On May 3rd, Dancing Tony and HDSID’s Groove on Grove Concert Series will be celebrating their 10-year anniversary with “Decade-ance!”There’ll be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5PM with Mayor Fulop in attendance, and Jersey City Sweets will be providing a cake.

There’ll also be three local, homegrown bands performing – The Milwaukees, a rock band; Segunda Quimbamba, a Puerto Rican folkloric band; and Universal Rebel, a reggae group. As always, the first Groove on Grove concert of the season will be a cocktail night for guests to enjoy drinks from local restaurants while enjoying the show.

I had the opportunity to interview Rachel Sieg and Dancing Tony to learn more abouth this year’s Groove on Grove.

What are your names?

I am Rachel Sieg, and I’m the Executive Director of the Historic Downtown.

I am Dancing Tony and I run fun.

So we’re talking about Groove on Grove.

Rachel: Yes! It’s our 10-year anniversary this year. It’s on May 3rd.

That’s so exciting! So what’s the plan? 

Tony: It’s called the Decade-ance! It’s fun because we’re, in a way, going back to some of the roots of the bands that we’ve had.The Milwaukees are playing, and they’re one of the first bands to play Groove on Grove. It’s nice to invite them back. There are a couple of bands that exist from that time, and then we have Segunda Quimbamba, which is the Puerto Rican band, and it’s nice to see them. We have Universal Rebel, which is a great reggae band. We want to come out of the gates strong for this one!

Is there anything new happening?

Rachel: Porta from Jersey City is one of our sponsors this year, so I’m really excited for that! Orale is back, they’ll be serving great margaritas and awesome beer. Of course, the Artist and Maker Market is back twice a month – the first week and the third week of every month.

Awesome! People can shop local, drink local, eat local. 

Rachel: Everything is local! The whole idea is for people to drink local, and then shop and eat local. Just hang out in the district.

Tony: The timing is just right if you have children. It’s from 6 PM to 9 PM, right before their bedtime, and it’s outdoors. Children are great because they know how to have unabashed fun!

Rachel: We’re also going to have cake from Jersey City Sweets, and they’re basically making a cake that looks like Groove on Grove! Then the Mayor’s coming, and he’ll give us the Proclamation and cut the cake. It’s pretty exciting.

Nice! So how does it feel to be doing this for 10 years?

Tony: It feels great. It’s probably one of my favorite things to do because it’s one of the most community-oriented things I get to do. We get to showcase local artists, which is great, and it’s a mix of everything coming together. We’re doing all of these different types of showcases – The Rock Emporium, something for the Back to School special, The Grand Piano again, Hip Hop Night. We’re working with the Jazz Fest to do some jazz programming this year.

Rachel: What else is cool about it is that it’s free. You don’t have to pay anything, and you get to meet people from Jersey City or meet up and relax.

You can’t beat it! 

Rachel: This has been going on for 10 years and we’re very thankful that we can do this event every year! We’re also celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Farmers Market this year. It’s a big year for the HDSID.

Groove on Grove will run every Wednesday from 6PM to 9PM on the Grove Street PATH Plaza from May to September. It’s free to the public, thanks to the help and generosity of local sponsors! It’s always a blast, so don’t miss this year’s kickoff! You can also expect the Artist and Maker Market, and open-air market for local artists and entrepreneurs, on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month.

Vendors include:

More Records – Vinyl Records

Vera Vixeness – Handmade Rock n Roll Silver Jewelry 

Free Love Studios – Dream Catchers 

Jennifer Storcks Designs – Forged Metal Rustic Jewelry 

Kustom Kreations – Candles 

JC Village Candle – Essential oils

kanami – Wire Jewelry 

International Fit Fashion and Beauty – All-Natural Beauty Products 

Myriad Mirage – Handcrafted Nature Inspired Jewelry

Moonchild – Fashion Jewelry

Paradox Thrift – Vintage Clothing & Accessories

Kafe Con Arte – Handmade Home Decor, Art & Apparel

 

You can check out more information on Facebook or on jcdowntown.org. Hope to see you all there!