(NEWARK, NJ) -- Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District (LPCCD) has announced that the official 15th Anniversary of the annual music festival will return over two weekends from July 27-31 and August 5-7 with broad array of musical genres including Gospel, House, Hip-Hop, Soulful Alternative/Mash Up, Reggae, Dancehall sounds and of the Latinx/Hispanic Caribbean diaspora.

It all begins on Wednesday, July 27 from 5:00pm-9:00pm with the renown Lincoln Park Music Festival “Gospel Night In The Park” starring Le’Andria Johnson, season 3 winner of the BET gospel singing competition show Sunday’s Best.  Le’Andria Johnson’s 2011 smash album The Awakening of Le'Andria Johnson hit #1 on the Gospel music charts.  Provenance Music Group, the internationally renowned gospel music ensemble has shared the stage with a myriad of noted performers and with rising celerity and captivated live audiences through their nationally broadcasted television appearances in Newark, NJ; London, UK; Barbados; Japan; and Bobby Jones Gospel in DC.  Dynamic New Jersey-based contemporary Gospel ensemble Anthony Ponder & Ministry’s Desire (APMD) is an aggregate of singers rooted in ministry.   Their brand new single. "God Won't Fail" is written by Ponder, Melissa Tatro, and Jonathan Ponder.  The single is released by Enon Music Group and is available on all digital music outlets now.  "God Won't Fail" is from APMD's forthcoming album, The Grateful Project, which will be available this fall.   Rounding out the evening is a plethora of voices of Newark’s faith community and its choirs.  Lincoln Park Music Festival “Gospel Night In The Park” is hosted by City of Newark Councilwoman At Large Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree and Rev., Kevin E. Taylor of Unity Fellowship Church Newark.

A new addition to the extended opening festival week are Newark Symphony Hall’s Step 4 Step Soul Line Dancing featuring Guest DJ Chris Blues of We Dancing Over Here (WDOH). An underground phenomenon, “Soul Line Dancing” in the BIPOC community is a subculture all its own. The genre traces its roots to Africa, the Caribbean, the Harlem Renaissance and now spreading across the United States. Co-Founders of Step 4 Step Soul Line Dancers include Andrea “Lil Bit” Mason, Jillian “Lady J” Barrick and Douglas “X-Man” Hawkins. Newark Symphony Hall’s Step 4 Step Soul Line Dancing takes place Thursday, July 28th from 6:00pm-8:30pm.

Leading into the weekend is “Rodney’s House”, a celebration of the life of the late Rodney M. Gilbert, Newark’s beloved “Mural King” whose Yendor Arts and Yendor Theatre Company are continuing his legacy and impact in the City of Newark.  The aptly named “Rodney’s House” memorializes Gilbert’s love of House Music and his history of opening his actual former home, on Spruce Street in Lincoln Park, for “house heads” to come eat, drink and relax during Lincoln Park Music Festival weekend each year.  “Rodney’s House” is open to all in Lincoln Park, Friday, July 29th from 5:00pm-9:00pm.

Anchoring Saturday, July 30th starting at 11:30am is the standard bearer in outdoor dance music in Newark, NJ – the Lincoln Park Music Festival “House Music Day” – with DJ Mike Dunn of Chicago’s Chosen Few DJs; DJ Danny Krivit; the icon Barbara Tucker; DJ Kamala; vocalist Sara Devine; DJ Shawn Lover; singer Aaron K. Gray; and DJ Chris Flowers.  Mainstay hosts Ms. Theresa and Eddie Nichols will emcee.

Closing out week one on Sunday, July 31st is Hip Hop Culture Day starting 12:00pm with a celebration of the 40th Anniversary of The Awesome 2 with special guests Nice & Smooth and other surprises!  The Awesome II are an American hip-hop and radio duo made up of Special K and Teddy Tedd who both grew up in northern New Jersey, in Passaic and Hackensack, respectively.  For almost two decades, they purchased air-time on New York’s time-brokered station WHBI-FM 105.9 which broadcast of our Newark, NJ (later WNWK).  

The Awesome Two Show began on May 18, 1982, and the duo have been active in radio since, marking their 40th Anniversary in 2022.  Along with the World’ Supreme Team, Chuck Chillout, Red Alert, Hank Love and DNA, Afrika Islam, and Mr. Magic and Marley Marley, they were among the first generation to adapt hip-hop to the radio.    

Ahooga! The 40th Anniversary of The Awesome 2 exhibition will be on display at Cement Gallery, 6 Crawford Street, in Newark, NJ to coincide with the first week of the Lincoln Park Music Festival July 25th-August 1st. There will be a closing Artist Talk with The Awesome 2 In Conversation on August 1st from 6:00pm-8:00pm.

Lincoln Park Music Festival’s Hip Hop Culture Day stars the collective from Brown Mill Company,  god-MC Khalil Jibran, Jersey Club legend Unicorn aka Killa Kherk Cobain, J. 1DA, Samad Savage, Solis and Blaze, The Rebel, Kween Moore & Femme Curator Arts and promises to showcase the various genres of the culture from dance, poetry/spoken word, live art, and live band mash ups.

Weekend Two of the Lincoln Park Music Festival kicks off Friday, August 5th with Youth Fest Day; continues Saturday, August 5th and Sunday, August 6th with The Soul of Lincoln Park (described as Newark’s “Black Hippie Fest”) and Lincoln Park Caribana (music of the Caribbean) respectively. Line ups to be announced.

The annual Lincoln Park Music Festival (LPMF) is the largest music experience rooted in traditions of the African American and Afro Caribbean diaspora in the tri-state region.  LPMF has expanded into an audience of 50,000-60,000 international attendees that comes together, over two weekends, to experience multiple genres of music including Gospel, Jazz, House, Hip-Hop, Rhythm & Blues, Reggae, Dancehall, Soca, Kompa and of the Latinx/Hispanic diaspora, as well as film, tech and music business education. 

The Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, Inc. (LPCCD) is a non-profit organization actively engaged in the practice of economic development through Creative Placemaking. Its mission to plan, design and develop a comprehensive arts and cultural district in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of downtown Newark.  LPCCD’s main arts & culture programs are the annual Lincoln Park Music Festival, Lincoln Park Music Speaks citywide humanities initiative, the Lincoln Park Jazzy Soul music series, the Lincoln Park Sustainable Living Community Podcast and the public art initiative Lincoln Park Gallery Without Walls.