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1,555 | 21,877,497 | 0 | Capital Fringe Festival | States | The Capital Fringe Festival is a fringe theatre festival held in Washington, DC, United States, every July.
== History ==
The Capital Fringe Festival was first held on July 20–30, 2006. Founded by Julianne Brienza, Mike Geske, Colin Hovde, Scot McKenzie, Nyree Neil, William D. Parker, Charles Phaneuf and Damian Sinclair, the festival was in the spirit of other Fringe festivals worldwide to provide a stripped down platform for artists to perform their works for adventurous audiences. The first festival took place in 28 venues all over downtown Washington, D.C. The festival grounds were located in the Penn Quarter Neighborhood and the eleven day event featured 90 arts groups in almost 400 performances. The first year's festival sold almost 20,000 tickets and 100 performances were completely sold out.
The second year's festival took place in 2007 and expanded performances to 120 arts groups and close to 500 performances. That year the festival won the 2007 Mayor’s Arts Awards for Innovation. The festival continued to grow in 2008 by expanding to 18 days of performances with 120 performing arts groups.
Over the years the festival has won several awards including the 2011 Mayor’s Arts Award for Service in the Arts and the 2013 Helen Hayes Award for Innovative Leadership in the Theatre Community. It has added additional programming such as fallFRINGE, Fringe Curated Series, and Duck Pond Music.
In 2015, the festival moved from downtown to NE DC. It celebrated ten years in operation and Mayor Muriel Bowser awarded Fringe’s Founding Director, Julianne Brienza, the Mayor’s Arts Award for Visionary Leader and the Washington Business Journal awarded our Founding Director Non-Profit CEO of the Year.
In 2018 the festival moved to SW DC and began the Fringe Curated Series. The Series included five curated works at the center of the festival. These pieces were performed in Washington D.C., Arena Stage. The Fringe commissioned the five works asking for them to be myth-driven. The five pieces included: O Monsters by New Paradise Laboratories, The City of... by Matthew Capodicasa, Baracoco by Happenstance Theatre, America's Wives by Farah Lawal Harris, and Andromeda Breaks by Stephen Spotswood.
In 2020 the festival was cancelled and they formed a partnership with the Caandor Labs and Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. This led to launching the Down to Earth paid artist residency. In 2021, instead of running the Fringe festival, the Fringe ran the four 13-week visual art Down to Earth Residency. Each artist received $10,000 for their residency period. The program concluded with an in person gallery show at the Honfleur Gallery in April 2022. Fringe also launched Duck Pond Music. This is a free outdoor concert series to create earning opportunities for local DMV musicians.
But 2020 was not kind to the Fringe and the festival had to sell off their headquarters in 2021 and revamp their plans for building out their space and curating year-round programming. They did not hold a festival in 2021, but returned in 2022 in a much smaller capacity. Due to high rent increases the Fringe moved the festival to Georgetown. The 2022 festival featured 30 performing groups over two weekends in July.
== References and external links ==
Official website
Something for Everyone: Solo Works, Dance Pieces, Cabaret, Plays and More Populate First D.C. Fringe Fest (Playbill)
DC's Capital Fringe to Welcome My Friend Hitler, Carrie Potter and the Half Blood Prom, Feminazi and More (Playbill)
From Bee Man to Wiener Sausage, Capital Fringe Fest Begins July 10 in DC (Playbill)
Fringe and Purge (Washington City Paper)
The Washington Festival With the Fringe on Top (Washington Post)
Washington Post Guide to the 2008 Capital Fringe Festival |
1,556 | 4,934,300 | 0 | Capital Pride (Washington, D.C.) | States | Capital Pride is an annual LGBT pride festival held in early June each year in Washington, D.C. It was founded as Gay Pride Day, a one-day block party and street festival, in 1975. In 1980 the P Street Festival Committee formed to take over planning. It changed its name to Gay and Lesbian Pride Day in 1981. In 1991, the event moved to the week prior to Father's Day. Financial difficulties led a new organization, One In Ten, to take over planning of the festival. Whitman-Walker Clinic (WWC) joined One In Ten as co-sponsor of the event in 1997, at which time the event's name was changed to Capital Pride. Whitman-Walker became the sole sponsor in 2000. But the healthcare organization came under significant financial pressures, and in 2008 turned over producing duties to a new organization, Capital Pride Alliance.
The event drew 2,000 people its first year and grew to 10,000 people covering 3 blocks in 1979. By 1984, it had expanded to a week-long event and by 1987 an estimated 28,000 attendees came to the street festival and parade. Attendance began fluctuating in the late 1980s, but stabilized in the 1990s. The festival was the fourth-largest gay pride event in the United States in 2007. Capital Pride saw record attendance for its 35th anniversary celebration in 2010. An estimated 100,000 people turned out for the parade and another 250,000 for the street festival in 2012.
== History ==
=== 1970s ===
The festival was first held on Father's Day in 1975. Deacon Maccubbin, owner of the LGBT bookstore Lambda Rising, organized the city's first annual gay pride event. It was a one-day community block party held on 20th Street NW between R and S Streets NW in Washington, D.C. (the same block where Lambda Rising was then located). Two vending trucks, one loaded with beer and another with soft drinks, served the crowd. About 2,000 people attended and visited about a dozen organizational booths and vendors. In a surprising political move indicative of the growing political power of gays and lesbians in the city, several candidates for the D.C. City Council also attended and shook hands for several hours.
In 1981, Gay Pride Day first hosted a parade in addition to the street festival. The growing festival drew more than 10,000 attendees that year. Washington Mayor Marion Barry, elected the previous November, attended his first Gay Pride Day in 1979—and would for the rest of his time in office as mayor.
=== 1980s ===Following the 1979 event, with crowds growing larger than could be accommodated at the original location, Maccubbin turned the planning of the event over to a new non-profit group, The P Street Festival Committee, formed in 1980 to take over the growing event. The committee established a board of directors to oversee planning and administer the festival's finances, and widened planning and participation to include a number of prominent LGBT organizations in the D.C. metro area. Gay Pride Day (as the festival was then known) moved that year to Francis Junior High School at 24th and N Streets NW, next to Rock Creek Park. In 1981, a parade route had also been established. The parade began at 16th Street NW and Meridian Hill Park, traveled along Columbia Road NW and then Connecticut Avenue NW, and ended at Dupont Circle.
1983 was the year the first woman and person of color was named Grand Marshal of the Gay Pride Day parade. In 1984, festival organizers began bestowing the Heroes of Pride award to members of racial and ethnic minorities who made a difference in their communities.
Attendance at Gay Pride Day events reached 11,000 people in 1981, 15,000 in 1982, and 20,000 in 1983. By 1984, the one-day festival had become a week-long series of meetings, speeches, dances, art exhibits, and parties. At its 10th anniversary in 1985, D.C. Gay Pride Day drew an estimated 28,000 attendees to the street festival and parade. But attendance began varying dramatically from year to year in the late 1980s. In 1986, only about 7,000 people watched the parade, and another 1,000 stayed for events at Francis Junior High. A year later, attendance was estimated variously between 7,000 and 10,000 people.
=== 1990s ===
Financial problems and growing concerns about the organization's lack of inclusiveness led the P Street Festival Committee to disband in 1990 in favor of a successor organization, Pride of Washington.
Several changes to the event occurred in 1991. The District of Columbia's African American gay community sponsored the first Black Lesbian and Gay Pride Day on May 25, 1991. The event was created not as a competitor to the June gay pride event but rather as a way of enhancing the visibility of the African American gay and lesbian community. 1991 also saw the Gay Pride Day parade and festival move away from its traditional date for the first time. Organizers shifted the event to the week prior to Father's Day to give people a chance to spend the holiday with their families. 1991 was also the year that the street festival expanded to more than 200 booths, and the first year that active-duty and retired American military personnel marched in the parade. The parade made national headlines when U.S. Air Force Captain Greg Greeley, who led the active-duty group, was later questioned by military security officers and told his pending discharge was on hold because of his participation in Gay Pride day. No further action against Greeley was taken, and he eventually received an honorable discharge.
The festival suffered from financial difficulties in the early 1990s. Rain during the parade and street festival significantly reduced attendance several years in a row. Unfortunately, festival organizers had decided, as a cost-saving move, to not take out weather cancellation insurance. The festival lost significant amounts of money, and came close to bankruptcy.In 1995, One In Ten, a D.C.-based arts organization which hosted the Reel Affirmations film festival, assumed responsibility for organizing Gay Pride Day events. One In Ten moved the street festival from Francis Junior High to Freedom Plaza near the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The parade route also changed. Instead of traveling westward from Dupont Circle on P Street NW to finish at Francis Junior High School, the parade now began at the school, moved east along P Street to 14th Street NW, and then traveled south on 14th Street NW to Freedom Plaza.
The change in sponsorship and significant organizational and promotional changes led to sharply higher attendance. The parade and festival drew only about 25,000 attendees in 1994, but this soared to more than 100,000 by 1996.
However, the financial and organizational strain of producing the event proved too heavy for the small arts group. In 1997, Whitman-Walker Clinic joined One In Ten as a co-sponsor of the festival, and the event was renamed Capital Pride. The street festival was moved off Freedom Plaza and onto Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 14th and 10th Streets NW. Corporate sponsorships also rose dramatically, reflecting the festival's growing commercial nature. Corporate sponsorships reached $247,000 in 1999, up from $80,000 in 1998. 1997 also saw the city's first Youth Pride Day event. Sponsored by the Youth Pride Alliance, an umbrella group of LGBT organizations supporting the sexual orientation and gender expression needs of young people, the event was held first held in late April (although after 2010 it moved to a date closer to Capital Pride).
=== 2000s ===
Whitman-Walker Clinic became the sole sponsor of Capital Pride in 2000. The festival was moved to Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 4th and 7th Streets NW, and the festival's main stage repositioned so that the United States Capitol building was in the background. As a cost-saving move, in 2002 the parade was moved to early evening on Saturday while the festival continued to occur on Sunday afternoon. The same year, the number of parade contingents reached 200 for the first time. In 2004, 100,000 people attended Capital Pride events.
But financial problems once more plagued Capital Pride. The event had come to be billed as a fund-raiser for the clinic, although net revenues were also shared with other organizations. In July 2005 (after Capital Pride was over), Whitman-Walker Clinic revealed that it had asked the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights advocacy group, for an emergency donation of $30,000. The clinic had also asked D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams to waive more than $40,000 in street closing and police overtime fees. Both requests were granted. Unnamed sources quoted by the Washington Blade, a local LGBT newspaper, said Whitman-Walker's financial problems had spilled over into Capital Pride planning. Had the financial help not been forthcoming, the 2005 festival would have been significantly curtailed. Whitman-Walker officials strongly disputed the claims about the organization's finances, but did not deny that the financial requests had been made. WWC estimated the day after the festival ended that net proceeds from Capital Pride were $30,000 in 2005.
A week after the financial problems were revealed, Robert York, the Whitman-Walker staffer who had served as executive director of Capital Pride since 1999, unexpectedly resigned from the Clinic and as Capital Pride organizer. York's departure followed a series of resignations by the clinic's upper- and middle-level managers. York was replaced by clinic staff member David Mallory.Financial difficulties at Whitman-Walker Clinic led to speculation that the healthcare organization would spin off Capital Pride as an independent body or permit another group to take it over. The Washington Blade quoted unnamed Whitman-Walker staffers as saying that Capital Pride consumed a significant amount of the clinic's time, resources, and staff but did not generate large revenues in return. In April 2005, The Center, an LGBT organization attempting to build a gay and lesbian community center in the District of Columbia, approached Whitman-Walker officials and asked if they would turn Capital Pride over to them. Whitman-Walker refused the offer, citing The Center's own financial difficulties and small staff.
The financial distress and staff changes did not appear to change the event's appeal, however. Capital Pride attracted more than 200,000 people in 2006, making it the fourth-largest gay pride event in the United States. The festival included four major dance parties, a youth prom, and a transgender dinner. D.C. Leather Pride held its first events in 2006 as well, which included a Mr. and Ms. Capital Pride Leather competition.
Whitman-Walker expanded organizational oversight of Capital Pride in 2007. Although the healthcare organization remained the sole sponsor of the festival, 11 other local non-profit organizations joined with WWC to form the Capital Pride Planning Committee. This committee contributed staff and organizational resources to help produce the event. 2007 also saw the city's first Trans Pride. Organized by the D.C. Trans Coalition, an umbrella group of organizations and activists supporting the needs of transgender people, the addition of Trans Pride to Capital Pride was a direct outcome of the expanded organizational planning group. D.C. Latino Pride also held its first events in 2007 as well. Hosted by the Latino LGBT History Project, it featured an exhibit and panel discussion (which has led some to date the founding of D.C. Latino Pride to 2007's expanded events rather than 2006).
