Launching March, 2026!
Huge thanks to Tris McCall for his in-depth feature of the 2025 Hudson West Festival in the JC Times and for making us a pick of the week in his Rogue Waves column! (Click picture for full story.)
HUDSON WEST MUSIC FEST ELIMINATES TICKET FEES
2025 Headliner: Amythyst Kiah
In an era when grants are disappearing and venues are closing, Jersey City's Hudson West Fest has decided to go big, announcing that they are waiving all ticket sales for their 2025 festival and expanding their footprint in order to be more inclusive to the community.
The date for this year's festival is Saturday, September 13th. The stages will run from 1:00 - 9:00pm and will feature Grammy-nominated artist Amythyst Kiah, Dori Freeman, Brooklyn Raga Massive's Quadrature, Christina Courtin, Alice Howe with Freebo, Niall Connolly, Nick Dunbar & Sad Cowboy, the Americana Family Jamboree with Elena & Boo, Rockness Music, Route One, Carolann Solebello, Norman Salant, Matthew Gronert, and Maidin. There will be a free kick-off event on Wednesday, September 10th at The Archer featuring the Hudson West All Stars from 7-10:00pm.
The 2025 free music festival workshops will include "The Songwriter's Toolkit" with Freebo & Alice Howe, "Raga Music Appreciation" with Neel Murgai of Brooklyn Raga Massive, and a public Q & A session with Amythyst Kiah.
In conjunction with the indoor performance space, a street fair will feature an outdoor performance stage, square dancing, children's and family activities, an open acoustic music jam, and art vendors. Food and beverage will be offered inside Nimbus and the stages, concessions and bathrooms are wheelchair accessible. Listening devices will be available for the hearing impaired.
The Hudson West Fest, Inc. is a 501c3 organization that hosts an annual music festival and presents year-round music-based performance and educational programs. Support comes from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, the Hudson County Executive & the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners.
EVENT: SONGWRITER SANDBOX UNDER THE BOOT
DATE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2025 (recurring the third Thursday of every month)
LOCATION: UNDER THE BOOT (in BOOTS & BONES), 116 NEWARK AVENUE, JERSEY CITY
TIME: 7:00PM - 9:00PM
FEBRUARY PERFORMERS: TINA ROSS and OPEN MIC
ADMISSION: FREE; MUST BE 21 OR OLDER
CONTACT: Fred@HudsonWestFest.org
SONGWRITER SANDBOX UNDER THE BOOT
The Hudson West Fest is excited to launch a monthly series of free concerts in the heart of Jersey City that will feature established songwriters in addition to up-and-coming talent. The Songwriter Sandbox will be curated by Mark Aaron James and will occur the third Wednesday of each month "Under the Boot"--in the downstairs performance space of the popular eatery Boots & Bones. In addition to creating an outlet for people to listen to and perform acoustic music, the program's goal is to offer amateur musicians a space to share the stage with and learn from established artists.
This event will run from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. Local musicians are encouraged to arrive early to sign up for an open mic which will begin the evening followed by performances from this month's cultivated artist Tina Ross.
Boots and Bones is located at 116 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, right next to the PATH train escalator. Food and drink is available and patrons must be 21 or older to enter.
The Hudson West Music Festival is a 501c3 organization that supports music and culture in the Jersey City area by offering year-round performance and educational programs capped by an annual music festival. For more info on Hudson West Fest, please visit https://hudsonwestfest.org.
TINA ROSS BIO:
Tina Ross is a New York based singer songwriter who combines her soaring, intimate voice and sonic-scaped guitar playing with songs that are like timeless paintings. A quiet, elegant fierceness runs through her compositions, speaking to wonder, humility, love, doubt and defiance. Her debut album, “While I’m Here,” was released in February of 2023 and was included in the first-round of considerations for a Grammy. Tina was chosen as one of three "Most Wanted" artists at the 2024 Falcon Ridge Music Festival in their Emerging Artists program. She is also the winner of the prestigious 2023 FocusMusic Heyman Rising Artist Award and has achieved honorable mentions, finalist, and semi-finalist status in several international songwriters contests.
An Americana, Folk & Roots music festival in downtown Jersey City
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 15, 2024
Hudson West Fest Kicks Off School Music Program in Jersey City
Contact: Fred Miller / (201) 805-6327 / Fred@HudsonWestFest.org / www.HudsonWestFest.org
Hudson West Fest will be presenting a free music program at PS/MS 11 in Jersey City on Friday, February 16th
Hudson West Fest will present its first school music program on Friday, February 16th to students from the 5th through 8th grades at PS/MS 11 in Jersey City. The program is entitled “Songs of the Struggle and Freedom” and is a survey of songs about freedom for African Americans from slavery to the present day.
The presentation will be led by Reggie Harris, a noted African American singer and educator, and one of the foremost presenters of the songs of the Underground Railroad and of the Modern Civil Rights Movement.
Hudson West Fest coordinated this new music event with the administration at PS/MS 11 who shares the vision of bringing all types of music to a wider community.
Founded in 2016, Hudson West Fest annually holds an all-day music festival but has also expanded its music programming over the years. Hudson West Fest has recognized the need to make Americana, Folk & Roots music available to a wider segment of the Jersey City community and offers several free music programs.
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School Programs - Providing free programs to schools is a key element of presenting to a wider community. This program and others are being made available to local schools at no charge.
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Talent Search - Hudson West has committed for the past three years to including young local artists at our festival to give them more exposure.
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Open Mics – Hudson West Fest produces several free open mics throughout the year to present local musicians to the community.
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Free Concerts – Select local musicians that are presented in concerts throughout the year.
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Music Workshops – At least four music workshops are held at every annual music festival that are free with admission.
Funding for many of these music programs has been provided by the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust, and the Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs.
Reggie Harris
Reggie Harris is a songwriter, storyteller, and lecturer who has traveled the world for more than 40 years performing for audiences of all ages. He has appeared at thousands of schools, concert halls, and universities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, using music and story to bring history alive.
Reggie is one of the foremost presenters of the songs of the Underground Railroad and of the Modern Civil Rights Movement. He is a teaching artist in the John F. Kennedy Center’s CETA program, a Woodrow Wilson Scholar, and the Director of Music Education for the UU Living Legacy Project. Reggie leads civil rights pilgrimages throughout the Southern U.S. and is a 2018 recipient of the Children’s Music Network’s “Magic Penny Award” in recognition for a lifetime of excellence in performance and education.
Founded in 2016, Hudson West Fest is an Americana, Folk & Roots music festival presenting performers from across North America. We are a group passionate about music and have all been deeply involved in presenting music over the years in Jersey City and Manhattan. Hudson West Fest annually holds an all-day music festival but has also expanded its music programming over the years to include Music Workshops, a Talent Search, Open Mics, Free Concerts presenting local musicians, and this year’s School Music Programs.
Previous Performers
2023 (videos)
Grey Reverend
NationBeat
Chivalrous Crickets
Crys Matthews
Danielle Miraglia
Joshua Nelson
The Scooches
Sean Kiely
Jacob Tremont
Kelli Bruno
2019
Taarka
Sam Baker
David Olney
Sophie Buskin
Vance Gilbert
Mary Gauthier
Jean Rohe
Susan McKeown