HOUSE MUSIC TAKES CENTER STAGE: Paterson’s Great Falls Festival adds Cheetah Club Celebration

The City of Paterson and Celebrating Paterson Inc., in partnership with Hinchliffe Stadium, will present a free house music event as part of this year’s Great Falls Festival on Sunday, September 1, 2024, from 3 pm – 10 pm at the Great Falls National Historical Park located at 72 McBride Avenue Extension in Paterson.

“As we celebrate the Great Falls Festival this year, we’re not just honoring our past but also driving forward Paterson’s future,” said Mayor Andre Sayegh. “This festival is a testament to our ongoing community revitalization efforts and the artistic renaissance across our city. By incorporating events like the Cheetah Club celebration and featuring our own talented artists, we’re showcasing Paterson’s rich heritage while paving the way for new creative opportunities that will continue to inspire and uplift our community for years to come.”

The house music event celebrates the Cheetah Club, a popular house music venue in Paterson during the 1980s and 90s. Pioneers of the venue include Paterson native and singer Sybil, one of the headliners performing on Sunday during the Cheetah Club reunion set from 3 pm to 6 pm. The set will also feature legendary DJ Kevin Hedge and singer Adeva, a Paterson native.

“The level of excitement I feel having the opportunity to return home for the Great Falls Festival is indescribable. For a long time, I desired to come home to perform. To have the honor to do it on the backs of saluting The Cheetah Club makes it more special, as it was the only place in Paterson where my music was played and partied regularly. House Music and Soul were generally the glorious sounds pumping there. I feel blessed to have had the experiences in my hometown,” the singer, Sybil, said.

The free event will feature deep house, afro-house, and Latin house music sets by internationally known DJs Tony Touch, Rich Medina, and Flagrant Drums from 6 pm to 10:00 pm. A dance floor will also be installed in front of the stage, which is the main feature of any house music event. The event was conceived by Baye Adofo-Wilson, Esq., a Paterson native and developer who led the restoration of Hinchliffe Stadium.

“Like the legendary dance club Zanzibar in Newark, the Cheetah Club also made a significant contribution to house music culture that we should celebrate. There hasn’t been any real documentation about the Cheetah Club’s legacy or the house music community it fostered. Still, today, artists like Sybil and Adeva are internationally known,” said Baye Adofo-WIlson, CEO of BAW Development. “Now that Hinchliffe Stadium has reopened and been restored, in the future, we want to offer more concerts and programming as part of the Great Falls Festival to celebrate the cultural renaissance happening in the City of Paterson.”

The Great Falls Festival originally started in 1971, with a performance by jazz great Duke Ellington and his band at Hinchliffe Stadium. Today, the event attracts tens of thousands of people to the 89-acre National Historic District to revel in food, rides, entertainment, fireworks, and the beauty of the Great Falls. This year’s festival will be held from Saturday, August 31, through Monday, September 2.

“As the Executive Director of Celebrating Paterson, Inc. and chair of the Great Falls Festival, I’m thrilled about our partnership with Hinchliffe Stadium to bring the Cheetah Club Reunion to this year’s event,” said Celebrating Paterson Executive Director Orlando Cruz. “Adding this iconic celebration as an attraction to the Great Falls Festival honors the legacy of a venue that was a heartbeat of Paterson’s vibrant music scene. Paired with the diverse selection of food vendors and carnival rides, this year’s festival is a perfect blend of history and culture that will resonate with our community and visitors alike.”

For more information about the festival, email Orlando Cruz: ocruz@greaterpatersoncc.org

About Hinchliffe Stadium
Built at the height of the Great Depression, Hinchliffe Stadium is one of the last remaining Negro League stadiums in the country. It played a significant role in baseball history as one of the few stadiums where African American athletes could showcase their skills during an era of segregation. Serving as the home field for the New York Black Yankees, New York Cubans, and the Newark Eagles, over 20 Hall of Famers graced the hallowed grounds. It’s the only sporting venue in a National Park above the Paterson Great Falls. It also stands as the first National Historic Landmark honoring baseball. Newly restored and reopened in 2023, the venue also hosts various concerts and events and features The Charles Muth Museum with exhibits showcasing the Stadium’s role in the Negro Leagues and its significance to the local community. For more information, visit: https://www.thehinchliffestadium.com

About Celebrating Paterson
Celebrating Paterson, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and showcasing the City of Paterson’s rich history and cultural diversity. The organization achieves this by producing various events highlighting the city’s unique heritage and fostering community pride and engagement. Through these events, Celebrating Paterson, Inc. aims to connect residents and visitors with the vibrant stories and traditions that define the city, ensuring that Paterson’s legacy is honored and celebrated.