But the financial pressures on Whitman-Walker did not abate. With the clinic itself under significant financial pressure, WWC issued a Request for Proposal in the second week of January 2008 asking for one or more groups to replace WWC as the organizer and sponsor of Capital Pride. On January 11, 2008, Whitman-Walker Clinic disclosed, for the first time in years, the financial status of Capital Pride. WWC revealed that the 2007 Capital Pride festival ran a deficit of $32,795 on $167,103 in revenue. The clinic also reported that this included reimbursing itself for $100,000 in up-front money to pay for festival-related expenses occurred far in advance of the festival. Twelve other local organizations were also reimbursed $28,000 in up-front money as well.
In March 2008, Whitman-Walker Clinic awarded the production rights to Capital Pride to the Capital Pride Alliance—a group of volunteers and organizations formed by members of the Capital Pride Planning Committee. Capital Pride Alliance won the bid over The Center, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and Jansi LLC (the parent company of the local LGBT newsweekly, Metro Weekly). WWC last helped to produce Capital Pride in 2008.
Capital Pride Alliance was the sole producer of the event beginning in 2009.
=== 2010s ===The 35th anniversary of Capital Pride occurred in 2010. Organizers and affiliate organizations hosted 60 events over 10 days. According to organizers, a record attendance of more than 250,000 people turned out just for the Pride street festival.
Capital Pride continued to flourish over the next several years. Per policy, city officials and police declined to provide a crowd estimate in 2011, but event organizers said 200,000 to 250,000 people attended both the parade and the street festival. In 2012, the Capital Pride parade extended for more than 1.5 miles (2.4 km), and was expected to draw about 100,000 spectators. Although about 200,000 attendees were expected at the street festival the next day, organizers put actual attendance at about 250,000. More than 300 vendors participated in the street fest, and D.C. Latino Pride expanded to four days of events.
A contingent from the Washington National Cathedral marched in the Capital Pride parade for the first time in 2013. Leading the group of 30 staffers was the Very Reverend Gary Hall, Dean of the cathedral. The Washington Post described the cathedral group's participant as a stunner for some. The Washington Blade reported attendance at the 2013 parade at 100,000. Changes to the parade included a turn north rather than south on 14th Street NW. The street festival started an hour later (noon), and ended an hour later (9:00 P.M.) to take advantage of the summer sunlight hours. A less positive change was a split among organizers of D.C. Latino Pride. A group of 11 organizations questioned the Latino LGBT History Project's control over and use of the event as a fundraising mechanism. They also claimed that transgender groups were being excluded from the event, and it was focused on national issues at the expense of grassroots organizing and community groups. The Latino GLBT History Project strongly denied both claims. The 11 dissenting groups split from the D.C. Latino Pride effort, and both groups of Latino organizations held competing events and parties in early June 2013.On June 7, 2014, a United States Armed Forces color guard led the way and retired the colors in the Capital Pride parade. It was the first time in American history that an officially sanctioned United States Armed Forces color guard marched in a gay pride parade. Although several gay pride parade organizers nationwide had requested a color guard since the demise of the military's don't ask, don't tell policy in 2011, none had ever been approved. The eight-person color guard represented each branch of the United States armed forces. The Military District of Washington provided the color guard, which also presents colors for the President of the United States, members of Congress, and at official state functions. The 2014 parade attracted more than 100,000 people, while festival organizers estimated that more than 250,000 people attended events during the entire week-long Capital Pride celebration. The 2015 parade drew roughly 150,000 people.
On June 8, 2019, reports of gunfire at the parade in Dupont Circle caused people to flee through the streets in a panic. Police responded to the scene but determined that no shots were fired; the sounds of gunshots were most likely falling crowd-control barriers. A man with a BB gun was arrested for causing the panic and for possession of an illegal weapon; he pointed the BB gun at another person in Dupont Circle who was assaulting his female significant other, according to a police report. Seven people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries from the stampede.
=== 2020s ===
No Capital Pride was held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C., and the event was conducted virtually in 2021. Capital Pride resumed in-person events in 2022, including a parade, and a festival where Vice President Kamala Harris surprised the audience.
== Organization ==Capital Pride was originally called Gay Pride Day. It changed its name to Gay and Lesbian Pride Day in 1981, and to Capital Pride in 2000.
The event was initially organized in 1975 by Deacon Maccubbin, owner of Lambda Rising Bookstore, with the help of the bookstore's employees, volunteers, and a part-time executive director, Bob Carpenter. Maccubbin and Lambda Rising hosted the event for the first five years of its existence, until it grew to 10,000 attendees and spread over three blocks. At that point, it became too large for the space available, so Maccubbin began looking for an alternative location. In 1980, a group of community activists incorporated as the P Street Festival Committee and Maccubbin turned the event over to that group. Financial problems and growing concerns about the organization's lack of inclusiveness led the committee to disband in 1990 in favor of a successor organization, Pride of Washington. Further financial problems led Pride of Washington to transfer the event to a local LGBT arts organization, One In Ten, in 1995. In 1997, One In Ten partnered with Whitman-Walker Clinic to co-produce the festival. Whitman-Walker Clinic became the sole sponsor in 2000.
Whitman-Walker turned the event over to a new group, the Capital Pride Alliance, in 2008. Capital Pride Alliance has continued to produce festival. Although the Capital Pride Alliance was formed by 11 organizations, it now has a self-perpetuating board of directors.
== Cultural references ==In 2005, an exhibit at The Warehouse Gallery, an art gallery and museum in the District of Columbia, documented the history and meaning of Capital Pride for area residents. The exhibit, Queering Sight—Queer Insight, opened on June 3, 2005, and ran for a month.
In 2006, Capital Pride was featured in the comedy film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
One In Ten sponsored a second exhibit about Capital Pride's history in 2007. The exhibit was installed at The Sumner School, a city-owned museum in a historic former school building in midtown D.C. The exhibit ran from March to June 2007.
The New York Times in May 2014 called Capital Pride one of the more notable Pride festivals and parades around the country.
Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C.
D.C. Black Pride
LGBT rights in the District of Columbia
== External links ==Capital Pride Web site |
1,557 | 30,737,560 | 0 | DC State Fair | States | DC State Fair is an organization in Washington, D.C., that is culturally analogous to state fairs elsewhere in the United States. It is an organization dedicated to showcasing D.C. residents' talents in baking, cooking, brewing, crafting, gardening, and sewing.
== Past Fairs ==
2010: The inaugural fair was held on August 28, 2010, at a neighborhood festival, Columbia Heights Day, and had 11 competitions.
2011: Rescheduled for October 1, 2011, due to Hurricane Irene and held at the Crafty Bastards art festival as a cornerstone vendor in the first-ever Crafty Farm area.
2012: The third Fair, which featured 20 contests, was held on September 22, 2012, at the community festival Barracks Row Fall Festival.
2013: Held September 28, 2013, at the Barracks Row Fall Festival.
2014: Held September 20, 2014, at Old City Farm & Guild.
2015: Held September 12, 2015, at Old City Farm & Guild and featured a best bud marijuana contest.
2016: Held August 28, 2016, at NoMa Junction at Storey Park.
2017: Held September 24, 2017, at Waterfront Station in Southwest DC.
2018: Held September 23, 2018, at Waterfront Station in Southwest DC.
2019: Held September 8, 2019, at the Gateway DC park on the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus in Southeast DC.
2020: Held September 13, 2020, online as live events were canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022: On September 11, 2022, the fair returned as an in-person event after being held virtually for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
== External links ==
DC State Fair official homepage. |
1,558 | 12,356,981 | 0 | H Street Festival | States | The H Street Festival is a yearly street festival held in the eastern blocks of H Street in the Near Northeast neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
== History ==
The H Street Festival was first organized by the Community-Business Action Coalition (COMBAC). COMBAC was created by neighborhood residents and businesses after the riots in 1968. The founders included Mr. Walter Ross, Mrs. Loree Murray, Ms. Doris Clark, Ms. Betty Hart, Mr. Idus Holmes and many others. The H Street Merchants and Professionals Association (HSMA) took responsibility for the Festival in the 1980s.
== 2005 Festival ==
In 2005, the event was planned, organized and managed by volunteers Raphael Marshall, Kwasi Frye. Education on the state of artists in DC during 2005 was provided exclusively by Elise Perry.
== 2006 Festival ==
For the 2006 festival, held on September 23, Raphael Marshall and Kwasi Frye took a professional approach to developing and retooling the festival.
== 2007 Festival ==
In 2007, The H Street Festival was repositioned with a new emphasis on the arts and humanities. To celebrate the designation of the community as the Atlas Arts District, Raphael Marshall and Kwasi Frye organized the Festival for Saturday September, 15. The festival focused on the visual and performing arts, neighborhood history, and the art of ideas, music, design, and food. There were multiple stages featuring a variety of music, from rock to R&B, a DJ booth, and two performing arts stages featuring theater, dance, poetry, and the spoken word.
The 2007 festival included more than 30 music and dance performances, examples of shows from DC Fashion Week, activities for children, and free health screens.
The purpose of making arts the foundation of the H STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL & BAZAAR was to focus attention on the developing arts and entertainment district at the eastern end of the H Street corridor, where well-received plays are performed at the H Street Playhouse, funky arts events occur at DC Sanctuary, and the Atlas Theater has been restored as the Atlas Performing Arts Center with theater, dance, and multi-purpose performing spaces. The African Continuum Theatre Company will be resident at the Atlas and the Theater Alliance is the resident company at the H Street Playhouse. In addition, the Raphael Marshall and Kwasi Frye want to highlight the often neglected but abundantly rich art's community of Washington D.C. Kwasi Frye has also partnered with web design artist Jermaine Fanfair to design the website for next year's festival.
== External links ==
Official Website |
1,559 | 1,423,539 | 0 | HFStival | States | The HFStival is an annual Washington, D.C. / Baltimore rock festival. It was held every summer from 1990 through 2006 by radio station WHFS. It was held again in 2010 and 2011 in commemoration of the now-defunct station's legacy. At its peak, the HFStival was the largest yearly music festival on the East Coast, drawing 55,000 to 90,000 people. It was held at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C. from 1993 to 2004; at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in 2005; and at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, in 2006.
Though not originally called HFStival, two earlier concerts held on the Fourth of July were the foundation for the first festival and are considered part of HFStival
On September 21, 2024 a revived version of the HFStival was held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
== History ==
=== 20th century ===
HFStival began in 1990 as the WHFS Fourth of July Festival, an all-day concert followed by a fireworks display, held twice at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Virginia in 1990 and 1991.
In 1992, HFStival was held in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and the following year's event, on July 4, 1993, was moved to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., where it remained for the next six years. In 1993, when the first RFK lineup was revealed, some controversy arose among the station's listeners over the inclusion of the Stereo MCs; the previous events had only included mainstays of rock and alternative music and the MCs, a hip hop group, seemed out of place. Once the concert went on, however, the audience's enthusiasm paved the way for WHFS to include more artists from outside the station's normal playlist on the HFStival's stages, which, in future years, included hip hop acts, electronica artists, and such disparate musicians as Tony Bennett and the Blue Man Group.
In 1999, HFStival was headlined by Red Hot Chili Peppers, and was held at the larger M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
=== 21st century ===
The 2000 festival was held at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, with a sold-out crowd of 90,000, the largest attendance ever for the festival, which is considered the HFStival's peak year. The 2000 festival was headlined by Rage Against the Machine and Stone Temple Pilots with a half-hour documentary produced by Washington, D.C.-based TV station MHz Networks and hosted by WHFS on-air personalities.
The strong ticket sales of the previous few years' festivals inspired the station to expand the HFStival, beginning in 2001, into a two-day event; between May 27 and 28, including over 40 artists. In 2002, the two-day formula was repeated to similar success.
On the first night of HFStival 2002, during a performance by Eminem, several members of the audience were injured when the crowd surged forward as the rapper took the stage. When the fans refused to obey his instructions to move back, the performance was suspended, allowing security and first aid personnel to act. The injured people removed from the crowd included five who required hospitalization and one man who suffered a heart attack. The incident cast doubt on whether the event, or the second day, would be allowed to continue – especially in light of the negative publicity the venue received when a concertgoer was hospitalized after a lightning strike at the 1998 Tibetan Freedom Concert. Eminem's performance, the following DJ set, and Day 2 of the festival eventually went on as planned.
Lagging ticket sales seemed to threaten the festival's future for a while, first when it was reduced for 2003 from two days back to one, and again when a planned second Fall Edition was cancelled following a scheduling conflict that required a change of date and venue. Several big-name artists were forced to pull out, severely affecting ticket sales.
