The Jawnaroo free arts and music festival will be in Gloucester County on Saturday, May 21, at the Gloucester County 4H Fairgrounds in Mullica Hill.
The event will feature more than 120 regional artists and live music from seven local bands, which is fitting, since the idea for the festival came from local artists. It is sponsored by Art Machine Productions tattoo studio and Cape May Brewery.
“We wanted something original,” event coordinator and local artist Josh Weichmann said. “The word ‘jawn’ came up in discussions as a unique word used in our area. We decided to include that. And mixing ‘jawn’ with another popular festival name seemed to be a great idea.”
Alongside Christian Massi and Christina Goodwin, Weichmann has been planning the event for a year, stating that while it’s been a huge commitment, it will all be worth it come this weekend.
“Together we have really focused on creating something unique: an event all can enjoy and an event that can benefit all involved,” he said. “From the artists to the vendors, food trucks and more, we want everyone to have a great day and look forward to year two.”
The artists involved include vendors that will be selling art, jewelry, clothing, music and other hand-made goods. Some artists will even be doing live demonstrations of their art at Jawnaroo.
“I am most looking forward to seeing our graffiti artists do their live painting on our graffiti wall,” Weichmann said. Featured graffiti artists include Bernard DelaCruz, Leon Rainbow, Busta and El Toro.
Original paintings from Rose Bear Arts (Weichmann’s art studio) and other artwork donated by artists participating in Jawnaroo will be raffled to raise money for the Cathedral Kitchen, an emergency food service provider in Camden.
Including a charitable element to the event was especially important to the planners, according to Weichmann.
“Not only do we have an opportunity to have a great annual event, but we have a vehicle to help make positive change in our community, from helping small businesses to our local charities,” he said.
There will also be food trucks at the day festival, whose hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Music will start at 2 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring their own outdoor chairs and blankets.
