Illumination 250 Downtown Hackensack
About this Event
Downtown Hackensack is celebrating 250 years of America — and this is not your average anniversary party.
Illumination 250 is a free, all-day community arts festival bringing together six unique experiences across Downtown Hackensack from 10AM through 9:30PM. Giant puppets. Live music. Cultural folk performances. Free food tastings. A citywide audio adventure through Revolutionary War history. And a light installation that transforms one of New Jersey's oldest public squares into something you will never forget.
Every experience is free. Every experience is open to all ages. And every experience was built by and for the Hackensack community.
Register for the experiences you plan to attend below. You can register for one, a few, or all of them.
The Full Day:
🎨 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Family Fun Day + Fiber Art Immersive Experience | Anderson Street Park
🌍 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Folk Artists at Main Street Businesses | Main Street, Downtown Hackensack
🥢 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Sips & Samples | Main Street, Downtown Hackensack
🎭 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Giant Puppet Procession | Anderson Park → Main Street → Atlantic Street Park
🍺 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Hackensacktoberfest — 7th Annual | Atlantic Street Park
🎧 8:05 PM – 9:00 PM | MP3 Experiment: A Revolutionary Adventure | Atlantic Street Park → The Historic Green
✨ 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM | My Signature: My Declaration | The Historic Green, 42 Court Street
Illumination 250 is a collaborative project of the , Northern New Jersey Community Foundation's ArtsBergen, Main Street Business Alliance (), , and the supported by funding through the 's A.R.T.-Phase II Grant Program.
Family Fun Day + Fiber Art Immersive Experience
📍 Anderson Street Park, 47 Anderson St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
🕙 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Free
Start your Illumination 250 day here.
Family Fun Day opens the celebration at Anderson Street Park with a one-of-a-kind fiber art immersive experience led by artist Kate Eggleston, storytelling, and hands-on art activities for all ages. Free. All ages. And at 2PM, the Giant Puppet Procession kicks off right here — so stay for it.
Giant Puppet Procession
📍 Starts at Anderson Street Park, Ward St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
🕑 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free
Experience the spectacle of giant puppets, music, movement, and community as internationally acclaimed Processional Arts Workshop leads an unforgettable parade down Main Street, Hackensack.
Created in collaboration with local artists, volunteers, and residents during a series of community workshops, these larger-than-life puppets celebrate America's 250th anniversary while telling a story of Hackensack's past and present. Don't sit on the sidelines. This joyful procession invites everyone to become part of the celebration — whether that's carrying or manipulating a puppet, marching with the paraders, or coming along to see spontaneous dances and folk artists performing along the way.
Blending history, artistry, and imagination, the procession transforms Downtown into a living stage and launches what is envisioned to become a beloved annual Hackensack tradition celebrating community, creativity, and civic pride.
Folk Artists at Immigrant-Owned Main Street Businesses
📍 Main Street, Downtown Hackensack, NJ 07601
🕐 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Free
Take a journey around the world without leaving Downtown Hackensack.
As you stroll Main Street, you'll discover live music, dance, and cultural performances presented at immigrant-owned restaurants and businesses that reflect the rich diversity of this community. Folk artists will bring to life the traditions, stories, and artistry of cultures from around the globe, transforming storefronts into vibrant stages.
Meet the business owners, learn about their heritage, enjoy authentic performances, and experience the flavors and traditions that make Hackensack one of New Jersey's most culturally dynamic downtowns. This unique celebration invites you to discover new places, support local businesses, and experience how art, culture, and community come together to create an unforgettable Main Street experience.
Sips & Samples
📍 Main Street, Downtown Hackensack, NJ 07601
🕐 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Free
Main Street is your parade route and your dining destination.
During the Giant Puppet Procession, locally owned Main Street businesses will offer free tastings to parade participants and onlookers passing by. Each participating business is paired with a local artist hosting a unique storefront activation.
Register here to receive the full list of participating businesses and artists as they are confirmed.
Hackensacktoberfest — 6th Annual
📍 Atlantic Street Park, 102 State St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
🕐 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Free
Seven years. Bigger than ever.
Hackensacktoberfest returns for its 6th annual celebration — this time as the centerpiece of Illumination 250. Atlantic Street Park hosts a full day of live music on the main stage, DJs, food trucks, artisan vendors, and local brewery beer gardens!
When the Giant Puppet Procession arrives from Main Street, the energy only goes up from there.
Free to attend. All ages welcome. Beer garden is 21+ with valid ID.
The HACPAC Illumination 250 Gallery at 102 State St is open during Hackensacktoberfest hours — step inside for an arts experience between sets.
MP3 Experiment: A Revolutionary Adventure
📍 Starts at Atlantic Street Park, 102 State St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
🕗 8:05 PM – 9:00 PM | Free | Headphones Required
History has never been this much fun.
Grab your earbuds and become part of an unforgettable citywide adventure as the renowned Improv Everywhere brings its famous MP3 Experiment to Hackensack with an America 250 twist. Guided by synchronized audio through your smartphone, you'll join hundreds of participants on a playful journey from Atlantic Street Park to the Historic Green, following surprising instructions, laughing together, and recreating moments inspired by Hackensack's Revolutionary War history.
Along the way, you'll uncover fascinating stories about General George Washington's dramatic retreat through Hackensack while taking part in imaginative activities that blur the lines between history, performance, and play.
Register here and you will receive the MP3 download link before the event. Headphones required — bring your own.
My Signature: My Declaration — Light Installation
📍 The Historic Green, 42 Court St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
🕘 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM | Free
At nightfall on October 3rd, Hackensack's Historic Green will glow.
Experience My Signature: My Declaration, a light and sound installation that transforms the Green into an immersive celebration of America's 250th anniversary. Inspired by the courageous signatures that appeared on the Declaration of Independence, this original artwork invites visitors to reflect on the power of personal commitment, community, and democracy.
Wander among dozens of illuminated sculptures etched with the signatures and personal declarations of community members and local artists, while listening to a soundscape woven from melodies contributed by local musicians. Animated projections will illuminate the centuries-old Church on the Green, creating a visual experience honoring both the present and the past — set on the very ground where George Washington and the Continental Army camped during the Revolutionary War.
This is how Illumination 250 ends. 42 Court Street. The Historic Green. 9PM.
Agenda
🕑: 10:00 AM - 02:00 PM
Family Fun Day + Fiber Art Immersive Experience
🕑: 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Folk Artists at Immigrant-Owned Main Street Businesses
🕑: 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Sips & Samples
🕑: 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Giant Puppet Procession
🕑: 01:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Hackensacktoberfest — 6th Annual
🕑: 08:05 PM - 09:00 PM
MP3 Experiment: A Revolutionary Adventure
🕑: 09:00 PM - 09:30 PM
My Signature: My Declaration — Light Installation
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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