In early 2005, the station abruptly went off the air, replaced by a Spanish language Latin pop format, and listeners feared the HFStival's days had come to an end. Shortly afterward, parent company Infinity Broadcasting revived WHFS with a new frequency and a new city and, with it, brought the HFStival back. HFStival 2005, held at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium, was notably different from previous affairs, featuring a lineup of artists from all points of the station's long history: original punk rockers The New York Dolls shared a stage with hard rock icon Billy Idol, veteran alternative band They Might Be Giants, and current rising stars like The Bravery. Approximately 53,000 seats were filled – nearly equivalent to a sold-out RFK Stadium.
The 2006 HFStival was held the weekend of May 27 and 28, 2006, at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, which more than doubled its normal capacity in order to accommodate the event's more than 40,000 attendees over the weekend event. The Pavilion's amphitheatre-style main stage featured the event's headlining artists, with the two additional stages located in the parking lot and in the surrounding woods. Despite being advertised up until a week before the event, the Buzz Tent, a dance / DJ area, was cancelled shortly beforehand.
In early 2007, WHFS was rebranded Baltimore's FM Talk, splitting off nearly all music to its HD radio channel HFS2. No official information came forth from the station regarding the HFStival, except for an announcement that it would be held in 2007. The only artist confirmed to perform was local metalcore band aFREUDIANSLIP, winners of the station's Road to the Festival band competition. The 2007 concert was not held.
The 2010 HFStival was held on September 18, 2010, at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. The 2011 edition of the event took place on September 17, again at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
On June 5, 2024, the social media accounts for the 9:30 Club and Nationals Park posted a teaser image that indicates the HFStival would return on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
On June 11, 2024, the official lineup and tickets for the September 21, 2024 show were released; performing artists were announced, including The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, Incubus, Bush, Garbage, Jimmy Eat World, Girl Talk, Violent Femmes, Tonic, Filter and Lit. Garbage ultimately did not perform and was replaced by Liz Phair.
== Lineups ==
Lineups are listed in reverse order, with the first band listed playing last.The cancelled 2003 Fall Edition was to have featured Limp Bizkit, Staind, O.A.R., Yellowcard, Jet, Deftones, The Black Eyed Peas, Rancid, Thrice, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Eve 6, Three Days Grace, Citizen Cope, Electric Six, Interpol, and SR-71. Duran Duran was also scheduled to appear, but the event was cancelled before they were announced.
List of HFStival performers
Music of Maryland
KROQ Weenie Roast
== External links ==
WHFS2 HD Radio
HFStival.com |
1,560 | 18,543,785 | 0 | International Children's Festival | States | The International Children’s Festival is a fair that showcases international cultures. Diplomatic embassies host booths about their country and culture intended to introduce children and their families to world geography, dress, and traditions through displays and activities. In addition to embassy-sponsored booths, the festival offers international dance and music performances, as well as opportunities to sample international cuisine. In 2009, Michelle Fenty, wife of DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, supported the festival by serving as Honorary Patron of the event.
The International Children’s Festival is held every May and is located in Meridian’s historic mansions.
== Description ==Embassies host booths at the Festival, allowing visitors to experience another culture. Embassies bring artifacts, displays, and activities about their country and culture. Food and drink samples are present at each booth, as well as crafts and activities. Booth activities have included trying on traditional Indonesian dress, stamping Kente cloth (Ghana), folding origami (Japan), writing hieroglyphics (Egypt), creating Carnival masks (Brazil), exploring Mexican children's toys and more.
=== Participating Embassies 2010 ===
Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Brazil, China, El Salvador, Fiji, France, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Senegal, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Zambia, as well as representation from the United Nations.
== Performances ==
In addition to the interactive booths sponsored by embassies, the Festival exhibits dance performances from local and international artists.
== Other Educational Outreach Programs ==
=== International Classroom ===
The International Children’s Festival is a part of Meridian’s educational outreach initiatives.
=== International Resource Library ===
International Classroom offers teachers resources to help them include more international education in their curricula. Meridian has Culture Boxes that contain items from a specific country or region to help aid learning.
=== Teacher Workshops ===
International Classroom also offers a professional development workshop, Passports to the World, for DC teachers each fall on how to internationalize their curricula while meeting current Standards of Learning.
(1) Meridian International Center
(2) Meridian International Center Photo Gallery
(3) DC About.com
(4) Embassy of Indonesia
(5) DC Urban Mom
(6) Cultural Tourism DC |
1,561 | 2,465,660 | 0 | National Book Festival | States | The National Book Festival is an annual literary festival held in Washington, D.C. in the United States; it is organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, and was founded by Laura Bush and James H. Billington in 2001.
== Background ==
In 1995, the First Lady of Texas Laura Bush (a librarian) founded the Texas Book Festival with Mary Margaret Farabee and support of Robert S. Martin, then Director and Librarian of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and other volunteers. The goal of the festival was to honor Texas authors, promote the joys of reading, and benefit the state's public libraries. The first Texas Book Festival took place in November 1996.
== History ==
As First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush worked with Librarian of Congress James H. Billington to create the National Book Festival. At a news conference announcing the inaugural event, Billington said: We must all try, in every way we can, to send the message that reading is critical to our lives and to the life of our nation. The first National Book Festival took place on September 8, 2001, at the Library of Congress and on the east lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The event featured more than 60 award-winning authors, illustrators and storytellers from across the country, including Stephen Ambrose, Natalie Babbitt, Robin Cook, Billy Collins, Sue Grafton, Larry L. King, David Levering Lewis, David McCullough, Walter Mosley, Katherine Patterson, Richard Peck, Gary Soto, and Scott Turow. Additional activities included book-signings, musical performances, storytelling, panel discussions, demonstrations of illustration and new technologies. Fifteen NBA players attended as representatives of the National Basketball Association's national reading campaign, Read to Achieve. The first National Book Fair attracted between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors.
The Center for the Book provides Great Reads from Great Places book lists.
The 2002 Festival featured more than 70 authors, illustrators and storytellers from across the country and hosted more than 45,000 visitors on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall. A new addition to the Festival was the Pavilion of the States which highlighted regional books.
The 2003 National Book Festival attracted a crowd of more than 60,000 to the National Mall. Two new pavilions, Home & Family and Poetry, were added to the event.
The 2008 National Book Festival attracted a crowd of more than 120,000 visitors and about 70 well known authors, illustrators and poets. Participating authors included: Tiki Barber, Mary Brigid Barrett, Jan Brett, Geraldine Brooks, Sandra Brown, Dan Chiasson, Eleanor Clift, Philippa Gregory, Steven Kellogg, Katherine Paterson, Salman Rushdie, Bob Schieffer, Jon Scieszka, Alexander McCall Smith, R. L. Stine, and Gordon S. Wood.
Laura Bush served as honorary chair of the festival from 2001 through 2008.
In 2009 Barack Obama and Michelle Obama served as honorary co-chairs. After 12 years on the National Mall, the National Book Festival moved indoors to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in 2014. More than 200,000 people attended the 2013 National Book Festival and, following that event, the National Park Service implemented new protocols and requirements to avoid damage to the grass on the National Mall. Stephen Lorenzetti, the Park Service's deputy superintendent for planning at the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said: There are new procedures to make sure that the grass survives. This can make it more expensive for events to take place.... We worked closely with the library to allow the festival to continue at a reasonable cost. We showed them how they might use the walkways and the roadways. But in the end, the library decided that it was more affordable to move to a different venue. We respect their decision. Jennifer Gavin, project manager of the Library of Congress National Book Festival, confirmed the reason for the change of venue, saying: We spent months working with the Park Service to see if we could make this work.... But when we looked at the costs — and they were considerable — we decided that the festival-goers would be better served by moving it into the convention center. The move indoors allowed the Festival to expand into night-time events, cookbook demonstrations, and screenings of film adaptations of books.The Literary Director at the Library of Congress is Clay Smith.
Highlights of all the past festivals beginning in 2001 are at the Library of Congress website.
The 2024 National Book Festival will take place on August 24. Main Stage speakers include Sandra Cisneros, James S.A. Corey, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Max Greenfield, Tamron Hall, Abby Jimenez, Casey McQuiston, James McBride, James Patterson, Lish Steiling and Rebecca Yarros. Many events will be live-streamed.
== Great Reads from Great Places ==
Every year since 2002, the Library Affiliates each choose a book to celebrate at the Book Festival in the Library’s Roadmap to Reading.
Lists of Great Reads from Great Places since 2002 are available at the Center for the Book website.
== Poster art ==Each year the Festival commissions an artist to design an event poster.Lu Ann Barrow (2001)
Carol Dyer (2002)
Joey Manlapaz (2003)
Floyd Cooper (2004)
Jerry Pinkney (2005)
Gennady Spirin (2006)
Mercer Mayer (2007)
Jan Brett (2008)
Charles Santore (2009)
Peter Ferguson (2010)
Jon J Muth (2011)
Rafael López (2012)
Suzy Lee (2013)
Bob Staake (2014)
Peter de Sève (2015)
Yuko Shimizu (2016)
Roz Chast (2017)
Gaby D'Alessandro (2018)
Marian Bantjes (2019)
Rodrigo Corral (2020)
Dana Tanamachi (2021)
Gail Anderson (2022)
Lisa Congdon (2023)
Laci Jordan (2024)
Books in the United States
== External links ==
National Book Festival official site
National Book Festival poster gallery
The National Book Festival: 2001–2008 (Bush White House archive) |
1,562 | 1,559,325 | 0 | National Cherry Blossom Festival | States | The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring celebration in Washington, D.C., commemorating the March 27, 1912, gift of Japanese cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo City to the city of Washington, D.C. Ozaki gave the trees to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan and also celebrate the continued close relationship between the two nations. Large and colorful helium balloons, floats, marching bands from across the country, music and showmanship are parts of the Festival's parade and other events.
== History of the cherry trees ==
=== Early initiatives ===The effort to bring cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C., preceded the official planting by several decades. In 1885, Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore returned from her first trip to Japan and approached the U.S. Army Superintendent of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds with the idea of planting cherry trees along the reclaimed waterfront of the Potomac River. Scidmore, who would go on to become the first female board member of the National Geographic Society, was rebuffed, though she would continue proposing the idea to every Superintendent for the next 24 years. Several cherry trees were brought to the region by individuals in this period, including one that was the location of a 1905 cherry blossom viewing and tea party hosted by Scidmore in northwest D.C. Among the guests was prominent botanist David Fairchild and his fiancée Marian, the daughter of inventor Alexander Graham Bell.
In 1906, David Fairchild imported 1000 cherry trees from the Yokohama Nursery Company in Japan and planted them on his own property in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The Fairchilds were pleased with the results of their planting and in 1907 began promoting Japanese flowering cherry trees as an ideal tree to plant around avenues in the Washington area. On September 26, with the help of the Fairchilds' friends, the Chevy Chase Land Company ordered 300 Oriental cherry trees for the Chevy Chase area. In 1908, Fairchild donated cherry saplings to every D.C. school to plant on its school grounds in observance of Arbor Day. At an Arbor Day speech that Eliza Scidmore attended, Fairchild proposed that the Speedway (a now non-existing route around the D.C. Tidal Basin) be turned into a Field of Cherries.
In 1909, Scidmore decided to raise the money to buy cherry trees and donate them to the District. As a matter largely of form, on April 5 she wrote a letter to First Lady Helen Herron Taft, wife of newly elected President Taft, informing her of her plans. Two days later, the First Lady responded:Thank you very much for your suggestion about the cherry trees. I have taken the matter up and am promised the trees, but I thought perhaps it would be best to make an avenue of them, extending down to the turn in the road, as the other part is still too rough to do any planting. Of course, they could not reflect in the water, but the effect would be very lovely of the long avenue. Let me know what you think about this.
By chance, Jōkichi Takamine, the Japanese chemist who discovered adrenaline, was in Washington with Mr. Kokichi Midzuno, the Japanese consul to New York City, on April 8. Informed of a plan to plant Japanese cherry trees along the Speedway (Ohio Avenue), Takamine asked if Mrs. Taft would accept an additional 2000 trees, while Midzuno suggested that the trees be given in the name of Tokyo. Takamine and Midzuno subsequently met with the First Lady, who accepted the offer of 2000 trees.On April 13, Spencer Cosby, Superintendent of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, purchased ninety cherry trees (Prunus serrulata) that were planted along the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial south toward East Potomac Park. It was subsequently discovered that the trees were of the cultivar Shirofugen, rather than the ordered Fugenzo. These trees had largely disappeared by the 21st century.
On August 30, 1909, the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C., informed the U.S. Department of State that the city of Tokyo intended to donate 2000 cherry trees to the United States to be planted along the Potomac. These trees arrived in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 1910. However, the inspection team from the Department of Agriculture (led by Flora Wambaugh Patterson) found that the trees were infested with insects and nematodes, concluding that the trees had to be destroyed to protect local growers. President Taft gave the order to burn the trees on January 28. Secretary of State Philander C. Knox wrote a letter expressing the regret of all involved to the Japanese Ambassador. Takamine responded to the news with another donation for more trees, 3020 in all, of a lineage taken from a famous group of trees along the Arakawa River in Tokyo and grafted onto stock from Itami, Hyogo Prefecture. On February 14, 1912, 3020 cherry trees of twelve cultivars were shipped on board the Awa Maru and arrived in D.C. via rail car from Seattle on March 26.
