This article was originally published in the August 2017 Trenton Downtowner.
Sun Bank Arena gets Lyft
The ride-hailing service Lyft is now the official rideshare partner of the Sun National Bank Center on Hamilton Avenue in Trenton.
The arrangement is part of a larger agreement made by the Philadelphia-based Spectra by Comcast Spectactor, which operates the 10,000-seat venue.
“Our new partnership with Lyft will be an affordable alternative and allow our guests to travel to our arena and remove the process of commuting or parking from the equation,” said Sun National Bank Center General Manager Fran Rodowicz in a recent statement in the Times of Trenton.
There will be a specified pick-up and drop-off point for customers using Lyft. A color-coding system will help passengers using the Lyft app on their phones identify which car is their ride by matching a color in the app to a color illuminated on the car’s dashboard.
Lyft’s Spectra partnership also involves other venues, including the Atlantic City Convention Center, Boardwalk Hall and XFINITY Live!, and the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.
The Sun National Bank Center is owned by the Mercer County Improvement Authority. Spectra, also known as Global Spectrum, manages more than 110 public gathering facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
Salvation Army unveils new mural
The Salvation Army recently unveiled a new mural at its center at 575 East State Street. Its artist, Krissy Whiski, was born in Trenton, raised in Hamilton, and lives now in Pennsylvania. She credits Artworks Trenton for letting her know about the opportunity and volunteered approximately a month to create the work.
Boheme Opera goes to the ball game
Boheme Opera will host its third summer “Boheme Opera Night” fundraiser at the Trenton Thunder on Friday, August 25, with the chorus of the area’s oldest opera company singing the National Anthem at 6:45 p.m.
Boheme tickets are $12 and can be ordered by sending a check payable to Boheme Opera NJ to Sid Morginstin, Game, PO Box 8101, Trenton, NJ 08650.
Jersey Jam’s rep gets sweeter
The annual summertime Jersey Fresh Jam’s status as Trenton and New Jersey’s leading hip-hop festival gets a boost from the involvement of Masta Ace.
As the British website Jazz Cafe says, “Brooklyn’s Masta Ace is an iconic figure within the East Coast hip-hop scene. His flows have influenced the likes of Eminem, Rakim, and Big Daddy Kane to name few, in a career that has spanned over two and a half decades.”
The Trenton event held since 2005 on the grounds and walls of the Trenton company TerraCycle is set for Saturday, August 12, from noon to dusk.
Masta Ace’s presence this year continues to connect Trenton to street art traditions and innovations in New York, Philadelphia, and beyond.
Trenton artist and Jam organizer Leon Rainbow says the first Jam was mainly for the artists from Philadelphia, New York, and Trenton. “When we started to do the music, it started to change the atmosphere to the Jam. It brought a lot of people who were interested in street art, but it brought a lot of people who were interested in hip-hop music.”
The Jam’s name, he says, is connected with the State of New Jersey’s Jersey Fresh farm-produce campaign. Yet instead of corn and tomatoes, the Jam produces aerosol artists who “converge to adorn the walls of Terracycle INC with their signature masterpieces, while local and regionally known emcees, bands, and DJs provide the soundtrack for the day’s festivities.”
Read more about the Jam’s music coordinator here.
Jersey Fresh Jam, TerraCycle, 121 New York Avenue, Trenton. Saturday, August 12, noon to dusk. Free and open to the public.
Philadelphia-based artist Chelsea Perron,
Artist and Jersey Fresh Jam organizer Leon Rainbow,
