbors. The Church will be open for visitors to see up-close the magnificent beauty that is Holy Rosary Church. Visitors are invited to offer a 7-day Memorial Candle before San Rocco or the Blessed Mother in honor of, or in memory of their loved ones. Donation is $15 per candle, and candles will be available in the church vestibule every evening from 5-to-9 pm.

For more information, please call us at (201) 795-0120 or (201) 7769222, or visit our website: www.lafestajc.com; our Facebook page: www. Facebook.com/lafestaitalianajc; and our Instagram page, @lafestaitalianajc. Editors, reporters, and photographers interested in covering La Festa Italiana 2023, please call 201-776-9222 or 201-795-0120.

BLACK PANTHER WAKANDA FOREVER

JULY 3

RAINDATE: JULY 10

LINCOLN PARK

THOR: LOVE & THUNDER

JULY 6

RAINDATE: JULY 12

JAMES J. BRADDOCK PARK

STRANGE WORLD

JULY 11

RAINDATE: JULY 17

WEST HUDSON PARK

BLACK ADAM

JULY 13

RAINDATE: JULY 20

LAUREL HILL PARK

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH

JULY 18

RAINDATE: JULY 24

STEPHEN R. GREGG PARK

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE

JULY 19

RAINDATE: TBD

WASHINGTON PARK

SHAZAM!

JULY 25

RAINDATE: JULY 31

MERCER PARK

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU

JULY 27

RAINDATE: AUG. 3

COLUMBUS PARK

DR. STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

AUGUST 1

RAINDATE: AUG. 7

LINCOLN PARK

CREED2

*CREED 3 IF RELEASED

AUGUST 3

RAINDATE: AUG. 16

JAMES J. BRADDOCK PARK

SPACE JAM

AUGUST 8

RAINDATE: AUG. 14

WEST HUDSON PARK

PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK

AUGUST 9

RAINDATE: TBD

WASHINGTON PARK

JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION

AUGUST 15

RAINDATE: AUG. 21

STEPHEN R. GREGG PARK

DC LEAGUE OF SUPERPETS

AUGUST 17

RAINDATE: AUG. 23

LAUREL HILL PARK

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2

AUGUST 22

RAINDATE: AUG. 28

MERCER PARK

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA TRANSFORMANIA

AUGUST 24

RAINDATE: AUG.30

MERCER PARK

Hudson Happenings

Join for a night of laugh out loud fun, the best comedians in NYC and NJ, food truck, dj, vendors and more!

On the rooftop of 902 Brewery, with the glittering city skyline as our backdrop, immerse yourself in the perfect blend of craft beer and comedy magic. Our handpicked lineup of comedians from

NYC who perform at the Stand and the Cellar, and seen on Bravo, Comedy Central, SNL and more, will deliver top-notch performances.

Tickets limited

Must be 21 to attend

If You Go: On the Rooftop

August 25th, 2023

7 PM

902 Brewery

101 Pacific Avenue, Jersey City,07304,US

Page 10 August 1-August 15, 2023

River View Observer

The Bayonne Division of Recreation 2023 Summer Sounds By the Bay Concert Series Featuring...

Saturdays 10:45 am and 1 Pm

Call us today to reserve your child enrollment for August Classes

The Chiclettes August 2nd, 2023

Weather permitting, each performance will be begin promptly on Wednesday nights at 7:00pm and held at the amphitheater on the lower level of DiDomenico-16th Street Park, which is located between Avenue A and Newark Bay. The concerts are scheduled for Wednesdays from July 12 through August 23, with August 30 as a rain date. “We are ready for a great summer. We have a great lineup of music, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone enjoying the summer nights,” stated Pete Amadeo, Supervisor of Recreation.

The following concert

Hoboken: Studio & Garden, Paintings by Bill Curran”

This is Bill’s ﬁfth show exhibited at HHM. This exhibit is bright and vibrant, and includes still lifes. But, Bill displays a great diversity in his work and also communed with nature by engaging in plein air painting (painting in the outdoors.) For three years, Bill met on a weekly basis with fellow artist have been scheduled: The Chiclettes perform music from The Supremes to to Chaka Khan, Lesley Gore to Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin to The Pointer Sisters. The Chiclettes will get you moving with their highenergy tribute to female artists through the decades! Performing hit after hit, they remind us of these artists’ remarkable contributions to pop music through the years. Wherever they perform, the combination of energetic talent and live renderings of some of the greatest songs ever recorded always leaves a lasting impression

Maggie Hinders, rain or shine, and painted at the community garden located at 6th and Garden Street in Hoboken.

The paintings from this show have never been exhibited before.

If You Go

Hoboken Historical Musuem

To August 6th, 2023 1301 Hudson St. Hoboken, NJ 07030 Phone: 201.656.2240 info@hobokenmuseum. org

GOO GOO DOLLS The Big Night Out Tour AUG. 12, PNC BANK ARTS CENTER

By L.Kent Wolgamott

Kicking off with a ringing, driving guitar, the recent single “Yeah, I Like You” revs up scrappy rock ‘n’ roll, skewering meaningless internet and social media celebrity culture with its big choruses and pop hooks.

Welcome to the Goo Goo Dolls in the second decade of the 21st century.

“That song’s a lot of fun,” said singer/songwriter/guitarist John Rzeznik in a recent phone interview. “What I love about that song is it really is a satirical kind of commentary on fame in the year 2022. I’m sitting around going ‘Who are these people? What are they famous for?’ You used to have to do something to be famous...some of it is my age and some of it is the absurdity of social media. There’s a girl eating noodles. I eat noodles, why aren’t I famous? Everything is so weirdly random”

The long-running alt rock band’s 13th album,

WEEKENDS VISIT US AT STEPHEN GREGG PARK BAYONNE

T-BARK FOODS & More

“Chaos in Bloom,” marks the first time Rzeznik has produced one of the band’s albums. He aimed to bring together vintage and contemporary sounds –and to capture the Goo Goo Dolls at their best.

“I wanted the album to have more of a live feel to it,” Rzeznik said. “A couple songs, I used drum machines and synthesizers. That’s a different kind of process. For the rock songs, it was live. The live versions of the songs, to me, always came across better than the studio versions.

Rzeznik did all the production, up to a point. Then he brought in Gregg Wattenberg to help finish the record.

“I felt like I couldn’t take these songs any further,” he said. “I stepped up in front of the mic and I was going to produce my own vocals. Then I went ‘I don’t know how to do this.’’

Now Rzeznik, bassist Robby Takac and the rest of the band have to the road this summer for headlining shows this fall that will likely include “Yeah, I Like You,” but mostly will be made up of earlier hits and fan favorites such as “Iris,” “Name,” “Slide,” “Give a Little Bit” “Better Days” and “Broadway.”

“We have such a large body of work behind us,” Rzeznik said. “You have to play a lot of those songs for people. I love doing that. I like entertaining people. I really do.”

-Last

Word Features

The public is invited to the courtyard of the Barrow Mansion and enjoy a free concert by some of JC’s finest, jazziest, sultriest, funkiest, rocking-est musicians around! We’re kicking off the season with MaryAiken and the @brightsidetavern band. Bring your kids and a friend or two and enjoy some great music on the porch!