Sixth Annual Art All Night Expected to Draw Record Crowds

183 AAN2011 0323For 24 hours this weekend, the historic Roebling Wire Works building in Trenton will be transformed into a giant arts showcase with a street fair vibe.

Visual art, music, films, food and activities for kids are just some of the offerings in store at the sixth annual Art All Night,  the popular arts festival that attracted more than 13,000 visitors last year.

Beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday, visitors can meander through the Roebling building and view 1,000-plus works of art by amateurs and pros of all ages, check out musicians performing on two stages, and take part in more than two dozen special activities.

Organizers are expecting a record 15,000 to 18,000 attendees at the festival, which is sponsored by the Trenton nonprofit Artworks and run by a small army of more than 300 volunteers.

“It’s a great event for Trenton because people come from all over, from the Trenton area to Princeton to New York City,”  said Art All Night Chairman Joseph Kuzemka. “It’s a giant melting pot of people who love art and music.”

Art All Night gets bigger and better every year, with a combination of new offering along with the return of favorite features.

“We’ve scoured the region for the most talked-about new performances and interactive artists to bring to this year’s event.,” said Art All Night volunteer Cameron Ferrera of Diffy Productions.

A hula hoop lounge, a rock n’ roll oracle card reader, and blacksmiths are just some of the new features this year.

“The interactive events add incredible energy to Art All Night, and that helps us draw even larger crowds year after year,” said Artworks Vice-President Anthony Coluccio.

AAN2010 0429The AbOmInOg International Arts Collective will hold a live iron pour from 9 p.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Sunday, forging steel into limited-edition medallions as orange flames rise a story high, harkening back to Trenton’s industrial past.

Saturday night, a black-light graffiti lounge will feature glow-in-the-dark body painting and graffiti art with Trenton’s own Leon Rainbow and the Rock Ya Body Artists. Other features include a special art installation called “That New Car Smell”, live screenprinting, a smart phone scavenger hunt, dueling muralists, and a film festival. A children’s art zone will offer art projects using recycled and household materials.

Princeton’s own Clifford Zink will offer a walking tour of the Roebling Works at 11 a.m. Sunday, starting from the Millyard Park entrance of the wire works building. Founded in 1848, the John A. Roebling’s Sons Company produced wire and wire rope for many landmark suspension bridges, including the Brooklyn, George Washington and Golden Gate bridges. To commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge on May 27, 1937, this year’s tour will highlight buildings and features at the works where the Roebling Company developed innovations for suspension bridges and produced the 3-inch suspender ropes that hold up the decks on the George Washington and Golden Gate Bridges. Zink will also have copies of his book “The Roebling Legacy” available for purchase.

If you go, don’t forget to bring your appetite. This year the food court features 17 food stands offering everything from sushi and empanadas to gyros and falafel. And for the curious, a kettle corn stand will feature Blue Moon beer-infused popcorn. Speaking of beverages, beer and wine will be available for purchase at the festival.

For more information or directions, visit the Art All Night website. The festival is an easy 20-minute drive from Princeton.We recommend parking in the in the Mercer County Administration Building parking lot at 640 South Broad Street. Volunteers will be manning the crosswalk at the lot.

118 AAN11 JD 046

Avatar of Krystal Knapp

Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.