In partnership with the City of Newark and NC 350, La Casa de Don Pedro held its 9th annual Festival de la Familia on Sunday, July 24th. Newark’s Lower Broadway Community filled with fun and laughter as dozens of families gathered to celebrate Newark’s culturally diverse community and rich history.
The Festival opened with the lively sounds of DJ Francisco Morales, and kept going with performances from Peruvian Dancers, the NJPAC Hip Hop Institute students, Plena Dulce, Ritmo Tropical, and the YahayaKamate African drummers. The street lined with fun activities such as carnival games, a water slide, an inflatable obstacle course, stilt walkers, karaoke and so much more.
In addition, community partners and sponsors also took part in the festival sharing important information and resources with the community. Kids enjoyed Newark Museum’s sidewalk painting activity, as they mixed their own colors and created a large-scale, collaborative art piece. While others learned healthy tips and tricks from La Casa’s Chef, Nelson Mejia, and Essex County Freeholder President Britnee Timberlake, other organizations such as the Newark Public Library, FOCUS, UnitedHealth Care, CarePoint Health, the Newark Arts Council, among others, shared games and resources with families.
Councilman Anibal Ramos, Deputy Mayor Jacqueline Quiles and Councilman Luis Quintana also joined the festivities to offer their support for La Casa.
“We are thrilled to have been able to organize Festival de la Familia once again for our community. Thanks to our sponsors, partners, and a large pool of volunteers, hundreds of families and children of all ages came out to the streets to celebrate our diverse cultures in a positive, inclusive, and enjoyable way” said Carrie Puglisi, La Casa’s Director of Program & Fund Development.
Festival de la Familia was made possible by the support of its community partners, volunteers and sponsors. 2016 Sponsors include: M&T Bank, Newark Celebration 350, TD Bank, Valley National Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Rutgers UniversityNewark, PSE&G, Atlantic Federal Credit Union, North Jersey Federal Credit Union, CarePoint Health, Horizon NJ Health, United Healthcare and RWJBarnabas Health..
