North to Shore Festival schedule: Here are 3 itineraries

Nov 27, 2023

Music festivals are a smorgasbord, a feast, a cornucopia from which the treats tumble endlessly.

Yet some people going to the new North to Shore Festival this summer — more than 100 acts, in three New Jersey cities, over three weekends — will likely head straight for the headliners. Stars like Halsey (June 21 and 22, Newark), Carlos Santana (June 21, Newark), and Demi Lovato (June 16, Asbury Park).

That's one way to see a festival. But perhaps not the most rewarding, said the event's curator, David Rodriguez. What, after all, is a Thanksgiving that's all turkey and no sides?

"A festival is potentially a buffet," said Rodriguez, an Englewood resident. "You may know the entrée you're going to have, but the joy is filling in the spaces in between."

That's especially true of a festival like North to Shore, which not only encompasses three major cities — Atlantic City through June 11, Asbury Park from June 14 to 18, and Newark from June 21 to 25 — but also myriad attractions of every sort. North to Shore isn't just a music festival. There are films. There are TED talks. There are comedy shows, food events, art displays, cultural exhibits. There are receptions, after-parties, jam sessions.

And of course there is music everywhere: on stages, in clubs, on the boardwalk and on the sidewalk. Likely some of tomorrow's stars.

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"It's those little acts at the festival you'll be proud to discover, and come back and share with your friends," said Rodriguez, executive director of Newark's NJPAC, which is producing the festival.

"It's like going to a wine-tasting in a sense," he said. "You can always pick the bottle of wine that everybody knows. But real wine people like finding that bottle that they never heard of before that tastes great."

The North to Shore Festival — any good festival — is about serendipity. The point is to come early, wander, make discoveries, surprise yourself. Almost everything, in each city, is within walking distance of everything else. The ideal way to experience North to Shore is to make a day of it. Or even a weekend.

How? Well, here's where Rodriguez, NJPAC CEO and president John Schreiber, and programming producer Jennie Wasserman can help.

Could we have — we asked them — a sample itinerary?

They gave us three. A single day, on each weekend, in each city of the festival. A day well spent.

These are just examples, to show the range of what's out there. The point is not to slavishly follow anyone else's timetable. It's to create your own — one that caters to your own interests, budget, and powers of endurance. "You don't want to become so frantic you don't enjoy," Rodriguez said.

So go to the festival website, and check out the offerings. And when you come out this month, bring sunscreen. Wear comfortable shoes. Hydrate. Don't try to go to absolutely everything — even though you'll be tempted.

And try, too, to drink in the culture of each city. That, in the end, what the festival really celebrates.

"You want to take advantage of the events at the festival, while also taking advantage of the cities they're in," Rodriguez said. "There are amazing programs, but look out the window. Chances are there's a boardwalk and a beach."

Consider staying at AC Airbnb and Vacation Rentals (15% off if going to the festival).

∎ 9 a.m. Breakfast at the Gilcrist (at the Tropicana) — old school Atlantic City.

∎ 10 a.m. Visit the Whole Health Pavilion at Stockton State, featuring panels on arts and wellness.

∎ Noon. Go to a Healthy Food Truck experience right outside of the conference.

∎ 1 p.m. Move to the Orange Loop to Hey Day Coffee for the Living Mural Project, and paint yourself into Atlantic City history.

∎ 3 p.m. Walk to Tennessee Ave. for Beats and Booze at Bar 32 — a cocktail experience linked to chocolate and fine pastries. You can pick up a N2S branded chocolate bar made on premises.

∎ 5 p.m. Walk three blocks to The Seed for live music. You can also make your own beer mug.

∎ 6 p.m. Try dinner at The Cardinal — Bistro Fare. And try the 48 Blocks AC cocktail (proceeds go to the Atlantic City Arts Foundation).

∎ 8 p.m. Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Calliet at Boardwalk Hall.

∎ 11 p.m. Go to the Tennessee Beer Hall for the Amanda and Ted Duo.

Consider staying extra nights for the boardwalk and beach experience — including free movies on the beach each evening.

Consider staying at the Asbury Hotel.

∎ Before 12 noon. Wake up at the Asbury Hotel, and catch brunch at the Asbury Lanes Diner next door. You're probably having a slow start after seeing Bill Nye the night before at the Tech Summit, followed by Oso Oso at the House of Independents — or Eric B and Rakim at the Stone Pony.

∎ Noon to 3 p.m. Go to the boardwalk and catch some rays at the famous Asbury Park beach (while throwing your free N2S frisbee) then visit the galleries along Cookman Ave.

∎ 3 p.m. Go to Siminigashi for a watercolor workshop.

∎ 5:30 p.m. Go to the roof of the Asbury Hotel for a record release party hosted by Asbury's Telegraph Records, or else catch live jazz as part of the African American Music Project at the Turf Club.

∎ 7 p.m. Eat at The Break — across the street from Summerstage.

∎ 8 p.m. Demi Lovato at Summerstage.

∎ 10 p.m. Catch the LGBTQ afterparty and Drag Show at Georgie's. Or try to catch the end of Nicole Atkin's set at the Wonder Bar, or the Rob Dye Duo at the Robinson Ale House.

Stay another day for the B23s or the Smithereens (featuring Wood-Ridge's own Dennis Diken!) with Marshall Crenshaw.

Stay at The Tripp — just blocks from both NJPAC and the Prudential Arena.

∎ 10 a.m. Catch brunch at Topps Diner — voted America's Best Diner.

∎ 11 a.m. Go to the Grammy Museum, alongside the Prudential Arena, for the last week of their Beatles Exhibit.

∎ 12 noon. Walk to the Welcome Center at Newark Local Beer — first 100 each day get a free glass of draft beer.

∎ 1 p.m. Go to the Tech Fest Better X Summit (Daymond John from FUBU and Shark Tank is the keynote speaker).

∎ 4 p.m. Three block walk to the Newark Museum. Attend a panel on documentary filmmaking, as part of the Newark International Film Festival.

∎ 6 p.m. Catch Dinner at Marcus B&P, run by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelson.

∎ 8 p.m. Your choice — Halsey at NJPAC, or Alanis Morissette at the Arena.

∎ 10 p.m. Back to the Newark Museum for Art after Dark — a Celebration of Hip Hop.

∎ 11 p.m. Don't miss the Late Night Brick City Jam at All Points West Distillery, with live music until 2 a.m.

Consider staying longer for an evening with Stephen Colbert with Jim Gaffigan at NJPAC or Jasmine Sullivan at the Arena.

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