Jess Alaimo
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Jersey Shore Comedian Jess Alaimo Emcees the Evening
Guiding you through opening night is Jess Alaimo, writer, comedian, and longtime champion of arts and community along the Jersey Shore. Born and raised in Long Branch, Jess brings the same wit and warmth that's made her a familiar face at cultural gatherings across the Shore, whether she's writing her column for triCityNews, performing stand-up, or leading community and nonprofit work behind the scenes. As emcee, she's coming back to her hometown to host a celebration of the very community that helped shape her.
Ocean Avenue Stompers
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Kicking off Culture Around the Corner are the Ocean Avenue Stompers, and they don’t just perform – they parade.
Kicking off Culture Around the Corner are the Ocean Avenue Stompers, and they don’t just perform – they parade. From the first trumpet trill to the last rimshot, they throw a party full of infectious joy and the spirit of “Laissez les bons temps rouler.” Channeling the celebratory, high-energy sound of Bourbon Street, the Stompers are a powerhouse that blends the soul of New Orleans brass, the rock 'n’ roll of Asbury Park, and the groove of funk, jazz, and R&B into one explosive sound. Join as they kick off the celebration in true New Orleans fashion – with a second line.
Ocean Avenue Stompers
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Kicking off Culture Around the Corner are the Ocean Avenue Stompers, and they don’t just perform – they parade.
Kicking off Culture Around the Corner are the Ocean Avenue Stompers, and they don’t just perform – they parade. From the first trumpet trill to the last rimshot, they throw a party full of infectious joy and the spirit of “Laissez les bons temps rouler.” Channeling the celebratory, high-energy sound of Bourbon Street, the Stompers are a powerhouse that blends the soul of New Orleans brass, the rock 'n’ roll of Asbury Park, and the groove of funk, jazz, and R&B into one explosive sound. Join as they kick off the celebration in true New Orleans fashion – with a second line.
Ocean Avenue Stompers
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Kicking off Culture Around the Corner are the Ocean Avenue Stompers, and they don’t just perform – they parade.
Kicking off Culture Around the Corner are the Ocean Avenue Stompers, and they don’t just perform – they parade. From the first trumpet trill to the last rimshot, they throw a party full of infectious joy and the spirit of “Laissez les bons temps rouler.” Channeling the celebratory, high-energy sound of Bourbon Street, the Stompers are a powerhouse that blends the soul of New Orleans brass, the rock 'n’ roll of Asbury Park, and the groove of funk, jazz, and R&B into one explosive sound. Join as they kick off the celebration in true New Orleans fashion – with a second line.
Ocean Avenue Stompers
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Kicking off Culture Around the Corner are the Ocean Avenue Stompers, and they don’t just perform – they parade.
Kicking off Culture Around the Corner are the Ocean Avenue Stompers, and they don’t just perform – they parade. From the first trumpet trill to the last rimshot, they throw a party full of infectious joy and the spirit of “Laissez les bons temps rouler.” Channeling the celebratory, high-energy sound of Bourbon Street, the Stompers are a powerhouse that blends the soul of New Orleans brass, the rock 'n’ roll of Asbury Park, and the groove of funk, jazz, and R&B into one explosive sound. Join as they kick off the celebration in true New Orleans fashion – with a second line.
Faces of Long Branch
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Join Us Inside the Library for Faces of Long Branch
Meet the people behind the city and see Long Branch through their eyes at this curated photography exhibit, featuring residents and people who work, gather, and live in Long Branch. Curated by Kamelia DeSoucey, visitors can explore a gallery of professional portraits, community conversations, and photographs created by local students and volunteers, immersing themselves in a candid, evolving portrait of Long Branch and the people and stories that make the city so unique—located inside the Long Branch Free Public Library.
