Arts and Cars Festival and Elks Classic Car Show
Summit Downtown, Inc. (SDI) is proud to announce the exciting return of Arts & Cars Downtown Art Festival and Summit Elks Classic Car Show on Sunday, September 17th from 10am to 4pm. Presented in collaboration with the Visual Arts Center of NJ and the Summit Elks, this family-friendly event is designed to celebrate the vibrant arts community and the timeless appeal of classic cars. Guests can expect a day filled with great food, live music, children’s entertainment, art and wares, classic cars from all years and much more in downtown Summit. The Arts & Cars Downtown Art Festival and Classic Car Show is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to explore the charming downtown area, discover new art and artists, and immerse themselves in a day of culture and entertainment. Here are some event highlights:
Downtown Art Festival: The Summit Downtown Art Festival is an outdoor, juried art show and showcases a diverse range of artistic talents, featuring local artists and artisans presenting their creations in various mediums, including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and more. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore and purchase unique and original items. The Art Festival, organized by the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey will be located on Springfield Avenue between Beechwood Road and Summit Avenue. New this year, Summit Public Arts (SPA) will have a table near Beechwood Rd. & Springfield Ave. where folks can meet up for public art tours downtown, featuring the 2023 theme of Heavy Metal; tours will start at 11am and 2pm. SPA will also be hosting some interactive games for kids!
Live Entertainment: Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy live music and performances by local musicians, adding to the festive atmosphere and providing a lively backdrop for the event. The main stage will include performance by Candice Lee, The Carnival Dogs and The Rusty Monks; the beer garden will feature the harmonious Zuko, Phillips, Cohn & Starr and Sabrinna Dias, who competed on The Voice in 2021. Special thanksBoxcar and M&T Bank for their entertainment sponsorship.
Classic Car Show: Now staffed by the Summit Elks, hundreds of classic cars will be on display for car enthusiasts’ enjoyment along Union Place and lower Beechwood Road. The showcase will highlight the beauty, design, and history of vintage automobiles. To download a registration form please visit summitdowntown.org.
Food Truck Alley: Food trucks will be located on Bank Street. Most downtown businesses also offer takeout that you can bring to the beer garden, too! New this year: Mo’ Dough, fresh warm donuts with fillings and toppings; Drake’s Joint Roadside BBQ with many BBQ choices and sandwiches. Returning favorites will include Angry Archies, offering seafood items and sandwiches; The Meat House, offering burgers, dogs and more; Puras Paletas with their gourmet ice pops; Just Delicious Kettle Corn; and Summit’s favorite Pizza Vita with their truck slinging pies all day!
Beer & Wine Garden: The Bank Street parking lot will be transformed into a Beer & Wine Garden sponsored by downtown Summit’s own Cambridge Wines and Peerless Beverage Co. will feature draft beers and a variety of fine wines. Open at 11AM, all are welcome inside the Beer & Wine Garden to enjoy the entertainment and games or take a seat to enjoy some food, those aged 21 years and older are able to get a wristband to purchase alcoholic beverages. Enjoy live music, kids’ activities, plenty of tables for dining, cornhole and other games, and just a great place to take a break! Grab some food from Food Truck Alley or any downtown eatery and bring it to the Beer & Wine Garden to enjoy! Drink tickets can be purchased at the entrance at Lyric Park on Beechwood Rd. and are CASH only.
Children’s Activities will be provided by the Summit YMCA and The Connection on Springfield Avenue between Beechwood Road & Maple Street. Both be providing exciting interactive activities for kids of many ages! Also roaming around for the kids will be Krazy Kevin juggling along on his unicycle and Shawn Yaney the immensely popular balloon artist, and additional activities from Robot Revolution, FPC Car Racing, Henna by Helen, Spin Art and more.
Summit Farmers Market will be open at the corner of DeForest Ave and Woodland Ave from 8AM-1PM.
Summit Downtown, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the on-going development and promotion of the business community in downtown Summit, NJ.
