10/15/2026
🎨 ART, CULTURE, SMALL BUSINESSES & COMMUNITY: BRIDGETON UEZ & GALLERY 50 ART BLOCK PARTY RECAP 🎨 ✨💕🎨🎭🖌️🖼️
On Saturday, October 10, Downtown Bridgeton came alive with art, music, creativity, local businesses, and community spirit. Thank you to every resident who came out to enjoy the activities, connect with neighbors, and shop local. Your support brings attention to our local businesses and helps keep our downtown moving forward.
The mission of the Art Block Party was to bring people together and honor all cultures through art. Because the event took place during Hispanic Heritage Month, we also celebrated Bridgeton’s rich cultural diversity and the many communities that make our city a true melting pot. Art gives us ways to express ourselves, share our stories, and find moments of joy, connection, and healing as our city works through challenges.
As Bridgeton UEZ Coordinator, I’m proud to help bring events like this to our community with my amazing team! Thank you to Mayor Albert B. Kelly and the Bridgeton City Council—Council President Edward Bethea, Councilman David Gonzalez, Councilwoman Marian King, Councilwoman Rosemary DeQuinzio, and Councilman J. Curtis Edwards—for consistently showing up for our events and for your continued support of UEZ projects and our community. Our UEZ-funded events are free for residents to attend and provide free vending opportunities for businesses. They also bring helpful resources, services, and information into the community. This work is part of a broader effort to bring residents downtown, more foot traffic to help support local businesses, and help people see positive changes taking shape in our city.
Thank you to our partners and participants!
A special thank-you to Gallery 50, Sharon Kifer, and the Gallery 50 board members for their continued work for our city and for helping bring the arts downtown. The free mini-canvas painting, community mural project, giveaways, and favorite-artist contest gave residents opportunities to create, participate, and express themselves.
We’re grateful to the local and UEZ-certified businesses, food trucks, artists, makers, crafters, food vendors, and community partners who shared their goods, talents, resources, demonstrations, and displays.
Thank you to Keeping Young Minds Occupied (KYMO) and Bridgeton music mentor Dazmiere “Dazzy Coolin” Johnson for sharing music-making and recording opportunities; STEAMWorks Fred for the wooden business-card activity connecting creativity with entrepreneurship; and HEART Organization for the colorful tie-dye art station.
Thank you to Regina McMenamin for helping the children use their creativity to make their own books 📚.
Thank you to Trish with the Creative Kids Station for the slime-making and coloring activities. Thank you to Games on the Go for providing free gaming in the gaming truck, and to Good Dog Therapy for the pet cuddles, photos, and holistic therapy information.
Thank you to Christina for face painting and to PartyMix Cece for balloon art and glitter face painting. We also appreciate all the adults and children who came together to create artwork and share positive messages. Thank you to Angeles & Blossoms bringing the” Flower Bar Experience” beautiful colorful flowers and offering a creative bouquet-making activity.
Thank you to Revive South Jersey and the Cumberland County Cultural & Heritage Commission for partnering with us. This celebration proudly supported Hispanic artists and welcomed artists from all backgrounds, honoring the many cultures and traditions that enrich our community.
Thank you to our music artists—Lucas Rojas y Sus Teclados, Selva Tropical, Jazz with the Vocals, Bellas Raíces, The God Zyarhon, Charro Poblano, —for sharing your talent with the community. Thank you sound team ;Sonido Flawers A special thank-you to DJ T-Bone for keeping the celebration going, and to Bar Talkz and MC hosts Lem and Mike for hosting and bringing energy to the event.
We also thank our Bridgeton UEZ police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel for connecting with the community and helping make the event welcoming for everyone. A special thank-you to Brittney and her K9 Dog 🐕 and the Bridgeton Fire Prevention team for joining us during Fire Prevention Week, sharing fire-safety education and materials for all ages, and bringing the K-9 unit’s baked-goods sale to the event.
Thank you Hopeeloft team , United Advocacy group for the colorful sand art . Thank you to Tywone Allen Jr. for providing the portable restrooms and bounce house, and to Bella’s for the music inflatable. Thank you to the Bridgeton Public Library for the children’s and adult book giveaways.
Thank you to VoiceBox Media Group, the Bridgeton UEZ media team, for capturing the artists, businesses, performers, and community moments. Special thanks to CEO Zikea Wise, Brandon A. Blount, Stephanie Mitchell, and the entire VoiceBox team for your coverage, creativity, and partnership. I can’t wait for the full video!!!
I’m grateful to my Bridgeton UEZ Board Committee, community partners, and all the volunteers who helped make this event possible. I especially want to recognize Harlan Miller of Keeping Young Minds Occupied, Theresa Mason of Gateway, Crystal Jurado of Angeles & Blossoms, Minerva Alvarado of the Bridgeton Area Chamber of Commerce, Michelle Aspari, Jon Marino of Flying First Class Equestrian, Tony Hill of Games on the Go and LaToya Miller of HEART Organization for teamwork support as part of our UEZ Board Committee team. It takes a village!
The Art Block Party is part of the bigger picture: UEZ funded events and approved projects working together to support local businesses, strengthen our downtown, and advance the greater good of our UEZ program and city. Our business support includes reduced sales tax, free business classes, assistance with health department certifications, monthly merchant roundtable meetings, and networking mixers with community partners. We also offer grant support with partners, the façade program, and the revolving loan fund , public safety initiatives, networking opportunities, Rowan college programs, LAEDA series more to come soon. I want to thank the UEZA Board for approving projects that serve our community, and my colleagues at the state UEZ level for their guidance and partnership.
As UEZ projects move forward, residents will see new construction very soon! 🦺🚧 These projects reflect our mission to strengthen Bridgeton’s commercial areas, support local businesses, and create a more welcoming downtown for residents and visitors.
We’re working to restore our historic fountains along Riverfront , construct the downtown food truck park, and make the pocket park in Heart ♥️ of our city ,more inviting. Another downtown UEZ project is the bulkhead along Route 49. We are in Phase 2, mapping, and look forward to moving to Phase 3, dredging, in hopes of bringing boat tours back to Bridgeton.
The food truck park will welcome a wider variety of food and cultural offerings representing soul food, Italian, Indian, and many other cuisines and communities. It will create another opportunity to showcase Bridgeton’s diversity and support food businesses. We paved East Commerce Street and South Laurel Street through UEZ projects, and we’re looking to do more in commercial areas. We’re also working to connect business owners with private property owners to help fill vacant buildings, support business growth, and bring new life to downtown.
Join us for the Merchant Meeting on October 22 at the Sheppard’s House, located at 32 West Commerce Street, from 6-8:30 pm to learn more! 📣
We’re thankful for our outstanding partnership with Police Chief James Battavio and off duty Bridgeton UEZ officers on walking patrol routes to strengthen connections with residents and businesses. More public safety initiatives to come.
Thank you, Bridgeton, for coming out, shopping local, enjoying the arts, and celebrating our cultures together! ❤️🎨
CREATE • CONNECT • GROW • CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY
