Branch Brook Park Alliance: Community Ambassadors - Present - Branch Brook Park Fest, a free pilot community program.

Newark, NJ (September14, 2021) 

Branch Brook Park Alliance’s Community Ambassadors announce a free community market entitled “Branch Brook Park Fest.” This pilot program will occur on two Saturdays, September 18 and October 9, 2021, weather permitting, next to the Prudential Concert Grove of Branch Brook Park from 10 am to 4 pm. 
 
With the support of the County of Essex, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
(Horizon BCBSNJ), Branch Brook Park Alliance, and Jersey Cares, this inaugural community festival will bring music, fresh foods and produce, crafts, health and fitness activities to residents and visitors of the Park in celebration of the beauty and vibrancy of Branch Brook Park this autumn.
 
Branch Brook Park Fest will engage residents, local artisans, community organizations and visitors in supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs gathered in a beautiful setting in the Prudential Concert Grove overlooking the Lake.  Over 50 vendors are participating, with music offered throughout the festival by “Roc and the Collective,” “Key Change” and other local performers. Wellness activities will occur between 10 am and noon, including yoga by Lotus Yoga, as well as bike and running club meet-ups. Covid tests and vaccines will be administered by the Essex County Health Department and La Casa de Don Pedro. There will be flame-working demonstrations by GlassRoots, story time with the Newark Public Library, and opportunities to buy produce from Urban Agriculture Cooperative and other vendors selling specialty foods and products.  Horizon’s bilingual field team will also be available to help attendees sign up for health insurance and benefit from lower premiums now available through the American Rescue Plan. 

“People of every ethnicity, color and religion are encouraged to enjoy the green landscape, to relax or engage in activities while being nurtured by nature,” said Barbara Bell Coleman, co-chair of the Branch Brook Park Alliance.  “The Park continues to be a special healing place for Newark residents and surrounding communities.  We are grateful to the Community Ambassadors who organized the Fest at a time when all of us are eager to attend activities in a safe outdoor venue.”
 
The Fests will feature vendors such as MasterPows hot sauces, Tonnies Minis cupcakes, Makerhoods market, Fern & Fossil terrariums, Creative Candies chocolates, vintage and Newark-themed clothing, health and beauty products, specialty foods and crafts.  Bands and local musicians will perform at both events.
 
“Horizon’s Affinity Groups represent the diversity of our employees and the clients we serve.  The eight Affinity Groups in New Jersey consist of employees sharing common interests, culture, backgrounds, and experiences,” said Jonathan R. Pearson, Executive Director, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.  “Community engagement is a key part of our outreach and we are pleased that our Latin American Cultural Organization Affinity Group is sponsoring the Branch Brook Park Fest.”  
About the Branch Brook Park Alliance
Branch Brook Park Alliance is a public/private partnership with Essex County and the Department of Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs formed in 1999 to restore and maintain the historic 360-acre park conceived by Frederick Law Olmsted.  More than $50 million has been raised for improvements that include the largest and most varied cherry tree collection in the country.  Each year Branch Brook Park serves over a million visitors.  Major sponsors include Prudential, the Ryan Family Foundation, Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NJ, PSEG, the Victoria Foundation, Turrell Fund, The Hyde and Watson Foundation and the Dodge Foundation.   
 
About The Community Ambassadors of the Branch Brook Park Alliance:
The Community Ambassadors of the Branch Brook Park Alliance are a group of young leaders in Newark dedicated to promoting the conservation and community use of the Park.  Formed in 2021, the Ambassadors have organized wellness programming and community activities in the Park, including the inaugural Branch Brook Park Fests.
 
About Jersey Cares:
Jersey Cares, a nonprofit organization, established in 1993, recruits and engages volunteers in rewarding, effective efforts that address community-identified needs. We partner with local nonprofits to identify needs and implement volunteer projects to meet these needs.
 
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Press Contact:  Thomas Dougherty, Care of the Park
info@branchbrookpark.org