Illumnation 250 Celebration in Hackensack (10am-9:30pm)

The Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC) will present Illumination 250 on Saturday, October 3, 2026, bringing a full day of free arts, entertainment, and interactive experiences to locations throughout Downtown Hackensack.

Created in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the festival will feature giant puppets, live music, cultural performances, interactive art, family activities, food trucks, vendors, complimentary food samples, a Revolutionary War-inspired audio adventure and a large-scale light installation on The Historic Green.

Activities take place from 10:00 am through 9:30 pm. In the event of severe weather, the festival will be held Saturday, October 10.

Event Details

Who: Families, adults, children and visitors of all ages

What: Illumination 250, a free cultural arts festival celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with live performances, public art, family activities, food, music and interactive experiences

When: Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 10:00 am to 9:30 pm. 

Where: Multiple locations throughout Downtown Hackensack, including Anderson Street Park, Atlantic Street Park, Main Street, HACPAC and The Historic Green

A Full Day of Activities Throughout Hackensack

Illumination 250 brings together artists, performers, local organizations, businesses and community members for experiences inspired by Hackensack’s history and diverse communities.

The festival expands upon Downtown Hackensack’s annual HACKENSACKtoberfest, with activities taking place at several locations throughout the city.

Family Fun Day

10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Anderson Street Park

The day begins at Anderson Street Park with interactive arts activities for all ages, games, food, music, community resources and a petting zoo. 

Quilt Trail and Fiber Art

From 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Anderson Street Park will be transformed into an immersive historical and art experience incorporating quilt-inspired designs, local historic photographs and stories from the Hackensack community.

Artist Kate Eggleston will lead a Pom Pom Field Fiber Art Workshop from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Anderson Street Park.

Cultural Performances on Main Street

Journey around the world without leaving downtown Hackensack! Stroll Main Street, discover live music, dance, and enjoy cultural performances highlighting traditions connected to local restaurants, businesses, and Hackensack’s diverse communities. 

Programming is scheduled from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

Sips & Samples

From 1:00 to 4:00 pm, participating Main Street businesses will offer complimentary tastings and non-alcoholic beverages as part of the Sips & Samples: Main Street Culinary Celebration.

HACKENSACKtoberfest

The seventh annual HACKENSACKtoberfest takes place from 1:00 to 8:00 pm at Atlantic Street Park, featuring live music, DJs, food trucks and artisan vendors.

The HACPAC Art Gallery at 102 State Street will also be open from 1:00 to 8:00 pm for the Illumination 250 exhibition.

Giant Puppet Procession

One of the day’s signature events, “A River’s Tale” Giant Puppet Procession, will take place from 2:00 to 3:30 pm, beginning at Anderson Street Park and Ward Street.

The procession will feature giant puppets created by Processional Arts Workshop in collaboration with the community, along with musicians, dancers from the Center for Modern Dance Education, artists and community members. local participants

Members of the community can also sign up to march in the procession or participate as puppet manipulators. 

A Revolutionary Audio Adventure

From 7:50 to 8:45 pm, Improv Everywhere will lead an interactive MP3 Experiment through Atlantic Street Park, Main Street and The Historic Green.

Participants will use their own headphones or earbuds to take part in a synchronized audio experience inspired by the area’s Revolutionary War history. Sign up here:  https://tinyurl.com/MP3ExperimentOct3 .

Light Up The Historic Green

Illumination 250 concludes with “My Signature: My Declaration,” a large-scale light, music and digital projection installation at The Historic Green, 42 Court Street.

The finale takes place from 9:00 to 9:30 pm on October 3. The projection will also be shown from sunset to midnight on Sunday, October 4, and the light installation will remain on display nightly from sunset to midnight through Sunday, October 25.

Hackensack River Songs

Illumination 250 programming continues on Saturday, October 10, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm with Hackensack River Songs at Foschini Park.

Beginning at sunset, a community of performers, boaters and vehicles will come together to illuminate the urban waterfront with ritual and song celebrating and honoring the river. This program is made possible in part by a grant administered by the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs from funds granted by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

The public may register in advance for one, any, or all of the experiences here, https://tinyurl.com/RegisterIllumination250.

Illumination 250 Celebration: A Collaboration

Illumination 250 is a collaborative celebration developed by Hackensack Performing Arts Center (HACPAC), Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF), Main Street Business Alliance (MSBA), Greater Bergen Community Action (GBCA), and the City of Hackensack. The celebration will expand beyond the annual HACKENSACKtoberfest from Atlantic Street Park to multiple downtown locations—Anderson Street Park, Banta Place, Demarest Place, and the Courthouse Green—featuring live performances, cultural programming, and interactive art installations to celebrate the City of Hackensack’s diverse communities and drive foot traffic to local businesses.

Illumination 250 is a project of the Hackensack Performing Arts Center, in partnership with the Northern NJ Community Foundation’s ArtsBergen, Hackensack Main Street Business Alliance, Greater Bergen Community Action, and the City of Hackensack, supported by funding through the NJEDA’s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program.

Additional information and updates about the celebration may be found on the festivity’s official website, www.illumination250.com. For inquiries, contact Danielle De Laurentis, Associate Director of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, at [email protected]. Updates will also be posted on the partners’ social media accounts, including MSBA on Instagram at @DowntownHackensack and on Facebook at @DowntownHackensack and HACPAC on Instagram at @HACPAC_arts and on Facebook at @Hackensack Performing Arts Center, and on the celebration’s website https://www.DowntownHackensack.org/illumination250.

About the Organizations

Hackensack Performing Arts Center stands as Hackensack’s cultural centerpiece, nurturing artists across disciplines. Its Performing Arts Center provides a platform for emerging and established talents, from Broadway stars to Grammy-winning musicians, and local talent. The organization celebrates creativity and offers a home for the next generation of performers. For more information, visit https://hacpac.org/.

Main Street Business Alliance is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit public/private partnership between the business community on Main Street and the City of Hackensack. The MSBA’s mission is to improve the local economy and overall business climate. For more information, visit http://downtownhackensack.org/.

Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, founded in 1998, is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Hackensack that works with local governments, school districts, businesses, nonprofits, and citizen groups to improve community life through collaborative partnerships. The Foundation’s ArtsBergen initiative advances creative placemaking and is the largest producer of community-relevant public art in Bergen County. For more information, visit www.nnjcf.org.

Greater Bergen Community Action, Inc. is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit Community Action Agency headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey. Established in 1967, GBCA is Bergen County’s federally designated anti-poverty agency serving Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties. Its mission is to reduce poverty by addressing the causes and conditions of persistent economic instability through comprehensive, community-based programs. For more information, visit https://www.greaterbergen.org/.

City of Hackensack serves as the historic county seat of Bergen County, offering a unique blend of urban energy and suburban charm just seven miles west of Upper Manhattan. This diverse city of approximately 47,000 residents is currently undergoing a vibrant downtown revitalization. For more information, visit http://www.hackensack.org/.