Dan Stamm

Security Changes as Art All Night Returns to Trenton Year After Shooting

Heightened security measures for Trenton's Art All Night festival at the Roebling Wire Works

What to Know

  • Heightened security measures will be in place for Trenton's Art All Night festival at the Roebling Wire Works this weekend.
  • The changes to the 24-hour festival featuring art, music and food are being made after a deadly gang shootout marred the 2018 event.

Security changes are being to an overnight art festival in hopes of not having a repeat of a deadly gang shootout that marred last year’s festival.

Gunfire erupted at the 2018 Art All Night festival in Trenton, leaving one gunman dead and 21 people hurt by either gunfire or in the chaos that ensued.

About 1,000 people were attending the Art All Night Trenton festival that showcases local art, music, food and films when shots rang out last June. Authorities have said several neighborhood gangs had a dispute, and multiple suspects began shooting at each other, with police returning fire.

This year, the June 15 to 16 free festival featuring art, music and food, will return to the Roebling Wire Works off Clinton Avenue. The event starts Saturday at 3 p.m.

The area will be fenced off with only two entrances with security checks, organizers said in a news release. Though the event runs 24 hours, no new entries will be allowed starting at midnight and the event will be closed to the public from 1 and 7 a.m. Sunday.

“We decided to close during overnight hours this year to ensure that attendees, volunteers, and our whole Art All Night family had the highest level of comfort in this, our comeback year,” said Lauren Otis, executive director of Artworks, Trenton’s visual arts non-profit and producer of Art All Night.

All attendees will be wanded and all bags will be checked. No outside liquids, food or large bags will be permitted inside, organizers said. Police will also be closing streets around the event and will have large presence.

Event organizers hope to still have a great event.

“This year at Art All Night, we have an incredible lineup of live music, interactive events, films, food trucks, craft vendors and more, to accompany the always-amazing show of hundreds of pieces of submitted art,” Art All Night event director Joseph Kuzemka said. “Apart from new entry and security measures, attendees can expect the same wonderful Art All Night experience they’ve always known at the familiar Roebling Wire Works building.”

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