Much of the behind-the-scenes diplomatic events linked to the Japanese giving of the cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C., in 1912 are relatively unknown, according to the March 26, 2010, Washington Post article Scenes from 2010's Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual rite of spring in Washington. By Michael E. Ruane Washington Post Staff Writer. The Art of Peace illustrated biography on Prince Iyesato Tokugawa presents much of this prior history and the behind-the-scenes political details surrounding this Japanese goodwill gesture which point strongly to Prince Tokugawa's pivotal role in the initial Japanese gifting and its evolution into the National Cherry Blossom Festival in 1935. But instead of taking credit, Prince Tokugawa humbly wished to have this gift be seen coming directly from Japan's capital city Tokyo to the U.S. capital city Washington, D.C., without himself getting any recognition for this international goodwill gesture. Prince Iyesato Tokugawa (1863-1940) held great influence based on his being both the heir to the last Shogun of Japan, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, a dynasty that ruled for over 260 years, and also based on Prince Tokugawa holding the powerful position of President of Japan's upper house of congress the House of Peers for thirty years (1903-1933).
The 1910 New York Daily Tribune announced the upcoming arrival of Prince Tokugawa to New York City, after he had just visited Washington, D.C. This article mentioned that scheduled to coincide with the visit of Prince Tokugawa to New York City, was the recent arrival of a delegation of sixty Japanese. Prince Tokugawa and this Japanese delegation had all spent time together in Washington, D.C., prior to their visiting New York City. While in Washington, D.C., Prince Tokugawa met and dined with President William Howard Taft at the White House, who was honoring his visit. To understand the comradery already established between Prince Tokugawa and President Taft, one needs to recognize that from 1901 to 1908, while serving under President Theodore Roosevelt, the then Secretary of War William Howard Taft traveled around the world, including voyages to Japan where he was hosted and met with Prince Tokugawa. Taft was being groomed for his future role as President.
While in Washington, D.C., during his 1910 visit, the 37-year-old Prince Tokugawa twice visited the U.S. Senate to see first-hand the American legislative process. Tokugawa wished to familiarize himself with the similarities and differences between various democracies, such as that of the United States and Britain, to that of his own nation, Japan. One of the Japanese delegates who was part of Prince Tokugawa's delegation, who is shown in the 1910 Daily Tribune newspaper article photo illustration was the Mayor of Tokyo Yukio Ozaki, the Japanese official most remembered being linked to the Japanese gift of cherry blossom trees. This 1910 news article also stated that as part of Prince Tokugawa's visit to New York City, Prince Tokugawa expressed his desire to see the immense development that had occurred in the United States since his last visit. Prince Tokugawa and five of his Japanese companions toured the city; this included a visit to the American Stock Exchange on Wall Street; they also marveled at the construction of the Holland Tunnel. Prince Tokugawa was also invited to a small private dinner in honor of his visit to New York City, given by Kokichi Midzuno, Consul General of Japan. (Midzuno is the Japanese official who first contacted Japan's central government in 1910, asking for their advice on how best to proceed with the Japanese gift of cherry trees to Washington, D.C.) Of the eighteen guests at the above dinner, several were prominent leaders from New York City's Japanese-American community. Rather than wishing to receive a recognition for facilitating the Japanese gifting of cherry trees, Prince Iyesato Tokugawa preferred that the gift be seen as a token of goodwill coming directly from Japan and its capital city of Tokyo to the United States and its capital city of Washington, D.C. During his visit to the U.S., Tokugawa introduced the mayor of Tokyo to many influential Japanese Americans and to U.S. officials, so as to promote this Japanese gift, which in coming decades would be commemorated and grow into one of Washington, D.C.'s largest celebrations.
During his long career, Prince Tokugawa creatively promoted a friendship and alliance with six U.S. presidents and other world leaders during his extensive travels abroad. He was in many ways the diplomatic face of Japan when it came to international relations during the first 40 years of the twentieth century. Those years were often politically and socially turbulent, requiring Prince Tokugawa to take a leading role in encouraging respectful international diplomacy and military arms limitation at the Washington Naval Arms Conference. He strongly promoted an appreciation for democracy and during the 1920s took a leading stance against racism by introducing Abraham Lincoln's principles of equality into all of Japan's public schools and universities through Lincoln essay writing contests, where the winning students were given bronze commemorative coins with the face of President Lincoln.
One of Prince Tokugawa's closest and most influential Japanese allies was Baron Shibusawa Eiichi (aka Baron Eiichi Shibusawa). The combination of the 1915 and 1937 illustrations to the right offer a new window to Prince Tokugawa and Baron Shibusawa and their allies' significant influence linked to the initial cherry blossom tree giving and its evolution into the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival. The 1915 illustration is a rare photo that was discovered while doing research for the illustrated biography The Art of Peace. This biography highlights the alliance of Prince Tokugawa and Baron Shibusawa as they strove to promote international goodwill. This 1915 photo illustration (which is a section of a larger photograph) presents Baron Shibusawa Eiichi standing between two of his prominent Japanese colleagues. Shibusawa had been sitting at the other end of the huge banquet table, near former President Theodore Roosevelt, but for the sake of shooting and capturing this group photo of sixty attendees, the photographer requested that Shibusawa come to the other side of the table to be closer to former President William Howard Taft (who is at the far right in the photo, seated next to the gentleman whose image reveals only one half of his face). Standing at Shibusawa's right side is the Japanese-American Jōkichi Takamine, one of the two individuals who hosted this diplomatic banquet event. Takamine was a highly successful and respected chemist and businessman who helped found an international pharmaceutical company that continues to this day. Takamine was the individual who first offered to pay for the cherry blossom trees that were to be given by Japan to Washington, D.C. In this 1915 photo, standing at Shibusawa's left side is Count Chinda Sutemi, Japanese Ambassador to the United States. Both Takamine and Ambassador Sutemi were closely linked to the giving of cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C.
=== Japanese gift planted ===
In a ceremony on March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two of these trees on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. At the end of the ceremony, the First Lady presented Viscountess Chinda with a bouquet of 'American Beauty' roses. These two trees still stand at the terminus of 17th Street Southwest, marked by a large plaque. By 1915, the United States government had responded with a gift of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan.To further build on the growing goodwill between Japan and the U.S. based on the giving of the Cherry Blossom Trees in 1912, one of Prince Iyesato Tokugawa's close friends and political allies, Baron Eiichi Shibusawa, visited the U.S. in 1915. The 1915 photo illustration presented to the right presents Shibusawa attending a large banquet in New York City that was held in his honor. The host of this banquet is Jōkichi Takamine, the successful Japanese-American community activist and businessman who first offered to purchase the cherry blossom trees and have this gift diplomatically come from the nation of Japan. Former President William Howard Taft is also in attendance at this event showing respect for Baron Shibusawa. It was President Taft and his wife who officially received the gift of the cherry blossom trees from the representatives of Japan three years earlier.
From 1913 to 1920, trees of the Somei-Yoshino variety, which comprised 1800 of the gift, were planted around the Tidal Basin. Trees of the other 11 cultivars, and the remaining Yoshinos, were planted in East Potomac Park. In 1927, a group of American school children re-enacted the initial planting. This event is recognized as the first D.C. cherry blossom festival. In 1934, the District of Columbia Commissioners sponsored a three-day celebration of the flowering cherry trees.
=== National annual event ===The first Cherry Blossom Festival was held in late 1934 under joint sponsorship by numerous civic groups, and in 1935 it officially became a national annual event. The cherry trees had by this point become an established part of the nation's capital. In 1938, plans to cut down trees to clear ground for the Jefferson Memorial prompted a group of women to chain themselves together at the site in protest. A compromise was reached where more trees would be planted along the south side of the Basin to frame the Memorial. A Cherry Blossom Pageant was begun in 1940.
In 1937, the Garden Club of America commemorated the 25th Anniversary of the Japanese gift of cherry blossom trees to the U.S., by giving 5,000 flowering trees and plants to Japan. Who better to receive this U.S. goodwill gift than Prince Tokugawa, who had played a pivotal role behind-the-scenes and had introduced the then Mayor of Tokyo Ozaki to the U.S. leaders in Washington, D.C., in 1910, as part of the giving of those cherry blossom trees. It is revealing that in 1937, Prince Tokugawa accompanied by the current mayor of Tokyo are now the representatives of Japan in receiving this gift from the Garden Club of America at a ceremony held at Kiyozumi Park, Tokyo.On December 11, 1941, four trees were cut down. It is suspected that this was retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan four days earlier, though this was never confirmed. In hopes of dissuading people from further attacks upon the trees during the war, they were referred to as Oriental flowering cherry trees for the war's duration. Suspended during World War II, the festival resumed in 1947 with the support of the Washington, D.C., Board of Trade and the D.C. Commissioners.
In 1948, the Cherry Blossom Princess and U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen program were started by the National Conference of State Societies. A Princess was selected from each state and federal territory, with a queen chosen to reign over the festival. In 1952, Japan requested help restoring the cherry tree grove at Adachi, Tokyo, along the Arakawa River, which was the parent stock of the D.C. trees but had diminished during the war. In response, the National Park Service sent budwood back to Tokyo.In 1954, the governor of Tokyo gifted the Japanese Lantern, a 300-year-old granite lantern, to the city of Washington to commemorate the signing of the 1854 Japan-US Treaty of Amity and Friendship by Commodore Matthew C. Perry. The lantern was originally carved in 1651 as one of two memorializing Tokugawa Iemitsu and was brought to West Potomac Park from Ueno Park in Taitō, Tokyo, where the other lantern remains. For over 50 years, the lighting of the lantern by the Embassy of Japan's appointed Cherry Blossom Princess has opened the Festival.
Three years later, the president of The Pearl Company started by Mikimoto Kōkichi donated the Mikimoto Pearl Crown. Containing more than 2 lb (1 kg) of gold and 1,585 pearls, the crown is used at the coronation of the Festival Queen at the Grand Ball. The next year, the mayor of Yokohama gave a stone pagoda to the city to symbolize the spirit of friendship between the United States of America manifested in the Treaty of Peace, Amity and Commerce signed at Yokohama on March 31, 1854.
The Japanese gave 3,800 more Yoshino trees in 1965, which were accepted by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. These trees were grown in the United States and many were planted on the grounds of the Washington Monument. For the occasion, the First Lady and Ryuji Takeuchi, wife of the Japanese ambassador, reenacted the 1912 planting. In 1982, Japanese horticulturalists took cuttings from Yoshino trees in Washington, D.C., to replace cherry trees that had been destroyed in a flood in Japan. From 1986 to 1988, 676 cherry trees were planted using US$101,000 in private funds donated to the National Park Service to restore the trees to the number at the time of the original gift.
In 1994, the Festival was expanded to two weeks to accommodate the many activities that happen during the trees' blooming. Two years later, the Potomac and Arakawa became sister rivers. Cuttings were taken from the documented 1912 trees in 1997 to be used in replacement plantings and thus preserve the genetic heritage of the grove. In 1999, fifty trees of the Usuzumi variety from Motosu, Gifu, were planted in West Potomac Park. According to legend, these trees were first planted by Emperor Keitai in the 6th century and were designated a National Treasure of Japan in 1922. From 2002 to 2006, 400 trees propagated from the surviving 1912 trees were planted to ensure the genetic heritage of the original donation is maintained.
== Organization and events ==The National Cherry Blossom Festival is coordinated by the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization consisting of representatives of business, civic, and governmental organizations. More than 700,000 people visit Washington each year to admire the blossoming cherry trees that herald the beginning of spring in the nation's capital.
The three-week festival begins around the middle of March with a Family Day at the National Building Museum and an official opening ceremony in the Warner Theatre. The Pink Tie Party is also held, at which attendees are invited to don their finest pink attire to revel together and toast the spring season. An array of activities and cultural events takes place on the following days. The Blossom Kite Festival (formerly the Smithsonian Kite Festival) usually takes place during the festival's first or second weekend. Every day there is a sushi/sake celebration, classes about cherry blossoms, and a bike tour of the Tidal Basin. Other events include art exhibits (photography, sculpture, animation), cultural performances, rakugo, kimono fashion shows, dance, singing, martial arts, merchant-sponsored events, and a rugby union tournament.
The next Saturday, a three-stage festival takes place on the Southwest Waterfront. When the festival ends, a fireworks show begins on the nearby Washington Channel. The next morning (Sunday), the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run begins on the grounds of the Washington Monument. Later that Sunday, dignitaries gather at the Tidal Basin to participate in a ceremonial lighting of the 360-year-old Japanese stone lantern.
