Kerrie Joyce 
Jersey City’s 36th annual Jersey City Arts + Studio Tour, also known as JCAST, will be returning for its 36th annual festival this weekend. From October 3rd to October 5th, the city will showcase local artists, installations, and performances across the city. Local artists and gallerists will also host guided tours. Read on for more information about the 2025 Jersey City Arts + Studio Tour, including this year’s theme.
Photo Credit: City of Jersey City
Festival Origins + Theme for 2025
The theme for this year’s JCAST festival, via press release, is, “Convergence: Art, Technology, Business, and Wellness.” The 36th rendition of the event will include 120 venues in all six wards, more than 60 open artist studios, gallery exhibitions, two JCAST-curated shows, performances, music, poetry, and film.
Originating in 1990, Jersey City Arts and Studio Tour is supported by the City of Jersey City in addition to other business and governmental sponsors. JCAST 2025 is produced by The Creative Side, an art and creative design business enterprise, led by founder Atim Annette Oton alongside Donna Kessinger, Melissa Ulto, Judith Rahilly, and Shantel Asante-Kissi.
Read More: Hudson County Artists to Know + Collect
Of the event, Jersey City Director of Cultural Affairs Christine Goodman said via a press release, “Every October, JCAST brings the city to life through the beauty and energy of art,” continuing, “We encourage everyone to put on comfortable shoes and explore all that Jersey City’s creative community has to offer.”
According to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, the annual festival “showcases what makes Jersey City special: world-class creativity in every ward and a community that celebrates its artists and small businesses.” The Mayor’s statement in the press release continued, “We’re proud to support a weekend that transforms the entire city into a gallery and welcomes everyone to experience Jersey City’s creative spirit.”
Festival Events
Photo Credit: City of Jersey City
Friday
Opening day is Friday, October 3rd for the three-day event highlighting painting, sculpture, photography, murals, digital art, performance, film, and interactive installations. There will be a networking event for local businesses and artists at JCAST Headquarters, located at 150 Pacific Avenue, at 3PM and a VIP fundraising event at 4PM.
The festival’s Kick Off Party + Exhibition Opening will take place at the headquarters 6PM, which will include the presentation of the JCAST Legend Awards, to recipients Ernie Pannicioli and the late Ruth Moore, owner of Jersey City music venue Moore’s Lounge. The ceremony will feature music from Moore’s Lounge jazz musicians Larry Banks, Evan Wohlrabe, and Brook Mulugeta.
Saturday
Saturday, October 4th, will showcase a series of JCAST Art Talks, which will be held at the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center at 12PM and the JCAST Headquarters at 4PM. The Bethune Center is located at 140 Martin Luther King Drive.
Also at the Bethune Center will be the opening of this year’s namesake exhibit, The Art of Convergence, curated by Shantel Asante-Kissi.
Bike JC, one of the event’s sponsors, will be hosting a “two-wheel art crawl” from 12PM to 6PM of the city’s galleries, studios, and outdoor public art spaces. Saturday’s crawl will cover Bergen-Lafayette, Greenville, and West Side venues. The route for the crawl can be found on Bike JC social media.
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Closing out the evening, there will be JCAST after parties at different bars in wards throughout the city beginning at 9PM. After party venues include a non-alcoholic event at Incontro, located at 351 Summit Avenue in Journal Square, McGinley Square’s The Wanderer at 49 Baldwin Avenue, Downtown Jersey City’s Skinners Loft at 146 Newark Avenue, Greenville’s Cherry’s Lounge at 102 Martin Luther King Drive, and Bergen-Lafayette’s 902 Brewing Co. at 101 Pacific Avenue.
See More: A Guide to Public Art in Montclair, New Jersey
Sunday
Sunday, October 5th will feature another outdoor art crawl by Bike JC, this time covering McGinley Square, Journal Square, Heights, and Downtown Jersey City areas. The bike rides will depart from the Grove Street PATH Plaza on both days.
The JCAST Closing Event will take place at 6PM at Magnum Opus Studios, located on the third floor at 86 Forrest Street. The closing event will include, “live music, performances, exhibitions, art installations, and more.”
All events aside from fundraisers are free to attend — attendees can register here.
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