21st Rutherford Civil Rights' Commission Multicultural Festival

By Jennifer Ersalesi

Every September, the Rutherford Civil Rights Commission presents its annual Multicultural Festival. This year, the festival will celebrate its 21st Anniversary on Sunday, September 7th. It is a day filled with music, dancing, and activities for all ages. This is Rutherford interviewed Ginny Perrin, Chair of the Rutherford Civil Rights Commission, to learn more about this year's festival.

TIR: What makes this year's Multicultural festival different from years past?

Ginny Perrin: With each new year, the Rutherford Civil Rights Commission tries to find more ways to bring the audience into the celebration beyond listening and viewing.  This year, we have more interactive performances that include audience participation.  We are thrilled to have Latin Heat Moves leading free salsa lessons before a fabulous salsa band that will be playing their hearts out.  Kulture Kool, a regular performer at our festival, continues to raise the bar, sharing beautiful classical Indian dances that tell stories and bringing an interactive Bollywood dance to draw in the audience for more fun!   We are bringing a traditional Haitian drumming and dance troupe, Zetwal, for the first time. 

We have new food trucks that will bring delicious food with ethnic flair and twists to classics. Chef J’s Latin Dragon is bringing some Latin-Asian Fusion fun to food options.  The Wandering Cup will be offering incredibly cool mocktails to keep summer going just a little longer. And for dessert, we have the Cupcake Carriage providing far more than just your average cupcakes for some extra sweetness.   

We are also expanding our Kid Zone to include not only an inflatable obstacle course and face painting, but carnival games to keep kids entertained for hours!

Lastly, we have wonderful vendors that bring unique products to Rutherford, as well as local non-profit and civil groups who focus on building and supporting communities. This year we have ScreenTea, curated loose teas steeped in tradition and excellence. We also have the Rutherford Chamber of Commerce and This is Rutherford as Sponsors this year!

TIR: What are some of the traditions and events that will continue this year at the festival?

GP: For our 21st Anniversary Multicultural Festival, the Rutherford Civil Rights Commission will once again host the festival the first weekend after Labor Day.  We are bringing back some of the favorite performers from last year.  Son de Brooklyn will be bringing the Cuban rhythms early in the festival to try out salsa moves learned with Latin Heat Moves. Los Primos de Cubeye is taking Latin jazz to the next level mid-afternoon and Platinum One will be bringing Caribbean vibes and chill sounds of summer as the closing act. 

Local favorite, Dana McCurdy will return with his full audience participation Community in Rhythm Drum Circle.   Kulture Kool will once again mesmerize the audience by sharing the history behind classical Indian dance and the stories it tells. Allegro Arts Academy will bring so many talented local dancers to shake up the evening in a variety of dance styles. We have many vendors returning from last year as well, including food favorites: The Jerk Truck, Seasoned Rican, and The Hen and The Hog.  One of the traditions we were hoping would not be a tradition is…shaky weather forecasts!  However, due to the rain forecast, we have rescheduled the Festival for Sunday, Sept. 7th. 

TIR: As a Commissioner, what are you most excited about for this year's festival?

GP: To be honest, one of my favorite parts of the event is the genuine positive energy the event fosters.  Sharing a dance, listening to great music, “breaking bread” together from fantastic food truck options, and just sharing lots of laughter with fellow Rutherfordians as well as folks visiting town because of the festival, are some of my faves. 

Consistently, our performers love what they do and love it all the more when they can play for a community that appreciates the richness of their cultures wrapped up in music and dance.  The passion and pride they bring are infectious and make you want to move.  People are dancing while waiting on food truck lines, children are unabashedly dancing front and center of the stage with overflowing joy and others are quietly rising out of their seats because they can no longer move the way they need to as the performers shine brightly.

TIR: What kind of planning and preparation goes into this festival? 

GP: This is a herculean effort and labor of love that falls on the shoulders of the volunteer Commissioners of the Civil Rights Commission.  We literally begin planning for the next year immediately after the current festival is over.  We incorporate feedback and experiences to improve for the next year. The second phase of planning begins in December/January, seeking grant funding and outreaching to performers.  The next phase is finding and booking food trucks that align with the RCRC mission and festival goals.  Then we move into high gear late spring and summer, finalizing schedules, seeking sponsorship, and developing schedules.

TIR: What makes this festival so unique?

GP: We are thoughtful about the acts we bring, the vendors we outreach to, and the food trucks we invite to join us.  Our goal is to celebrate the diversity within Rutherford and the communities that surround us.  We seek to include BIPOC owned and/or BIPOC supplied/focused merchandise vendors.  Our Non-profit and civil groups that join us are committed to supporting and lifting community members.  One of the greatest moments that sums up some of our hopes about what the festival accomplishes is how appreciative participants are that their children can see others who look like themselves and celebrate their cultures and diverse backgrounds.  Our goal is to create unity through celebrating our diversity.

The 2025 Multicultural Festival hosted by the Rutherford Civil Rights Commission will now take place on Sunday, September 7th from 12-7 pm.  It is a family-oriented day filled with fun.  Please come out and enjoy the day with your neighbors!