24-Hours of Peace festival to honor women in hip-hop celebration
NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) -- Peacemakers will take to the streets of Newark, using hip-hop to spread unity during the annual 24-Hours of Peace festival.
The event is free and open to the public, kicking off at 5 p.m. Friday and running until 6 p.m. Saturday at South 10th Street and Central Avenue in Newark’s West Ward. This year’s theme is “Women for Peace” and features an all woman lineup of performances.
Grammy-winning singer Mýa will headline the event on Friday with rap legend Roxanne Shante as co-host. The party will continue throughout the night leading up to Saturday’s festival headlined by rapper Lady London and co-hosted by Lady Luck.
In between the music and dancing, visitors will be able to take part in wellness events like yoga and enjoy spoken word performances.
“Our 24 Hrs of Peace celebration has become a signature event in Newark, defining how we deepen our commitment to each other as a unified, caring community,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. “During this 24 Hrs of Peace, we celebrate the reality that women are at the center of our city’s evolution as a model of peace, progress and prosperity.”
The 24 Hours of Peace festival was founded 12 years ago by then-South Ward Councilman Baraka, to advocate for violence-free community building. The festival has since grown to be a city-wide celebration that marks the end of Newark’s Peace Week.
To make sure residents have space to safely enjoy the event the following streets will be closed from 5 a.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Street Closures for 24-Hours of Peace Festival:
- Central Avenue between South 11th Street and West Market Street
- South 10th Street between 11th Avenue and Ninth Avenue
- South Ninth Street between 11th Avenue and Ninth Avenue
- South Eighth Street between 11th Avenue and Ninth Avenue
- South Seventh Street between 11th Avenue and West Market Street
- Fourth Street between Central Avenue and West Market Street
A full list of events and performances can be found on the organization's website and Facebook page.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.