CeeLo Green Gives Free Concert In Carteret Sept. 19

CARTERET, NJ — "If I was richa, I'd still be witcha."

Well, we can all be the richer when none other than Grammy-award winning singer CeeLo Green performs — for free! —at Carteret’s multicultural festival on Sept. 19.

The festival — it used to be called Carteret's "Ethnic Day" until the town changed the name — runs Sept. 16 - 20 this year, held in Carteret Park.

Highlights will include live jazz on Sept. 16, DJ electronic dance music on Sept. 17, a Freestyle Night on Sept. 18, CeeLo performs Sept. 19 and a classic car show on Sept. 20.

There will be carnival rides and games, plus food trucks, throughout.

This year’s headliner for the 50th anniversary celebration is CeeLo Green, a five-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, producer and rapper, and a celebrated pop culture and fashion icon. CeeLo’s free concert will take place at 8 p.m. on Sept. 19 followed by a special light show and fireworks.

The town of Carteret always books some big-name acts for the festival and in years' past, Shaggy, Spin Doctors, C&C Music Factory, Smash Mouth, Sister Hazel, Taylor Hicks, Gin Blossoms and Carteret’s own New Jersey Hall of Famers The Smithereens have all performed.

What's so great about Ethnic Day is there also dozens of food trucks and mom-and-pop businesses selling homemade multi-cultural food from around the world. The weekend is truly a delight for the five senses, with great music, delicious food from around the world and the sights and sounds of a fall carnival.

“The Charity Carnival is a long-standing tradition here in Carteret,” Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman said. “With summer coming to an end and the children returning to school, the carnival is a great way to mark the end of the season as a community and raise money for a great cause."

Ethnic Day (Sept. 19) also will include food, art, craft vendors and cultural performances beginning at noon.

Freestyle Night, which will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. on Sept. 18, will include performances by:
• TKA, the popular ’80s & ’90s trio from New York City and Miami who just dropped a new EP, “Give Your Love to Me”
• Soave, the Jersey City native who had a huge hit in 1989 with “Crying Over You”
• Lisette Melendez, the Spanish Harlem singer who had a Top 40 hit with “Together
Forever” in 1991 and has a new single, “Recalibrate”
• Joei Mae, lead singer of the Bronx freestyle group CBank, who had the 1997 hit “I Won’t Stop Loving You” and recently released a remix EP.

All four days of the festival are free to attend, but there is a cost for rides and games, and the food trucks. Unlimited Ride Wristbands are $37 per rider on Sept. 16 and 17, but the price increases on the weekend nights.

Festival/carnival hours are 6-10 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17, 6-11 p.m. Sept. 18, and 3-11:30 p.m. Sept. 19.

Attendance to the car show on Sunday is free to the public. Only cars entering the competition pay the $10 entry fee, which also will benefit The Children’s Charity Trust.

"Carteret is one of the most culturally diverse towns in New Jersey,” said Reiman. “Ethnic Day is an opportunity for us to highlight what makes Carteret unique as a community. Carteret is the melting pot of Central Jersey. We have so many different cultures coming together to form a strong communal bond and contribute to making Carteret a great place to live. Our annual Ethnic Day reflects that diversity as does our fantastic music line-up.”