During the morning of the festival's last Saturday, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade travels along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW. For 16 years until 2015, the Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival (Japanese: さくらまつり), the largest Japanese Cultural Festival in the United States, took place throughout the day along 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, near the route of the parade. However, the 2016 Street Festival will take place at M Street SE and New Jersey Avenue SE, near the Department of Transportation exit of the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro station in the distant Capitol Riverfront area. The Street Festival's relocation became necessary when the Trump Organization, which operates the Trump International Hotel in the Old Post Office Pavilion at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, negotiated a deal with the Government of the District of Columbia that requires a 20 feet (6 m)-wide lane on Pennsylvania Avenue to remain open to the hotel's customers and valet parking service except during major events such as presidential inaugural parades, thus leaving insufficient space on the Avenue for the festival's activities.
In 2009, the National Cherry Blossom Festival introduced an alternative event to its lineup, with the debut of Cherry Blast, a mix of art, dance performances, live music, and fashion that took place in an Anacostia warehouse. In 2010, Cherry Blast II—the creation of artist Philippa P. Hughes of the Pink Line Project—moved to a storage warehouse in Adams Morgan, but still featured an eclectic group of local artists and musicians. The 2016 Cherry Blast took place at the Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square during the last Saturday evening of the festival.
The event's organizers cancelled many of the events since 2020 because of concerns related the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Several activities have since been added to engage the community in the springtime celebration, such as Petal Porches, Art in Bloom, and Paws & Petals.
== Types of cherry trees ==Of the initial gift of 12 varieties of 3,020 trees, The Yoshino Cherry (70% of total) and Kwanzan Cherry (13% of total) now dominate.
The first 12 cultivars presented were 'Yoshino', 'Kwanzan', 'Ichiyo', 'Taki-nioi', 'Shirayuki', 'Fugenzo', 'Ariake', 'Jo-nioi', 'Fukurokuju', 'Surugadai-nioi', 'Gyoiko', and 'Mikuruma-gaeshi'. With the exception of 'Yoshino', these 11 cultivars belong to the Sato-zakura group, a complex interspecific hybrid derived from the Oshima cherry. Many cultivars other than 'Yoshino' and 'Kwanzan' are not currently available for viewing because the government didn't obtained them after the original trees reached their maximum age.
The Yoshino produces single white blossoms that create an effect of white clouds around the Tidal Basin and north onto the grounds of the Washington Monument. Intermingled with the Yoshino are a small number of Akebono cherry trees, which bloom at the same time as the Yoshino and produce single, pale-pink blossoms.
The Kwanzan grows primarily in East Potomac Park and comes into bloom two weeks after the Yoshino. It produces clusters of clear pink double blossoms. East Potomac Park also has Fugenzo, which produces rosy pink double blossoms, and Shirofugen, which produces white double blossoms that age to pink.
Interspersed among all the trees are the Weeping Cherry, which produces a variety of single and double blossoms of colors ranging from dark pink to white about a week before the Yoshino. Other cultivars and species that can be found are the Autumn Cherry (semi-double, pink), Sargent Cherry (single, deep pink), Usuzumi (white-grey), and Takesimensis (good in wet areas).
== Gallery ==
Branch Brook Park, largest collection of cherry blossom trees in the United States
Hanami, Cherry Blossom Viewing in Japanese
International Cherry Blossom Festival, Macon, Georgia
Canadian Tulip Festival, a festival commemorating a similar gift from the Dutch royal family in exile during World War II
== Further reading ==
Ann McClellan, The cherry blossom festival: Sakura celebration (Bunker Hill Publishing, 2005).
Hahn, Fritz. Coronavirus closes Smithsonian museums, cancels National Cherry Blossom Festival events. Going Out Guide. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
== External links ==Official website
Washington DC Cherry Blossom Watch
Cherry Blossom Festival by the National Park Service
Guide to the National Cherry Blossom Festival records, 1999-2000, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University.
Video of the 1944 Cherry Blossom Festival
Washington DC Cherry Blossoms and Blossom Kite Festival
Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival
View The Japanese flowering cherry trees of Washington, D.C. by Roland M. Jefferson online at the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Cherry Blossom Cam by EarthCam
History of the National Cherry Blossom Festival - The Art of Peace illustrated biography on Prince Tokugawa Iesato |
1,563 | 7,256,729 | 0 | Shakespeare in Washington Festival | States | The Shakespeare in Washington Festival was a cultural festival held in Washington, D.C. from January through June 2007 in honor of the works of William Shakespeare.
More than 40 arts organizations from Washington and around the world participated in Shakespeare in Washington, a festival featuring a vast array of theater, music, and dance, as well as films, art exhibits, and many other events at the Kennedy Center and other venues across the D.C. area.
This event was conceived by Michael M. Kaiser, president of the Kennedy Center, and was curated by Michael Kahn, artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company.
== Participating international organizations ==
== Participating national organizations ==
Kennedy Center: Shakespeare in Washington Festival |
1,564 | 5,589,893 | 0 | Shakespeare Theatre Company Free For All | States | In 1991 the Shakespeare Theatre Company, under Artistic Director Michael Kahn, initiated its annual Free For All performances in Washington, D.C.'s Rock Creek Park. Each year the Company performed a show free to the public, usually from a previous season. In 2009 the Free For All was moved indoors to Sidney Harman Hall, one of two theatres operated by STC in downtown D.C. This more accessible location allowed STC to perform rain or shine, offer matinees, maintain the artistic excellence of the production and increase the overall number of Free For All performances. Plans for future productions have been put on hold since the COVID pandemic began in 2020.
The first Free For All production in 1991 was The Merry Wives of Windsor, starring Paul Winfield as Falstaff. More recent shows have included Much Ado about Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Pericles. A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Free For All production for 2005, traveled to the Aspen Institute's Ideas Festival in Colorado that same summer.
The STC received The Washington Post Award for Distinguished Community Service in 1992 and the 1997 Public Humanities Award from the Humanities Council of Washington D.C. for the Free For All.
== Free For All productions ==
Summer 2019: Hamlet
Summer 2018: Romeo and Juliet
Summer 2017: Othello
Summer 2016: The Tempest
Summer 2015: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Summer 2014: The Winter's Tale
Summer 2013: Much Ado About Nothing
Summer 2012: All's Well That Ends Well
Summer 2011: Julius Caesar
Summer 2010: Twelfth Night
Summer 2009: The Taming of the Shrew
Summer 2008: Hamlet
Summer 2007: Love's Labour's Lost
Summer 2006: Pericles
Summer 2005: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Summer 2004: Much Ado about Nothing
Summer 2003: Hamlet
Summer 2002: The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Summer 2001: King Lear
Summer 2000: The Merchant of Venice
Summer 1999: The Merry Wives of Windsor
Summer 1998: All's Well That Ends Well
Summer 1997: Henry V
Summer 1996: Measure for Measure
Summer 1995: Twelfth Night
Summer 1994: The Comedy of Errors
Summer 1993: Much Ado about Nothing
Summer 1992: As You Like It
Summer 1991: The Merry Wives of WindsorShakespeare Theatre Company
Michael Kahn (theatre director)
== External links ==
Shakespeare Theatre Company Official Website |
1,565 | 19,388,348 | 0 | Smithsonian Folklife Festival | States | The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, launched in 1967, is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage presented annually in the summer in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is held on the National Mall for two weeks around the Fourth of July (the U.S. Independence Day) holiday. The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage produces the Festival.The Festival is free to the public, encouraging cultural exchange. Attracting more than one million visitors yearly, the two-week-long celebration is the largest annual cultural event in the United States capital. Usually divided into programs featuring a nation, region, state or theme, the Festival has featured tradition bearers from more than 90 nations, every region of the United States, scores of ethnic communities, more than 100 American Indian groups, and some 70 different occupations.
The Festival generally includes daily and evening programs of music, song, dance, celebratory performance, crafts and cooking demonstrations, storytelling, illustrations of workers' culture, and narrative sessions for discussing cultural issues. Cultural practitioners speak for themselves, with each other, and to the public. Visitors participate, learning, singing, dancing, eating traditional foods, and conversing with people that the Festival program presents.
== List of programs by year ==
The regions and topics featured at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival since its inception in 1967:
== 1976 Bicentennial festival ==
As part of the nationwide Bicentennial celebration, the 1976 American Folklife Festival was extended into a 12-week event held from June 16 to September 6. Years of preparation in collaboration with thousands of scholars, performers, and preservationists produced programs, activities, and outdoor exhibitions running five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday. The festival took place in the western part of the National Mall, south of the Reflection Pool.
== Scenes from the 2008 festival ==
== External links ==Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives
Indiana University Folklore Institute Files on the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife 1987, 1979-1995, bulk 1986-1987 |
1,566 | 46,935,800 | 0 | Trillectro Music Festival | States | Trillectro Music Festival is a Washington, D.C.-based music festival founded in 2012. The annual single-day outdoor gathering features hip-hop, electronic, R&B and indie rock acts and is lauded for showcasing up-and-coming musicians on the eve of their big break.
== History ==
Organized by DC to BC, a music-marketing group started by three area natives, Trillectro is recognized as the area's first hip-hop and electronic music festival. The name Trillectro, a portmanteau of “trill” (meaning “authentic” in hip-hop circles) and “electro” (short for “electronic”), embodies the festival's credo of bridging the gap between music genres. Beyond music, the festival is also known as a showcase for local talent, including artists, vendors and small businesses.
=== 2012 ===
The inaugural Trillectro was held on August 11, 2012 at The Half Street Fairgrounds near Nationals Park and featured two stages.Acts: Schoolboy Q
Casey Veggies
Flosstradamus
Tabi Bonney
Tittsworth
Oddisee
Body Language
DJ Wonder
Cam Jus
Brenton Duvall
DJ Underdog
ASAAD
Gianni Lee
DJ Money
Beyond Modern
Rex Riot + Basscamp
Grande Marshall
Locke Kaushal
Nouveau Riche
Phony Ppl
Flatbush Zombies
Brenmar
DJ David Heartbreak
Doug E. Fresh (Host)
=== 2013 ===Trillectro 2013 was held on August 17 at The Half Street Fairgrounds near Nationals Park. The second year experienced a more than 100% growth rate, partially attributed to the organizers used of “crowdspeaking” platform Thunderclap. The social media campaign exceeded its supporter goal by 32% and reached over 5 million people.Acts:Wale (special guest)
A$AP Rocky (surprise guest)
A$AP Ferg
Casey Veggies
Travi$ Scott
Fat Trel
King Chip
Shy Glizzy
Tittsworth
Nadastrom
Phil Ade
Ghost Beach
DJ Sliink
Gent & Jawns
Goldroom
Salva
DJ Spicoli
Misun
Alex Young
Venus X
Two-9
RDGLDGRN
New Retro
Carnage
Lowkey and Ashley Outrageous (Host)
=== 2014 ===
To accommodate an expected rise in attendance, Trillectro 2014 moved to DC's historic RFK Stadium’s festival grounds and was held on August 23. In addition to the one-day event, the festival also hosted a handful of smaller parties throughout the week.Acts:Big Sean
Travi$ Scott (Surprise Guest)
Migos
Fat Trel
Baauer
Oddisee
Rae Sremmurd
Lunice
Rome Fortune
OG Maco
SZA
Lightshow
Sango
GoldLink
Ras Nebyu
The Beard & Th Fro
Spinser Tracy
Redline Graffiti
Fortebowie
The Jane Doze
TWRK
Falcons b2b Hoodboi
Willy Joy
DJ Money
Dirty South Joe
Dougie F & DJ Fire
Lowkey & YesJulz (Host)
=== 2015 ===
On July 8, festival organizers announced that Trillectro 2015 will be held on Saturday, August 29 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.Acts:Chance the Rapper
RL Grime
Cashmere Cat
Khelani
JMSN
DRAM
Tunji Ige
Chris McClenney
Masego
Babeo Baggins
Mista Selecta
Hi$to
Nativeson
Ayes Cold
YesJulz (Host) |
1,567 | 26,216,931 | 0 | USA Science and Engineering Festival | States | The USA Science & Engineering Festival is a bi-annual science festival held in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2010 by Larry Bock, the festival is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in the United States. The inaugural event was held on October 10–24, 2010, the second festival was April 27–29, 2012, the third festival was April 24–27, 2014, the fourth festival was April 16–17, 2016, and the fifth festival was April 7–8, 2018.
== Past festivals ==
=== 2010 Festival ===
The 2010 festival lasted for two weeks and culminated with an October 23–24 Expo on the National Mall. The Expo featured interactive hands-on science activities presented by over 550 U.S. science and engineering organizations. 125 universities/research institutes, 125 professional science societies, 50 government agencies, 30 high tech and life science companies and 150 informal science outreach organizations participated in the festival.
