Silk City Arts Festival is a Non-Profit Organization sponsored by the Paterson Recreation. This is an outside arts festival located at the historic and beautiful Eastside Park in Paterson, NJ. The festival features artists’ work from every discipline. Silk City Arts Festival was an idea created by two teachers at the Rosa L. Parks High School of Fine and Performing Arts in Paterson, NJ. Dance Director Erin Pride and English Literature teacher Simone M. Shields. Pride and Shields continuously brainstorm ideas on how to create more artistic opportunities; a summer arts festival seemed the best way to go. Maggie Thompson, Lamont Pride, Benji Wimberly and the Paterson Recreation are also key figures in the development of the festival.
Our mission is to create a summer arts festival that involves art, dance, drama, music, singing, and poetry/spoken word. We believe Silk City Arts Festival is a step towards restoring the arts in Paterson; we want to give the community an opportunity to be exposed to as well as showcase their talents. Through this festival we hope to expose the public to the great things Paterson and the arts have to offer.
