NEW BEDFORD —  Downtown will be alight with free art and entertainment on Sept. 9 as a fully live AHA! night fills the streets to celebrate the role that the arts play in the economic revival of New Bedford.

This month’s theme celebrates 20 years since the opening of the UMass Dartmouth Star Store Campus for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Dean A. Lawrence Jenkens said, “ . . . students and faculty contribute to the increasingly vibrant cultural life of the city which fuels investment and interest around the Star Store. This artistic ecosystem has been incredibly successful.”

“We invite you to stroll downtown and check out all the free AHA! Night entertainment at dozens of venues, along with the fabulous food served at downtown’s many and diverse restaurants,” said AHA! Director Lee Heald. “This month’s theme honors the dazzling impact that the Star Store CVPC has on the arts culture in our city by the sea.”

AHA! Night highlights:

Hip Hop in the Garden: 3-4:30 PM

New Bedford Whaling National Park, Visitors Center

33 Williams Street

3rd Eye Unlimited Present

The Five Pillars of Hip Hop, Part 5

Hosted by Lonelle Walker

This is the last of 5 monthly events (May-September) exploring the 5 pillars of hip hop (Knowledge, B-Boy/Girl, Graffiti, MC’ing, DJ’ing) through performance, visual art, and sharing. Find out more about the five pillars, the history of these traditions, and where their influences originate.

The Fishing Heritage Center, 6:00-8:00 pm

New Gallery Exhibit: Women’s Work: At Sea, On shore, At Home, In the Community

Reception to welcome all visitors.

Starry Night Craft & the Bookmobile: 3:00pm New Bedford Main Library, 613 Pleasant Street

Look for the Bookmobile near Wing’s Court at 5:30 pm

New Bedford Art Museum: 4:00-8:00pm

608 Pleasant Street

Dear Malcolm Postcard Project

This summer and fall, the Art Museum will collaborate with the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park (and Uncommon Threads exhibition partner) to engage the community in the Dear Malcolm Postcard project. Stop by to color, write and cut out a postcard to Malcolm X. Postcards will be collected by NBAM for display in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitors’ Center through November.

Get Out and Art Pop-Up Show

Featuring artwork by youth during this summer’s Get Out & Art program, sponsored by the SouthCoast Community Foundation.

More Art Museum exhibits, free to all on AHA Night:

Uncommon Threads: The Works of Ruth E. Carter

A solo exhibition celebrating Massachusetts-born Ruth E. Carter’s 30-year career as an Academy Award costume designer. Featuring costumes from Dolmite Is My Name (2019), Roots (2016 reboot), Selma (2014), Do The Right Thing (1989), and Malcolm X (1992). The exhibit follows Carter’s creative process and includes sketches, mood boards, iconic costume, and other ephemera from her Los Angeles studio.

Eadweard Muybridge: Animal Locomotion

The latest exhibition at the Art Museum by New Bedford Library’s Art Curator, Allie Copeland. Eadweard Muybridge: Animal location is the Library’s latest exhibition featuring historic photographic studies of animals in motion and early motion-picture projection.

Lawn Games: 4:00-6:00 pm Roach-Jones-Duff Garden

396 County Street

Bring a picnic, relax on the lawn and play a round of croquet or bocce with friends.

Music & Art on William Street Alison Wells Gallery, 5:00-8:00pm

106 William Street

Shop local art. New glicee prints and notecards from Alison’s “in the Neighborhood” series about New Bedford (currently on view at the New Bedford Whaling Musuem). Plus original wok by select guest artists in stained glass, woodwork, ceramics and macrame.

Outside Celia’s Boutique, 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Dance to the music of acoustic duo Montage Bleu featuring Annett Almeida and Kim Mitchell performing an eclectic blend of covers s panning many decades and styles. Enjoy complex arrangements, intricate harmonies and multiple instruments!

First In-Person AHA! Mini-Concert

Interwoven, 6:00-7:00 pm

634 Pleasant Street

Interwoven is a maker space gallery that brings together the craft of making food and fabric with its connection to cultures from around the world. Providing creative space, gallery showings, private event space, pop-up rental opportunities, consignment sales and more.

Two of New Bedford’s own singers/songwriters:

Hooly J. Chan describers herself as a fairy or alien. Holly moves through the world writing songs and playing the ukulele. She’s recently written and released two albums: “Hospital Socks” and “Make Believe”, both on CD to tell her personal story about her healing journey and commentary on society and the world.