==== Nifty Fifty ====
The Nifty Fifty program was a group of fifty nominated professionals in various areas of science and engineering who interacted and spoke about their work and careers to middle and high school students across Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2010. Speakers' backgrounds were varied and spanned chemistry, biotechnology, engineering, math, computer science, medicine, green technology, nanotechnology, business, physics, astronomy, and energy.
==== Lunch With a Laureate ====
The Lunch with a Laureate program was focused on a small group of middle and high school students across the greater Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland areas. The purpose of the program was to engage students in informal conversations with a Nobel Prize–winning scientist over a brown-bag lunch. The twelve laureates that participated in this program were Leon M. Lederman, John C. Mather, William Daniel Phillips, Robert H. Grubbs, Alan J. Heeger, Dudley R. Herschbach, Phillip A. Sharp, Kary B. Mullis, Kurt Wuthrich, Douglas D. Osheroff, Baruch Samuel Blumberg and Sir Harry Kroto.
==== Expo ====
The two-week festival ended with a two-day expo on the National Mall that featured over 500 U.S. science organizations. The list of exhibitors included universities, colleges, high school science clubs, student organizations, research institutes, informal science outreach organizations, community organizations, professional science & engineering societies, life science and high tech companies, and other types of science organizations. About 500,000 people reportedly attended the event.
The second expo took place in Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on April 27–29, 2012. The third expo took place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 26–27, 2014.
==== Satellite festivals ====
Satellite festivals were being planned in 2010 at a number of locations throughout the United States, including: Arizona: Tucson; California: Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Ana; Florida: Gainesville, Jacksonville, Ruskin, West Palm Beach; Idaho: Pocatello; Illinois: Chicago, DeKalb; Maryland: Middle River, Rockville; New Jersey: Clifton; New York: New York City, Rochester; North Carolina: Chapel Hill (North Carolina Science Festival); Ohio: Cleveland, Columbus; Texas: Austin, Dallas, San Antonio; Virginia: Fairfax, Falls Church, Hampton, Reston; Washington: Vancouver (Pacific Northwest Science & Engineering Festival). Michigan Tech's Mind Trekkers is also a traveling component of the USA Science & Engineering Festival.
==== Government support ====
The festival had a bipartisan Honorary Congressional Host Committee of over 100 members. House Resolution 1660 and Senate Resolution 656 were unanimously approved in support of the goals of the USA Science & Engineering Festival.
The White House scheduled its inaugural science fair to coincide with the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival. President Obama referenced the importance of this Festival in his keynote address at the White House Science Fair.
President Obama created a dedicated public service announcement inviting the general public to the USA Science & Engineering Festival.
Over 50 major government officials attended or participated directly in the USA Science and Engineering Festival including: Chief Science Advisor John Holdren, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Head of R&D for Department of Defense Zachary Lemnios, Head of R&D for Office of Naval Research Michael Kassner talks about ONR's involvement with the USA Science and Engineering Festival, Head of R&D for the National Park Service Gary Machlis was involved with the festival's Nifty Fifty program, Head of R&D for EPA Paul Anastas was involved with both the Nifty Fifty program and the kick off of the festival, William Brinkman of the Department of Energy and NIH Director Francis Collins was a Nifty Fifty speaker as well as he performed his own songs at the festival's expo.
==== Science celebrities' support for the festival ====
Many science celebrities participated in the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival, including Bill Nye the Science Guy; Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, and Kari Byron from the television show Mythbusters; Sid the Science Kid; cast members of NCIS; and Ernő Rubik.
=== 2012 Festival ===
The 2012 USA Science & Engineering Festival was at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 28–29, 2012, and Sneak Peek Friday was April 27, 2012. The 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival hosted programs leading up to the festival, including Nifty Fifty, Lunch with a Laureate, Satellite Events, Sneak Peek Friday and more.
==== Attendees of the 2012 Festival ====
Including attendees, exhibitors, volunteers and staff over 200,000 people actively participating in this momentous Festival celebration over the three-day period. The DC Convention Center has reported that the 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival is the second most attended event in the history of the Center! Sneak Peek Friday more than doubled in size based on the number of students who had pre-registered, and included nearly 28,000 students, teachers, military families, government officials and press.
The festival was attended by key White House officials such as Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement; President Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia, attended a Nifty Fifty presentation; senior leaders from other countries attended, including Prince Mohammed from Saudi Arabia.
==== Science celebrities ====
Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, of Discovery Channel's MythBusters performed at the 2012 Festival. Science celebrities included Bill Nye the Science Guy, Mayim Bialik, Apollo Robbins, Sid the Science Kid, Samantha Yammine, cast members of NCIS Los Angeles, U.S. Olympic Speed Skaters and more. Elon Musk, Richard Garriott and George T. Whitesides were on hand to host a panel discussion. Other celebrities included NASA astronauts, authors, scientists and engineers.
=== 2014 Festival ===
The 3rd USA Science & Engineering Festival featured nationwide contests and school programs during the 2013/2014 school year, including the popular Nifty Fifty science speaker program. The festival culminated in a two-day Grand Finale Expo on April 26–27, 2014, with Sneak Peek Friday on April 25, and the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference on April 23–25. The third festival featured the first X-STEM Symposium. The new X-STEM Symposium- presented by Northrop Grumman Foundation - an Extreme STEM Symposium was conducted for middle and high school students on April 24. The second X-STEM Symposium was held as a stand-alone event in April 2015 and continues on an annual basis. X-STEM features interactive presentations aimed to inspire kids to pursue careers in STEM. X-STEM is open to students in grades 6-12. The Festival organizers are seeking to make X-STEM a national program with events across the country.
==== Attendees of the 2014 Festival ====The festival, like in previous years, took place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Based on estimated numbers from the Convention Center, more than 325,000 people attended over the 4 days (X-STEM and Sneak Peek Friday included). Exhibitors stated that roughly 11,000 visitors stopped by their booth over the course of the three-day Expo. Attendees from all 50 states in the U.S. and international attendees from over 20 different countries visited the festival. Sneak Peek Friday included 40,000+ students, teachers, military families, government officials and press – a 30% increase from 2012. Sneak Peek Friday attendees included students from 38 states – and three countries. More than 4,000 students and teachers from area and underserved schools, homeschoolers, and military families attended the inaugural X-STEM Symposium.
=== 2016 Festival ===
The 4th USA Science & Engineering Festival culminated in a two–day Grand Finale Expo on April 16–17, 2016 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Over 1,000 leading STEM organizations presented hands-on science and engineering activities. Sneak Peek Friday took place on April 15, 2016.
The X-STEM Symposium was held as a stand-alone event on April 14, 2016, and featured presentations and workshops by leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
== Partners ==
Partners of the festival included the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Physical Society, American Chemical Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Association for Women in Science, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Georgetown University, University of California, San Diego, University of California, Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, United States Naval Academy, Duke University, University of Maryland, J. Craig Venter Institute, Carnegie Institution for Science, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Office of Naval Research, U.S. Department of Energy, Air Force Research Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, Agilent Technologies, Google, Baxter International, ResMed, Hitachi, Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of Natural History, United States Botanic Garden, Marian Koshland Science Museum, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), Girls, Inc., Girl Scouts of the United States of America and Boy Scouts of America.List of festivals in the United States |
1,568 | 28,948,183 | 0 | Washington Auto Show | States | The Washington, D.C. Auto Show (WAS) is an annual local auto show held in Washington, D.C., at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center usually in late January. It is among the largest auto shows in the United States, trailing only the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (NAIAS), the LA Auto Show, the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), and the Chicago Auto Show in size. It is sometimes also referred to as the D.C. Auto Show. The event has evolved to emphasize and showcase the latest innovations in sustainable automotive technologies. Since 2008 the winners of the Green Car Vision Award are announced during the show.
== Overview ==
Designated one of the nation's top five auto shows by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, the Washington Auto Show includes the latest model cars and displays of historic vehicles. Often referred to as the Public Policy Show on the auto show circuit, the 10-day public show is preceded by two Public Policy Preview Days of special events and announcements for officials in government, industry and the media.The Washington Auto Show is also the largest public show in Washington, D.C. On display are more than 700 new models from over 42 manufacturers.
== History ==
In 1921, a group of 20 Washington-area car dealers and distributors planned the first show to sell the public on the advantages of the horseless carriage. Housed in a variety of area venues, the show was staged for 18 years in the National Guard D.C. Armory. The show has gone on hiatus twice – once for war and once due to poor economic conditions.
After a break in the 1970s, the Washington Convention Center and The Washington Auto Show opened together in early 1983. By this date, the auto show had grown to require every available foot of display space, covering nearly eight acres – almost four times the physical size of the Armory shows, with three times as many models.
In 1988, The Washington Auto Show began using the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day as its annual time frame, establishing its reputation as a family destination. The event was later moved to late January to coincide with Congress’ return from recess, enabling the show to capitalize on the business of Washington. |
1,569 | 47,695,322 | 0 | Women's Voices Theater Festival (Washington D.C.) | States | In the fall of 2015, the Washington, D.C. region's professional theaters combined to produce the Women's Voices Theater Festival. The festival consisted of over 50 companies each presenting a world premiere production of a work by one or more female playwrights. The festival claimed to be the largest collaboration of theater companies working simultaneously to produce original works by female writers in history. The Coordinating Producers of the Women's Voices Theater Festival were Nan Barnett of the National New Play Network (NNPN) and former NNPN General Manager Jojo Ruf. The honorary committee supporting the festival was chaired by first lady Michelle Obama and included actors Allison Janney and Tea Leoni and playwrights Beth Henley, Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lynn Nottage.
== Originating theatre companies ==
Arena Stage: Artistic Director Molly Smith
Ford's Theatre: Director Paul R. Tetreault
Round House Theatre: Producing Artistic Director Ryan Rilette
Shakespeare Theatre Company: Artistic Director Michael Kahn
Signature Theatre: Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer
Studio Theatre: Artistic Director David Muse
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Artistic Director Howard Shalwitz
== Plays ==
== Post-festival ==
Caps For Sale The Musical, in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the publication of the book, had a national tour ending with an Off-Broadway run at the New Victory Theater from February 27 to March 6, 2016. |
1,570 | 167,012 | 0 | List of festivals in the United States | States | This is an incomplete list of festivals in the United States with articles on Wikipedia, as well as lists of other festival lists, by geographic location. This list includes festivals of diverse types, among them regional festivals, commerce festivals, fairs, food festivals, arts festivals, religious festivals, folk festivals, and recurring festivals on holidays.
Festivals unique to the United States (and Canada and Mexico in some cases) include pow wows, Rocky Mountain Rendezvous, blues festivals, county fairs, state fairs, ribfests, and strawberry festivals. The first U.S. state fair was that of New York, held in 1841 in Syracuse, and has been held annually to the present year. The second state fair was in Detroit, Michigan, which started in 1849.
