MAAHF: Annual Heritage Parade

Montclair is hosting the MAAHF’s parade and festival

On Saturday, June 6, the 26th annual Montclair African American Heritage Foundation (MAAHF) festivity will take place. The event takes place annually at Nishuane Park in Montclair, N.J. The parade, part of the festival is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at Glenfield Park on Maple Avenue. The parade route, according to their website, begins at Glenfield Park and proceeds to Bloomfield Avenue to Elm Street to Orange Road to the grandstand on Cedar Avenue.

According to a statement, the Annual MAAHF Parade celebration will commemorate and support members from the community who represent the public and private business sectors, public officials, celebrated athletes and artists, community organizers and organizations. A parade queue showcasing the featured menagerie of artistic expression and motorcades, procession through the South Ward Section of Montclair.

The MAAHF festival also hosts a vast array of all kinds of vendors, ranging from food to clothing and accessories. Also, on the Friday night prior to the festival on Saturday, there is an annual “Meet and Greet” function held at Montclair High School. Headlining the list of entertainers at this year’s festival will be jazz artist Nat Adderley Jr.

Adderley is the former musical director for Luther Vandross and also contributed his talents as co-songwriter on several of his albums. He is the son of Nat Adderley and nephew of the late Cannonball Adderley. He also attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and Performing Arts in New York City, where he first met Luther Vandross and later became his musical director and co-composer. He also holds a degree in African American studies from Yale University. He was the arranger of the 1981 hit album Never Too Much while residing in Houston Texas. That song, Luther’s first hit, reached no. 33 on the Billboard hot 100. He worked with Luther Vandross until the singer’s stroke in 2003. Nat Adderley is a resident of West Orange, N.J.

Here is the current lineup for the parade:

• 2:30 – NJ PAC JAZZ for TEENS
• 2:45 – Flicia Moss Eaton; Gospel
• 3:30 – Rock & Soul Band; R & B
• 5:15 – Nat Adderley Jr., Jazz
• 6:15 – Mista B and the Boyz; R & B

The MAAHF is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization supported by a diverse committee of volunteers who have affection for the Montclair community, and they work with volunteers both inside and outside of Montclair. According to their website, the goal of the organization is to “sponsor educational events and activities to promote community building and fostering of good neighbors. There are concerns about issues affecting the ​African-American community, especially the youth, in Montclair. The complexions of many neighborhoods have significantly changed over the years and with these changes, a lot of history has been lost. Our programs will be intended to influence how the Montclair community experiences the local African-American heritage, culture and concerns.”

  african american heritage, montclair, parade