Faces of Long Branch
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Join Us Inside the Library for Faces of Long Branch
Meet the people behind the city and see Long Branch through their eyes at this curated photography exhibit, featuring residents and people who work, gather, and live in Long Branch. Curated by Kamelia DeSoucey, visitors can explore a gallery of professional portraits, community conversations, and photographs created by local students and volunteers, immersing themselves in a candid, evolving portrait of Long Branch and the people and stories that make the city so unique—located inside the Long Branch Free Public Library.
Deseree Spinks and Ryan Gregg
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Deseree Spinks and Ryan Gregg Bring the Soul
Fresh off the Stompers' Second Line, Deseree Spinks and Ryan Gregg take the stage for a set rooted in soul, funk, and American roots music. Deseree Spinks, a three-time Asbury Music Award winner and lead singer/songwriter of Des & the Swagmatics, has released music co-produced by GRAMMY® winner Ebonie Smith, opened for both Southside Johnny and the Bouncing Souls, performed for Governor Phil Murphy, and appeared in an Emmy®-winning PBS profile on Asbury Park, all while sharing stages with Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, the North Mississippi Allstars, Amy Helm, and members of Parliament Funkadelic. Ryan Gregg brings a masterful, roots-steeped piano style shaped by blues, rock, soul, and even vaudeville, honed across a prolific career as both a session musician and original artist. Together, they pair powerhouse vocals with roots-deep keys for a set that bridges the Stompers' brass energy and the salsa party to come.
BAILA Society: Sunset Salsa Dance Party w/ projections by Luminous Abstract
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Sunset Salsa Lights Up the Evening
BAILA Society is a cultural arts organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating Afro-Latinx dance and music heritage through an international repertory company, live classes, and community events. Salsa and Latin Hustle sit at the center of their work, approached as both social art forms and living history rooted in Afro-Latinx communities. At Culture Around the Corner, BAILA directors Ahtoy Juliana and Edwin Tolentino open the Sunset Salsa Dance Party with improvisational partnerwork and solo work, then guide participants into dancing "shines," the solo practice of Mambo and salsa, sharing the historical context behind the movement along the way. From there, the floor opens up, and everyone is invited to social dance for the rest of the event, in a space built on mutual respect and collective care. Never salsa danced before? Doesn't matter. Come move with us!
Luminous Abstract will provide vivid, larger-than-life, projection-mapped live visuals for the Sunset Salsa Dance Party. The visuals will be site-specific, mapped to the architecture of the Slocum Library in Long Branch, NJ.
BAILA Society: Sunset Salsa Dance Party w/ projections by Luminous Abstract
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Sunset Salsa Lights Up the Evening
BAILA Society is a cultural arts organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating Afro-Latinx dance and music heritage through an international repertory company, live classes, and community events. Salsa and Latin Hustle sit at the center of their work, approached as both social art forms and living history rooted in Afro-Latinx communities. At Culture Around the Corner, BAILA directors Ahtoy Juliana and Edwin Tolentino open the Sunset Salsa Dance Party with improvisational partnerwork and solo work, then guide participants into dancing "shines," the solo practice of Mambo and salsa, sharing the historical context behind the movement along the way. From there, the floor opens up, and everyone is invited to social dance for the rest of the event, in a space built on mutual respect and collective care. Never salsa danced before? Doesn't matter. Come move with us!
Luminous Abstract will provide vivid, larger-than-life, projection-mapped live visuals for the Sunset Salsa Dance Party. The visuals will be site-specific, mapped to the architecture of the Slocum Library in Long Branch, NJ.
Will Evans
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Will Evans Closes the Night
Will Evans is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who deftly blends contemporary folk roots with electronica and global textures, creating a unique sound that invites connection and belonging. He’s sold out shows across the U.S. and Europe and shared stages with iconic artists like Crosby & Nash, Grace Potter, Bruce Hornsby, and Dirtwire. His Kind Folk community uplifts audiences wherever he goes. Known for dynamic live performances, Evans weaves together acoustic guitar, handpan, didgeridoo, beatboxing, and percussion to create a fluid, organic sound that shows the power of music to create connection, kindness, and freedom.