== Lists of festivals by locale ==
=== Territories ===
List of festivals in American Samoa
List of festivals in Guam
List of festivals in Puerto Rico
List of festivals in the United States Virgin Islands
=== Cities ===List of festivals in Atlanta
List of festivals in Buffalo, New York
List of festivals in Chicago (music)
List of events in Houston
List of attractions and events in Indianapolis
List of San Francisco Bay Area festivals and fairs
List of Seattle street fairs and parades
List of festivals and events in Tulsa, Oklahoma
=== States ===
== Festivals by type ==
=== Alternative festivals ===
Burning Man — Black Rock City, Nevada
Coney Island Mermaid Parade — New York City, New York
Exotic Erotic Ball — San Francisco, California
How Weird Street Faire — San Francisco, California
King Mango Strut — Coral Gables, Florida
New York's Village Halloween Parade — New York City, New York
Porcupine Freedom Festival — Lancaster, New Hampshire
Rainbow Gathering — national and regional locations, worldwide
Roswell UFO Festival — Roswell, New Mexico
Sawdust Art Festival — Laguna Beach, California
SLUG Queen — Eugene, Oregon
=== Arts and crafts festivals ===
Allentown Arts Festival — Buffalo, New York
Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival — Nappanee, Indiana
Ann Arbor Art Fairs — Ann Arbor, Michigan
Bayou City Art Festival — Houston, Texas
Catoctin Colorfest — Thurmont, Maryland
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts — State College, Pennsylvania
Cherry Creek Arts Festival — Cherry Creek, Colorado
Detroit Festival of the Arts — Detroit, Michigan
Dogwood Arts Festival — Knoxville, Tennessee
Festival of the Arts — Grand Rapids, Michigan
Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival — Half Moon Bay, California
Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) — Black Mountain, North Carolina
Mayfair Festival of the Arts — Allentown, Pennsylvania
St. James Art Fair — Louisville, Kentucky
Sawdust Art Festival — Laguna Beach, California
Summer Camp Music Festival — Chillicothe, Illinois
Vermont Quilt Festival — Essex, Vermont
=== Beer festivals ===
Great American Beer Festival (established 1982) — Denver, Colorado
Houston Beer Fest (established 2011) — Houston, Texas
Oregon Brewers Festival (established 1988) — Portland, Oregon
=== Celebration/talk festivity ===
Cheeseburger in Caseville — Caseville, Michigan
ComFest — Columbus, Ohio
Friendship Festival — Buffalo, New York and Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
Gasparilla Pirate Festival — Tampa, Florida
Hessler Street Fair — Cleveland, Ohio
Minneapolis Aquatennial — Minneapolis, Minnesota
Pecan Street Festival — Austin, Texas
Red River Revel — Shreveport, Louisiana
Saint Paul Winter Carnival — Saint Paul, Minnesota
=== Contemporary Christian Festivals ===
Cornerstone Festival — Bushnell, Illinois
Creation Festival — The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington and Agape Farm in Mount Union, Pennsylvania
LifeLight Festival — Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sonshine Festival — Willmar, Minnesota
=== Culture, heritage and folk festivals ===
Aloha Festivals — Hawaii
Arlington International Film Festival — Arlington, Massachusetts
Borderfest — Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Cleveland Feast of the Assumption Festival — Cleveland, Ohio
Dublin Irish Festival — Dublin, Ohio
Feast of San Gennaro — New York City, New York
Festival Latinoamericano — Provo, Utah
FinnFestUSA
Folkmoot — Waynesville, North Carolina
Greek Food Festival of Dallas — Dallas, Texas
Hungarian Festival — New Brunswick, New Jersey
Indy Irish Festival — Indianapolis, Indiana
International Children's Festival — Washington, DC
Italian Heritage Festival — Wheeling, West Virginia
Johnny Appleseed Festival — Fort Wayne, Indiana
Kansas City Irish Fest — Kansas City, Missouri
Little Italy Festival — Clinton, Indiana
Lowell Folk Festival — Lowell, Massachusetts
New Jersey Folk Festival — New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — New Orleans, Louisiana
Nisei Week — Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California
North Texas Irish Festival — Dallas, Texas
Northwest Folklife Festival — Seattle, Washington
Pepper Jelly Festival — Thomaston, Alabama
Pittsburgh Folk Festival — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Portugal Day Festival — Newark, New Jersey
Riverfront Irish Festival — Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Taste of Polonia — Chicago, Illinois
Texas Folklife Festival — San Antonio, Texas
Tulip Time Festival — Holland, Michigan
World of Nations Celebration — Jacksonville, Florida
World's Largest Disco — Buffalo, New York
Ypsilanti Heritage Festival — Ypsilanti, Michigan
=== Film festivals ===
List of film festivals in the United States
=== Fine art and theatre festivals ===
Alabama Shakespeare Festival — Montgomery, Alabama
Allentown Art Festival — Buffalo, New York
Arizona Renaissance Festival — Apache Junction, Arizona
Artscape — Baltimore, Maryland
Bristol Renaissance Faire — Kenosha, Wisconsin
Carolina Renaissance Festival — Huntersville, North Carolina
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts — State College, Pennsylvania
Curtain Up! — Buffalo, New York
Grand Cities Art Fest — Grand Forks, North Dakota/East Grand Forks, Minnesota
Kansas City Renaissance Festival — Bonner Springs, Kansas
Maryland Renaissance Festival — Crownsville, Maryland
MasterWorks Festival — Cedarville, Ohio
Minnesota Renaissance Festival — Shakopee, Minnesota
New York Renaissance Faire — Tuxedo, New York
North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Performance Festival — Manteo, North Carolina
Oregon Shakespeare Festival — Ashland, Oregon
The River To River Festival — New York, New York
Savannah Music Festival — Savannah, Georgia
Sterling Renaissance Festival — Sterling, New York
True/False Film Festival — Columbia, Missouri
Utah Shakespearean Festival — Cedar City, Utah
=== Flower festivals ===
International Cherry Blossom Festival — Macon, Georgia
Lilac Festival — Rochester, New York
Lompoc Valley Flower Festival — Lompoc, California
National Cherry Blossom Festival — Washington, DC
Philadelphia Flower Show — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Portland Rose Festival — Portland, Oregon
Seattle Hempfest — Seattle, Washington
Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival — Winchester, Virginia
Texas Rose Festival — Tyler, Texas
Tulip Festival — Holland, Michigan
Washington State Apple Blossom Festival — Wenatchee, Washington
=== Food, harvest and wild game festivals ===Apple Festival — Bayfield, Wisconsin
Banana Split Festival — Wilmington, Ohio
Barnesville Pumpkin Festival — Barnesville, Ohio
Brushy Mountain Apple Festival — North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Circleville Pumpkin Show — Circleville, Ohio
Delmarva Chicken Festival — Delmarva Peninsula
Festival of the Fish — Vermilion, Ohio
Florida food festivals — Florida
Gilroy Garlic Festival — Gilroy, California
Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival — Half Moon Bay, California
Jackson County Apple Festival — Jackson, Ohio
Kentucky Apple Festival — Paintsville, Kentucky
Lexington Barbecue Festival — Lexington, North Carolina
Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival — Cameron, Louisiana
Morton Pumpkin Festival — Morton, Illinois
National Buffalo Wing Festival — Buffalo, New York
National Cherry Festival — Traverse City, Michigan
National Cornbread Festival National Cornbread Festival — South Pittsburg, Tennessee
North Carolina Wine Festival — Clemmons, North Carolina
Norwalk Oyster Festival — Norwalk, Connecticut
Parker County Peach Festival — Weatherford, Texas
Paso Robles Wine Festival — Paso Robles, California
Roanoke-Chowan Pork-Fest — Murfreesboro, North Carolina
Schmeckfest — Freeman, South Dakota
Strawberry Festival — Poteet, Texas
Sweet Corn Festival — Fairborn, Ohio
Taste of Buffalo — Buffalo, New York
Taste of Chicago — Chicago, Illinois
A Taste of Colorado
West Side Nut Club Fall Festival — Evansville, Indiana
Yadkin Valley Wine Festival — Elkin, North Carolina
Yambilee Festival — Opelousas, Louisiana
=== Holiday festivals ===
Christmas on the River — Demopolis, Alabama
New Orleans Mardi Gras — New Orleans, Louisiana
Spirit of America Festival — Decatur, Alabama
West Side Nut Club Fall Festival — Evansville, Indiana
=== Innovation festivals ===
One Spark crowdfunding festival — Jacksonville, Florida
=== LGBT festivals ===
Capital Pride — Washington, DC
Fantasia Fair — Provincetown, Massachusetts
Frameline — San Francisco, California
Newfest — New York, New York
Outfest — Los Angeles, California
PeaceOUT World Homo Hop Festival — Oakland, California
Southern Decadence — New Orleans, Louisiana
Utah Pride Festival — Salt Lake City, Utah
White Party — Palm Springs, California
=== Music festivals ===
=== Pagan festivals ===Faerieworlds — Eugene, Oregon
Pagan Spirit Gathering — near Salem, Missouri
Starwood Festival — Wisteria Campground in Pomeroy, Ohio
=== Pioneer festivals ===
Days of '47 Parade — Salt Lake City, Utah
Pioneer Days — Kalida, Ohio
Pioneer Days — Utah state holiday with multiple celebrations throughout the state
=== Religious festivals ===
Vaisakhi — Yuba City, California
Wild Goose Festival — Hot Springs, North Carolina
X-Day (Church of the SubGenius) — Wisteria Campground in Pomeroy, Ohio
=== Renaissance fairs ===
=== Rodeo and horse racing festivals ===
Days of '47 Rodeo — Salt Lake City, Utah
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo — Houston, Texas
Kentucky Derby Festival — Louisville, Kentucky
Pendleton round up — Pendleton, Oregon
=== Science festivals ===
Trenton Computer Festival
World Science Festival — New York, New York
=== Seasonal festivals ===
Apple Blossom Festival — Winchester, Virginia
Evansville Freedom Festival — Evansville, Indiana
Memphis in May — Memphis, Tennessee
Sawdust Art Festival — Laguna Beach, California
Three Rivers Festival — Fort Wayne, Indiana
West Side Nut Club Fall Festival — Evansville, Indiana
Woollybear Festival — Vermilion, Ohio
=== Sports festivals ===
Arnold Sports Festival — Columbus, Ohio
Bridge Day — Fayetteville, West Virginia
=== Storytelling festivals ===
National Storytelling Festival — Jonesborough, Tennessee
Southern Ohio Storytelling Festival — Chillicothe, Ohio
Timpanogos Storytelling Festival — Orem, Utah
=== Transportation festivals ===
Segway Fest — varying locations
Tall Stacks — Cincinnati, OhioCulture of the United States
Tourism in the United States
Tourist attractions in the United States
Public holidays in the United States
== External links == |
1,571 | 2,004,428 | 0 | List of dogwood festivals | States | Several U.S. cities and towns hold dogwood festivals. These are usually annual events coinciding with the blooming of dogwood trees in the spring:The Atlanta Dogwood Festival is an arts-and-crafts fair held annually at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Vestavia Hills Dogwood Festival is a multifaceted month-long event in Vestavia Hills, Alabama
The Dogwood Festival of Charlottesville, Virginia has been held since 1958.
The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival in Fayetteville, North Carolina is a three-day event held annually since 1982
Winchester, Tennessee, has held a Dogwood Festival annually since 2005.
The Dogwood Arts Festival is a yearly arts festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, that was started in 1960.
The Dogwood Festival held in Quincy, Illinois annually in May.
The Dogwood Festival of the Lewis-Clark Valley is a month-long festival celebrated annually in Lewiston, Idaho
The Lake of the Ozarks Dogwood Festival began in 1950 in Camdenton, Missouri.
A Dogwood Festival has been held annually since 1962 in Perry County, Indiana
An annual Dogwood Festival in Farmville, North Carolina was started in 1987
The annual Dogwood Festival in Woodville, Texas was started in 1940.
A Dogwood Festival is held annually in Vinton, Virginia.
A Dogwood Festival takes place in May at Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
A Dogwood Festival is held annually in April Mebane, North Carolina.
A Dogwood Festival is held annually in May in Mullens, West Virginia.
A Dogwood Festival, dating back to 1936, is held annually in early May in Fairfield, CT.
Dogwood Day is celebrated every May 21 in Milwaukie, Oregon, The Dogwood City of the West. |
1,572 | 68,655,692 | 0 | List of film festivals in the United States | States | This is a list of film festivals that take place (or took place) in the United States.
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1,573 | 44,142,135 | 0 | List of motorcycle rallies in the Pacific Northwest | States | This is a list of motorcycle rallies in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Rallies are annual unless noted. |
1,574 | 22,246,540 | 0 | Artsplosure | States | Artsplosure is a nonprofit arts & cultural event production studio based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Artsplosure's mission is to give all people in the Raleigh community meaningful opportunities to experience the arts and enhance their cultural perspective. Artsplosure hosts Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival held each May in downtown Raleigh as well as WRAL First Night Raleigh, held annually on New Year's Eve in downtown Raleigh. Artsplosure is funded in part by the city of Raleigh based on the recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission and is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
== About the Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival ==
The two-day event is held annually on the third weekend in May and includes over 170 visual artists showing and selling their work on the Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Artsplosure also features live music performances on the main stage local artists. The event is free to the public.
== History ==
Artsplosure was conceived in 1978 by subcommittees of the newly formed City of Raleigh Arts Commission who were planning a citywide arts festival. The following year, Artsplosure was incorporated to produce high quality and accessible arts festivals and to identify, nurture, and showcase artists seeking to reach wider audiences.
The first city-wide multi-disciplinary arts festival took place in April 1980 in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects conference.
== Sources ==
== External links ==
Artsplosure website |
1,575 | 19,161,789 | 0 | Boston Arts Festival | States | The contemporary Boston Arts Festival is an annual event showcasing Boston's visual and performing arts community and promoting Boston's Open Studios program. The weekend-long Festival at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park features a wide variety of arts and high-end crafts, including painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture and live music. The Arts Festival, which has existed in several different forms, was relaunched by former Mayor Thomas Menino in 2003, then reconceived by Mayor Marty Walsh in 2015. The Beacon Hill Art Walk and Artists Crossing Gallery will be organizing the 2019 September Festival.
The original Festival, briefly named the Boston Art Festival, was held at Boston's Public Garden between 1952 and 1964. That version is credited with democratizing access to the fine arts in Boston, especially for young, emerging and often Jewish-American, artists who felt shut out of Boston's famously Brahmin museums and other institutional exhibition sites. Activist artists, either linked by the Boston Museum School or the Boris Mirski Gallery founded the Boston Arts Festival. The first Festival debuted on June 12, 1952, and displayed fine art in tents in the Public Garden, and provided free performances in nearby Boston Common. This represented a major break in how art was presented in New England. No longer confined to the monied and the elite, the early Festivals provided avant garde artists with a forum in which to show their work, compete and interact with one another. That exchange of ideas and influences developed into the earliest form of American Figurative Expressionism, known as Boston Expressionism.
