PCCC Receives Levitt Family Foundation Grant for Hispanic/Latino Heritage Festival
Passaic County Community College (PCCC) is proud to announce that the College is a 2026 recipient of a grant award from the prestigious Levitt Family Foundation. PCCC is one of only 55 recipients selected by the Foundation for a festival grant award this year.
The $3,000 award will help to fund the College’s Hispanic/Latino Heritage Festival this Fall, a project that aligns with the goals of the Foundation to “strengthen the social fabric of America” by partnering with selected organizations to help create or revitalize inclusive, welcoming outdoor spaces “where the power of free, live music brings people together and invigorates community life.”
The Festival will be held on Thursday, October 8, during National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) and will take place at PCCC’s new Cultural Wellness Courtyard on the Main Campus in historic downtown Paterson, an urban community where nearly 65 percent of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. A rain date is set for October 15.
Performers will include the Viva Vallenato Cumbia band offering folk music of Colombia, Los Cimarrones, an Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba y Plena music and dance ensemble, Colombian visual artist Fabian Mira demonstrating his striking painting techniques, and others.
With a significant percentage of the student body population identifying as Hispanic or Latino, PCCC has observed the nationwide celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month each year with presentations and activities featuring visual art exhibits, musical and dance performances, crafts, and the history of more than 20 Hispanic and Latino countries.
While some of those events had been open to the public, most were limited to the College community and held indoors.
“We are excited about this incredible opportunity to extend PCCC’s annual celebration of Hispanic and Latino culture to our wider community, and we thank the Levitt Family Foundation for the support that will enable the College to serve our community in this creative and enriching manner,” said Dr. Jacqueline Kineavy, interim president of PCCC.
The festival is expected to attract approximately 300 attendees, including adults and children, according to Susan Balik, director of the Cultural Affairs Department at PCCC. “This estimate is based on prior multicultural programming by the Department,” she noted.
This festival will be the first in Paterson that brings together diverse Hispanic/Latino cultures in a green space. College and community organizations will collaborate to plan and coordinate the event, ensuring that the festival reflects all voices.
“By bringing this festival outdoors to the PCCC courtyard, we are excited to help create a lively gathering place in Paterson where students, neighbors, residents, and local businesses and organizations feel welcome and can experience the joy of free, live music in their community,” said Vanessa Silberman, executive vice president of the Foundation.
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About Passaic County Community College
For over 50 years, Passaic County Community College (PCCC) has provided affordable excellence in higher education and cultural opportunity to residents of Passaic County. Since its beginnings in 1971, with a single campus in Paterson, New Jersey, PCCC has expanded to include locations in Wanaque, Passaic, and Wayne. Additionally, a robust online course program offers even more convenience to students. Today, PCCC enrolls over 8,000 students in more than ninety (90) associate degree and certificate programs and also provides extensive programs in Continuing Education and Workforce Development. Named a NASA Partner College and an Achieving the Dream Leader College, PCCC is also a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), Minority Serving Institution (MSI), and JED Campus Member. Follow PCCC on Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter). Visit: www.pccc.edu
About the Levitt Family Foundation
The Levitt Family Foundation was established in 1966 as a way for philanthropists Mortimer and Mimi Levitt to support the arts, culture, and education in New York City. Over the decades, the family-operated Foundation has evolved into a national creative placemaking funder with a mission to harness the power of free outdoor concerts to strengthen the social fabric of America. Sitting at the intersection of music, public space and community building, the Levitt Family Foundation supports changemakers and nonprofits nationwide to build healthy, connected, and thriving communities by making live music accessible and bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together. Visit levitt.org
Cultural Affairs at Passaic County Community College (PCCC)
Located in the Hamilton Club Building (c.1897) on the PCCC Main Campus in historic downtown Paterson, New Jersey, the Cultural Affairs Department comprises the nationally renowned Poetry Center, Theater & Poetry Project, PCCC Art Galleries, Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council, and Folklife Center of Northern New Jersey. Cultural Affairssponsors art exhibitions and poetry readings by both established and emerging artists, multicultural community events, and workshops.Current programming is made possible through funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the New Jersey Historical Commission, as well as through general operating support from Passaic County Community College. Visit PCCC Cultural Affairs
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