The Count Basie Center for the Arts Centennial Celebration

The Count Basie Center for the Arts Centennial Celebration includes a lineup of events from now through November 2026.

Events include:

– On August 21 (which would have been Count Basie’s 121st birthday), The Count Basie Center celebrated Count Basie’s birthday with a dance procession from the Hackensack Meridian Health Theater to the Red Bank BroadWalk, set to Basie’s tune “The Red Bank Boogie.”

– The installation of the Count Basie Center Walk Of Fame, honoring area artists whose early performances on the historic Basie Center stage gave way to worldwide fame and recognition. The induction of the Walk’s first performing artists – William James “Count” Basie and a surprise performer to be revealed later this summer – will take place September 25.
– “100 Years of Soul, Sounds and Stories,” a project to collect and share personal histories of community members’ experiences at the Count Basie Center, from the Reade’s Carlton era through present day.
– A 2026 Roast of New Jersey, celebrating the state’s rich comedy history by gathering comics for a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek night of state-deprecating humor.
– Collaborations with community businesses and partners, like Newark-based Brix City Brewing’s new Basie Center CentenniALE IPA and Bridging The Gap’s Basie Center Centennial Swing coffee, sales of which will benefit the Basie Center as well as support groups and services for veterans.
– ParkStage, the previously announced outdoor venue partnership with Monmouth County Tourism, opening Summer 2026 at the East Freehold Showgrounds.
– Stamped Stories, an initiative with Monmouth Arts to commission designs for a commemorative, 12-month postcard set celebrating the Basie Center by decade. The first design, from Red Bank artist and muralist Michael White, depicts the present-day façade of the Basie Center’s historic marquee and main entrance.
– The Century Club, an opportunity for donors and members of the public to invest in the Basie Center over the next decade to help propel the organization into its next decades of service.

– A decade-by-decade celebration of film at Basie Center Cinemas, whose White Street exterior will also serve as the space for a new community mural commemorating the Basie Center’s centennial.
– A three-day “throwback” finale in November 2026 to feature prices, fashion and other bits of 1926 pop culture, including a screening and live musical accompaniment of The Quarterback, originally shown on opening night at the then Reade’s Carlton theater.