Yogi Fest Transforms Lincoln Park Into Wellness Haven

Newark’s Lincoln Park will be transformed into a center for wellness and healthy living during Yogi Fest on Saturday, June 28, 2025, from 11:11 AM to 4:55 PM. Founded by Newark native Ty Daye, the first Black male yoga instructor from the city, the event will feature yoga sessions for all experience levels, healthy eating demonstrations, meditation, and live music as part of the Prudential North to Shore Festival, according to the North to Shore Festival website.

The multi-faceted wellness celebration, powered by the Lincoln Park Music Festival, will operate across two dedicated stages and additional activity areas throughout the historic park. The daylong event culminates in a special musical “sneak preview” of the upcoming Lincoln Park Music Festival from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, creating a seamless blend of wellness and entertainment.

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Local Instructor Brings Wellness Vision to Life

Yogi Fest represents the realization of founder Ty Daye’s vision for wellness accessibility in urban communities. As a certified life coach, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) trainer, meditation and Reiki practitioner, Daye has established himself as a wellness pioneer in Newark, breaking barriers as the city’s first Black male yoga instructor.

“Wellness shouldn’t be exclusive or intimidating,” Daye explained in a recent Newark Local profile. “My goal with Yogi Fest is to create an entry point for people who might never have considered yoga or meditation as something accessible to them. When you bring these practices directly into the community, in a familiar setting like Lincoln Park, you remove those barriers.”

Daye’s approach emphasizes cultural inclusivity in wellness practices, adapting traditional techniques to resonate with Newark’s diverse community while maintaining their core benefits. This philosophy permeates the festival’s programming across all activity areas.

Diverse Programming Across Multiple Stages

The festival’s main attraction, the Wellness Stage, will feature a series of diverse yoga practitioners, sound therapists, meditation team leaders, and high-energy fitness experts from 11:11 AM to 4:55 PM. These sessions will unfold against a backdrop of live DJ performances interspersed with poetry, creating a multisensory wellness experience.

The Lifestyle Stage, operating from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM in collaboration with Lincoln Park Sustainable Living Community, focuses on nutritional wellness through multicultural cooking demonstrations. According to NJ.com, participating chefs will provide samples while demonstrating healthy cooking techniques accessible to home cooks with varying skill levels.

This stage will also host panel discussions addressing wellness, history, culture, and food access issues particularly relevant to urban communities. These conversations aim to connect physical practices like yoga with broader community health concerns.

Creative Wellness Through Art

A unique Paint & Hydrate Sip event, running from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM in collaboration with Lincoln Park Gallery Without Walls, offers participants a wellness-oriented twist on the popular paint-and-sip concept. Led by local artists and educators, the sessions replace alcohol with hydration while guiding participants through creating personal artwork.

Additional art activities include sustainable art creation and community muraling, extending the wellness theme through creative expression. Participants can take home their completed works, creating lasting mementos of their festival experience.

The integration of visual arts into the wellness framework demonstrates the festival’s holistic approach to health, acknowledging the therapeutic benefits of creative expression alongside physical practices.

Music Festival Preview Caps Event

The day culminates with a special musical component from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, serving as a “sneak preview” of the upcoming Lincoln Park Music Festival. This segment will feature performances by local, regional, or national acts, offering a taste of what attendees can expect from the full music festival later in the season.

This coordination between Yogi Fest and the Lincoln Park Music Festival represents a growing integration of wellness practices into broader cultural events. The complementary scheduling allows attendees to experience both wellness activities and musical performances within a single venue and timeframe.

The festival’s central location in Lincoln Park, at 1 Lincoln Park Place in Newark, makes it accessible to residents from throughout the city while highlighting one of Newark’s historic green spaces. The park setting enhances the wellness focus, providing a natural environment for outdoor activities.

Festival Context

Yogi Fest is part of the broader Prudential North to Shore Festival running from June 14-29 across multiple New Jersey locations. The multi-city festival features events in Newark, Asbury Park, and Atlantic City, celebrating New Jersey’s artistic and cultural contributions.

As a free community event, Yogi Fest represents the festival’s commitment to accessible programming that promotes wellbeing alongside artistic expression. The event’s focus on wellness adds a distinctive component to the festival’s diverse offerings.

Additional information about Yogi Fest can be found on the North to Shore Festival website and through the event’s dedicated Facebook page. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own yoga mats, water bottles, and comfortable clothing appropriate for participation in movement activities.

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