The Newburgh Illuminated Festival will not return in 2025, marking the third consecutive year without the city’s signature summer event. Organizers are now aiming for a 2026 return.

The last time the festival took place was in June 2022. Founded in 2013 by the late Mayor Judy Kennedy and other community leaders, Newburgh Illuminated grew into a popular all-day celebration of the city’s arts, culture, music, food and history. The event typically filled Lower Broadway and Liberty Street with local vendors, performances and family-friendly activities.

After two years of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the festival made a highly anticipated return in 2022. However, it has not been held since.

Despite the hiatus, the Newburgh Illuminated committee remains active and prepared to organize the festival, according to board member Dave DeLeo. He said the group submitted an application to the city in 2023 that incorporated compromises requested by city officials, including an earlier end time, fewer events and increased security. That application was ultimately denied.
“We did have a few-year break during COVID, and when the Newburgh Illuminated Festival came back, it was one of our largest and most successful festivals ever,” DeLeo said. “We’re still abiding by the mission of Newburgh Illuminated, which is to support events that showcase the music, art, food, culture, history and architecture of the city.”

Fellow board member Paul Ernenwein echoed that sentiment, praising the dedication of the volunteers who typically spend a year planning the event. “There’s nothing like Newburgh Illuminated that’s ever happened in the City of Newburgh,” he said. “We’re always hopeful that either this present administration or the next one will want to have the festival again.”

In the meantime, the committee continues to promote past festivals through social media, sharing photos and videos, and engaging with community members who frequently ask about the festival’s return.

DeLeo and Ernenwein encouraged residents to reach out to their elected officials to express support for the event’s return.

Mayor Torrance Harvey said he remains a supporter of the festival, citing its origins under Mayor Kennedy and recalling memorable performances, including a 2022 set by Newburgh native and rapper Pardison Fontaine.

Harvey said the city council supports the festival in principle, but issues arose during the 2023 planning process between the Newburgh Illuminated committee and the city’s executive staff. He added that the city initiated a request for proposal (RFP) process, seeking a third-party company to organize a street festival.

The RFP, published Dec. 6, 2024, via Bidnet Direct, sought an “entertainment and events management company to organize, promote and manage a music- and arts-based street festival in downtown Newburgh.” The deadline for submissions was Jan. 10, 2025.

Harvey said the city plans to include funding for a 2026 festival in the upcoming fiscal budget, though it may proceed under a new name due to legal concerns.

“The plan is to put money into the budget for 2026,” Harvey said. “We go into budget hearings in August and September through November for the 2026 fiscal year. We plan to put money in the budget for the Illuminated Festival 2026, even though it’s going to have a different name for legal purposes.”
He added that a new RFP process would likely begin in late 2025 and emphasized the importance of community input.

“We’re going to budget it and do an RFP process that’s fair, equitable and transparent,” Harvey said. “Hopefully — not making any guarantees — the summer festival can take place in June 2026.”