North to Shore Festival Reveals 2026 Community Arts Awards for NJ Artists
The NJPAC-affiliated festival will honor Garden State artists and arts organizations across more than 80 events
The North to Shore Festival will return in June 2026 with an extraordinary lineup of headlining superstars — plus a full schedule of community events featuring New Jersey artists and arts organizations, from an open mic staged in a burger joint to a dance- and yoga-fueled day of healing in honor of Juneteenth.
North to Shore, the Garden State's largest summer arts festival, which celebrates all of New Jersey's creativity, diversity, community spirit and passion for innovation, is produced by the Newark-based New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).
The 2026 festival will run from June 13 – June 28, featuring a dynamic lineup of internationally acclaimed musical artists and comedians — including Janelle Monáe, The Black Crowes, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Joe Bonamassa, Iliza Shlesinger, Yellowcard, Kurt Vile, Black Uhuru, David Cross, The Bouncing Souls, Sublime, Dark Star Orchestra, The Head and the Heart and more — in cities across New Jersey.
In addition, North to Shore will continue its extensive support of local creative communities through partnerships with leading New Jersey arts and cultural organizations.
“Recognizing and celebrating local community artists and organizations — lifting up and supporting those whose artistry brings us together in joy — is an investment in our collective soul and well-being,” says Dr. Sherri-Ann Butterfield, Senior Vice President of Social Impact at NJPAC.
“We are thrilled that North to Shore is again able to offer Community Arts Awards to enable the production of so many events that reflect the creativity, talent and unique spirit of our state.”
An interactive theater piece about the life and work of Harriet Tubman; a Father's Day drag brunch; a community open mic night held in a burger joint (and another at a grocery store); a journey through the history of storytelling illuminated with video projections; a celebration of upcycled sustainable fashion; and a night of “gospel bingo” are among the festival events supported by North to Shore Community Arts Awards.
More than 50 events in Asbury Park and more than 30 in Newark are being produced through Community Arts Awards grants of $2,000 or more. In total, the festival will invest more than $100,000 directly into the creative economies of each city.
In Newark, the festival has partnered with the Newark Arts Council, Newark Alliance, and Mayor Ras J. Baraka and the Arts and Education District to select Community Arts Awards recipients. In Asbury Park, the festival partnered with AsburyFest, Asbury Underground, Carousel Art House, Georgie's Bar, Sunset Lake Park Conservancy, The Watermark and Inspire Life to select participating artists and organizations.
These partners awarded grants directly to artists, nonprofits, small businesses and small arts organizations, helping them produce performances, exhibits, and community-driven cultural programming for the festival. The offerings include:
AsburyFest, a three-day craft and food festival outside Asbury Park's Convention Hall;
The long-running Asbury Underground “art crawl,” which stages events and performances at dozens of the city's downtown shops, galleries and restaurants; a Taste of Newark Food Tours that visit locally owned businesses and eateries; Brick City Comedy Revue, Newark's long-running comedy showcase; multiple Juneteenth celebrations in both cities.
As in previous years, all festival community events in both Newark and Asbury will be free or affordably priced.
The festival also launched a full year of community arts programming in Atlantic City in May 2025. Dozens of North to Shore Festival concerts, parties and workshops — including a Dias de los Muertos celebration, the pop-up art gallery ARTeriors and the third annual Bash at Back Sov, a celebration of punk music and skateboarding — have welcomed Atlantic City residents and visitors alike every month since. That programming continues through June 2026.
NJPAC is producing the 2026 North to Shore Festival with support from sponsors Prudential Financial, NJEDA, NJM Insurance Group, Outfront Media Group, United Airlines, Mosaic - from NJ.com, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Airbnb.
Once again this year, a portion of all ticket sales will directly benefit Growing Healthy Pantries, a statewide collaborative that addresses food insecurity in partnership with New Jersey's five primary food banks, supporting more than 1,000 local pantries across all 21 counties.
In support of the festival's focus on food insecurity, NJPAC will host a Standing in Solidarity event on its campus on June 22, examining the role food waste plays in exacerbating food insecurity. The PSEG Foundation Social Impact film series will screen Wasted!: The Story of Food Waste, a documentary executive-produced by Anthony Bourdain, before a panel discussion that looks at creative solutions for ending the cycle of food insecurity.
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