FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         
June 16, 2009

Contact:

Anthony Puglisi
973-621-2542

Lauren Shears
973-621-1590

Celebrate the Fourth of July with an Evening of Fun, Fireworks and Great Music

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO INVITES THE PUBLIC TO CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH THE NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND A SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS DISPLAY

Gospel Festival and Jazz Percussionist Nanny Assis Kick Off
Essex County Free SummerMusic Concert Series

Essex County, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. invites the public to celebrate the Fourth of July with two exciting performances by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and spectacular fireworks displays in Essex County’s Branch Brook Park and Brookdale Park. The mid-summer extravaganzas are part of the 2009 Essex County Free SummerMusic Concert Series.

“Our Free Concert Series offers a diverse lineup of performers who will take center stage in venues throughout our historic Essex County Park System. Pack a blanket, enjoy the cool evening breeze and dance to the sounds of classical, rock and roll, jazz, big band, Latin and more. We have a spectacular line-up that is sure to entertain and impress,” DiVincenzo said. “An evening in the parks with the New Jersey Symphony and a Spectacular Fireworks Extravaganza is the perfect show for Independence Day. We invite you to come out and celebrate your Fourth of July with us,” he added.

This year, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, led by Conductor Jeffrey Grogan, will feature soloists from Opera New Jersey performing selections from West Side Story, Carmen, Don Giovanni and The Mikado. In addition, the orchestra will play patriotic favorites including the “Armed Forces Salute,” “America the Beautiful” and much more. The two events will be held as follows:

Essex County Brookdale Park

Date: Thursday, July 2, 2009
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Essex County Brookdale Park, Watchung Avenue, Bloomfield, NJ, Bellevue Avenue, Bloomfield, NJ

Essex County Branch Brook Park

Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Essex County Branch Brook Park, Heller Parkway, The Great Lawn, Newark, NJ

Gospel Festival

The opening act of the 2009 Free SummerMusic Concert Series features a Gospel Festival in Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park. The event is co-sponsored by the City of Orange and Essex County. It will be held as follows:

Date: Saturday, June 20, 2009
Time: 12 Noon
Place: Essex County Monte Irvin Orange Park, Center Street, Orange, NJ

Nanny Assis

Nanny Assis trained with the Catholic School of Arts and Music in Bahia, Brazil, and began his music career in 1986. He started his career as a drummer and percussionist, but has developed into a talented multi-form musician, singer and composer. Assis is a master of Brazilian Jazz, Afro-Brazilian music and other popular and folkloric sounds from his home country of Brazil. He has performed with Vinicius Cantauria, Eumeir Deodato and John Patitucci. Nanny Assis will perform as follows:

Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Essex County Independence Park, Van Buren Street, Newark, NJ

The SummerMusic Concert Series is being sponsored by Filippo Berio Olive Oil, Rose Squared Productions, TD Bank, Hoffman LaRoche and Fuze. The series also is made possible in part with grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Concerts are held at accessible sites. Persons who require special accommodations or assistance are asked to call at least two weeks prior to the concert to alert staff as to their needs. Admission to the concerts is free, but there is a $2 parking donation for concerts at Essex County Brookdale Park in Bloomfield/Montclair. For more information, please call the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs at 973‑268‑3500. TDD # 711.

The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system in the United States. It has been expanded to include about 6,000 acres of land. There are 19 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, miniature golf course, three dog parks, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens.

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