McCarter Theatre Returns To In Person This Weekend

The Opening Weekend kicks off on Friday, September 24 at 8pm in McCarter's Mathews Theater with 15-time Grammy Award winner Béla Fleck - in his first bluegrass tour in 24 years My Bluegrass Heart - the third chapter of a trilogy beginning with his 1988 album Drive. Then on Sunday afternoon, Sept 26, McCarter invites the entire community to "GARBA 360," a free outdoor event celebrating the traditional Gujarati Social Folk Dance experience. With dance lessons, performance, and live music, this off-site extravaganza takes place at the Princeton Shopping Center where families and friends are invited to gather for a fun afternoon to mix, move, and mingle.

As part of the re-opening weekend, McCarter invites the entire community to "GARBA 360," a free offsite outdoor event at the Princeton Shopping Center celebrating the traditional Gujarati Social Folk Dance experience. When people in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat wants to celebrate, the ecstatic dance tradition known as garba often provides the fuel. An essential component of wedding celebrations and the nine-day fall Hindu festival Navratri, garba is an intoxicating, high-energy folk dance style marked by handclaps and twirls. Danced in a circle (reflecting the cyclical Hindu conception of time), garba steps can be anything from a simple two-step to intricate movements.

Garba360 brings this lively celebration to new spaces for all to celebrate through dance. You'll learn garba, sanedo, and other Gujarati folk dances with the dance instructors, and dance (or just listen) to live music. McCarter encourages guests to feel free to wear a long, flared skirt, kurta top, or other Indian clothing. All ages are invited to participate and dance!

McCarter is following all CDC and NJ guidelines including: air filters, enhanced cleaning, contactless ticketing and ongoing staff training. At the present time, we will be selling our shows to full capacity with no social distancing, mask, or vaccine requirements. We will be asking artists, audiences, staff, and volunteers to monitor their health and stay home if they are exhibiting any COVID-19 and/or flu-like symptoms. As guidelines and health directions evolve, we will update our requirements. To learn more and for the latest information, visit www.mccarter.org/COVID19.

For the entire line up, visit, www.mccarter.org.