== History ==
The Boston Arts Festival had roots in 1940s' meetings organized to protest Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art, then known as the Institute of Modern Art. Artists like Hyman Bloom, Karl Zerbe, Ben Shahn, Jack Levine, Joyce Reopel, Mel Zabarsky and began gathering to discuss fears that the Institute would ... become a showcase for ... something quite different that what we thought it ought to show and support, Arthur Polonsky said later. Zerbe's experience with Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, which only owned one watercolor, and at a time when his work was being acquired quite seriously, with pleasure, by some of the other institutions, stoked those fears. The meetings jumpstarted the formation of the New England Chapter for Artist's Equity, an artist's union that advocated for more equitable commissions and representation.
[It was] really an Equity activity. Arthur Polonsky said of the Boston Arts Festival in an oral history with the Archives of American Art. It was taken up by a group of businessmen later, with the collaboration of artists and gallery people, and it became the first experimental Boston Arts Festival a year later, but preceding that, that year, I remember actually working on a station wagon at night, hauling paintings in from what was then the Copley Plaza out to the exhibit place. Equity had a booth of its own in the first Arts Festival — six years of that — simply giving out information on the organization.In their work, the artists were, critic Adam Zucker writes, inspired largely by political and/or social issues and conflicts. Thus, the impetus behind the Festivals was not only political, but also identity-oriented. Like German Expressionism, the American arts movement addresses issues at the heart of the expressionist sensibility, such as personal and group identity in the modern world, the role of the artist as a witness to issues such as violence and corruption, and the nature of the creative process and its implications. In 1952, Boston's art world did not welcome outsiders, and few galleries exhibited their work. Looking back to the 1950s there were few opportunities to see works by contemporary Boston artists in a museum setting. Charles Guiliano writes. Despite a young new director, Perry T. Rathbone (July 3, 1911 – Jan. 15th, 2000), who was intent on making the Museum of Fine Arts more progressive that did not extend to embracing the dominantly Jewish Boston Expressionists. In the traditional Brahmin arts community there were elements of racism and anti Semitism.... There was a dichotomy between the conservative, traditional painters of the venerable, Copley Society, and the more progressive artists, Further, Guiliano notes, [t]he more traditional and socially acceptable artists showed with the Copley Society or the Guild of Boston Artists. The work of Jews, immigrants or their sons, like the Lebanese/American Gibran, showed with gallerist Boris Mirski or his former assistants Hyman Swetzoff and Alan Fink of Alpha Gallery.
The inclusion of juried shows also provided a forum for artistic distinction that generated interest. [T]here was palpable excitement visiting the annual Boston Arts Festival. In addition to exhibiting fine arts there was a stage for live performances, Guiliano continues, I recall jazz by the renowned Boston baritone sax player, Serge Chaloff, a play by William Saroyan, and a solo ballet performance by Maria Tallchief. The ambitious festival (1955-1962) organized by Nelson Aldrich ended through a lack of funding. An attempt to revive it decades later was embarrassed when the theft of a painting by Barney Rubenstein occurred because of a lack of security. There were prizes awarded by jurors of the BAF resulting in debates and controversy. This focused on a perceived dichotomy between traditional still life and landscape works and more progressive forms of abstraction. Visitors voted for a Popular Prize. In 1956 that was awarded to Kahlil Gibran for his memorable “St. John the Baptist.” It stunned and amazed me. With then limited experience it was the greatest work of art I had seen.
...[I]t seemed like a good, exuberant, democratic, freeing kind of idea to many of us, artist Arthur Polonsky said. It was very hearty, the sensations among the artists of Boston in those festivals of the first years, certainly, and the public. And much was accomplished. People like Robert Frost and MacLeish had taken it all very seriously. Productions in opera, along with that fragile tent city of exhibitions went up each year.
Of prime importance to the artists was the fact that all of the events and exhibitions at the Boston Arts Festival were free of charge. This is a point the Guide to the Boston Arts Festival Records states repeatedly, while also noting the Festival eventually became cost prohibitive: The first festival included a free program of painting, sculpture and music presented outdoors at the Boston Public Garden. Over the years, the Festival would expand upon this program by adding film, dance, and theater. The duration of the Festival was gradually increased as well. At various times, the selection process of the art shows and the perceived focus on modern arts attracted controversy, and the Festival often faced budget shortfalls due in part to the decision to allow free admittance to all performances while trying to provide quality programming on a large scale. Nonetheless, the Festival continued to operate with the goal of presenting a mass audience with a 'broad cross-section of the arts of our time [and arts] of as high an artistic standard as economically possible' until 1964.
== The Revived Festival ==Mayor Thomas M. Menino revived the Boston Arts Festival in 2003 as a one-day event, intended to launch Boston Open Studios and the 2003 performing arts season. The festival drew huge crowds to the newly re-designed Christopher Columbus Park on Boston’s Waterfront. Highlights of the event included lively performances by Boston Lyric Opera, performing Italian arias, La Piñata presenting folkloric dance, the Mayor’s Mural Crew offering interactive mural painting and watercolor exercises, and reports from some visual artists of record-breaking sales.
The Festival was expanded to two days in 2004, with highlight performances from Boston Ballet and Jazz Hip Hop Orchestra, and huge crowd attendance. In 2005, the Festival coincided with Boston’s 375th Birthday. To celebrate, some Festival performances were relocated downtown and to Faneuil Hall. Boston Ballet performed again alongside Chu Ling Dance and Haitian singer Gi Frants.
The Festival drew record crowds in 2007, when juried artists exhibited and sold their artwork in a specially built artists’ village. Opera Boston made their festival debut to great acclaim as did up-and-coming harpist Maeve Gilchrist on the new Garden Stage to complement the Waterfront Stage. Boston Pops Ensemble and the very popular Boston Gay Men's Chorus also made their debuts.
The 2008 Festival, building on the success of the 2007 Festival, expanded to become a three-day event. Visual artists were now able to exhibit and sell their work on Friday while special guests Blue Man Group and Buffalo Tom entertained audiences from the Waterfront Stage. Despite the wettest day in the festival's short history, large crowds turned out as the festival opened to great energy. The rest of the weekend brought better weather and a full entertainment program on two stages. An attendance record was set for the Festival on Saturday with an unprecedented turnout and individual artists reported record sales. Boston Children's Museum provided activities for children alongside the Mayor's Mural Crew. The Garden Stage played host to Pan United and harpist Áine Minogue, amongst others, while on the Waterfront stage, the upcoming group Everyday Visuals shared billing with dance troupe OrigiNation, songwriter Bleu, and for the seventh year in a row, Boston Ballet.
== Festival Reorganization ==
In 2015, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that the annual Boston Arts (Ahts) Festival would be re-imagined as Emerge, a one-day celebration of local arts and culture. That version of the Festival evolved over the next four years. Plans for the 2019 Festival note that it will be organized by Beacon Hill Art Walk and Artists Crossing Gallery, and will launch Boston’s Arts Open Studios season featuring more than 70 juried local visual artists and craftspeople, plus local musicians performing on the Waterfront Stage throughout the day. |
1,576 | 40,789,396 | 0 | Catoctin Colorfest | States | Catoctin Colorfest is an annual arts and crafts festival in Thurmont, Maryland. Every year about 125,000 people attend, making it one of the largest festivals of its kind on the east coast of the United States. In 2005 Colorfest was recognized as one of the top 35 arts and craft shows in the United States by Sunshine Artists Magazine. In 2013 about 250 vendors participated in Colorfest. The event is free to attend, but parking costs a fee. The festival takes place the second weekend of October each year. During Colorfest a free shuttlebus service is provided to get to and from the parking areas. The event takes the entire year to plan.
== History ==
Colorfest began in 1963 as a nature walk, but would eventually become a juried arts and crafts festival. The walk was originally organized by either Duncan Burchard, a local naturalist, or John Brown, another Thurmont local. Between 1968 and 1971 the other festivities were added to the walk, which now drew in 30,000 people. In the year 1973 craftspeople, who set up their stands at the carnival grounds and in the community park, were invited to the festival for the first time. The 1973 event was planned by the Catoctin Mountain Tourist Council with the help of volunteers. In 1974 officers were elected for the first time to organise Colorfest. By 1975 the event was drawing in over 75,000 people. The year 1976 was notable for a bad flood on Saturday, which according to American Towns, almost ruined the event. The rain stopped on Sunday and the event was a success in the end.
In 1979 Beverly Zienda was elected president of the Colorfest, a job she would hold for 29 years until her death in 2008 when she died from breast cancer. Her husband is quoted as saying that, she was practically running that Colorfest from her hospital bed. In November 1977 Colorfest held their inaugural Catoctin Colorfest dinner meeting. In 1980 craftspeople were invited to set up their stands in the area in front of Thurmont Middle School. By 1988 over 350 vendors participated in Colorfest. In 2008 the festival began to offer recycling bins for the first time. As of 2013 the president of the Colorfest committee is Carol Robertson who took up the position after Beverly Zienda's death.
2020 saw the COVID-19 pandemic as grounds for cancellation. The 58th was deferred to 2021.
== Fundraising ==
In 1983 Colorfest became successful enough that the Colorfest committee turned a profit. Every year since then they have donated the proceeds of the event to local organisations. Much of the money raised from parking and vendor fees is used to support local scholarships and projects with over $140,000 having been given out in Scholarships to graduates of Catoctin High School. Colorfest weekend is one of the biggest fundraising weekend for many charities in the area. Colorfest Inc. regularly donates to the local Guardian Hose Fire Company, Frederick County Public Libraries, and the Frederick Food Bank. The Frederick Food Bank received $13,000 from Colorfest Inc. between 2011 and 2013. A number of churches, along with the Thurmont Community Ambulance Company, consider Colorfest to be their biggest fundraiser of the year.
== External links ==
Catoctin Colorfest
Colorfest 2014 Program |
1,577 | 3,742,225 | 0 | Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts | States | The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, officially abbreviated as CPFA, is held each summer in State College, Pennsylvania and on the main (University Park) campus of Pennsylvania State University. Penn State students and locals commonly refer to the event as Arts Fest.
== History ==
The first Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts was held in July 1967, and lasted nine days. Sponsored by Penn State's College of Arts and Architecture and the State College Chamber of Commerce, the first Festival was opened by Governor Raymond P. Shafer. Musical performances took place downtown and on campus, and the first Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition consisted of people hanging work on snow fence along The Wall on the southern border of the Old Main lawn. The show wasn't originally juried, so one could purchase art created by professionals and amateurs. Patrons could even buy kittens.
The festival is now five days long, from Wednesday through Sunday in early July each year, and the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition is now professionally juried. A large portion of the event takes place in the Borough of State College, PA, and the remainder on the adjacent University Park campus of The Pennsylvania State University.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts placed at number five on the list of Top 10 Summer Festivals 2013 by Livability.com, a national website that ranks quality of life and travel amenities of America's small and mid-sized cities.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was forced to go virtual in 2020 and 2021.
== Governance and Mission ==
The festival is governed by a Board of Directors, half of whom must have an affiliation with Penn State (gown), while the other half represents the town interests. The Board employs a staff of three to manage both the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and First Night State College. The board established the mission of the festival which is to “celebrate the arts with presentations of diverse, high-quality visual and performing arts through the cooperative volunteer support of the community and The Pennsylvania State University. The essence of this organization is the enrichment and education of the audience, grounded in personal interaction between artist and audience.
Approximately 400 volunteers help bring the Festival to life each summer.
== Children and Youth Day ==
The first day of the Festival is always Children and Youth Day. It features the Children and Youth Sidewalk Sale, free children's art and craft workshops, and performances by and for young people on two outdoor and one indoor stage.
== Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition ==
Consistently ranked as one of the top outdoor fine art and fine craft shows in the nation, the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition brings artists and craftspeople from across the nation to State College. More than three hundred exhibitors offer a wide variety of objects for sale including baskets, ceramics, jewelry, fiber, painting, photography, and wearable art.
As part of the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition's jury process, artists from the United States and several foreign countries submit digital images of their work to be juried. Each February, a panel reviews the images and the artists receiving the highest scores were accepted into the Sidewalk Sale & Exhibition.
To encourage and support the visual arts on a regional basis, the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition sets aside booth spaces for artists whose primary residence is in the following Central Pennsylvania counties: Blair, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin and Union. Though the Central Pennsylvania Division of the Sidewalk Sale, many artists have been introduced to exhibiting at juried outdoor shows. All exhibitors in the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition are subject to the same rules, pay the same fees, and are eligible for the same awards.
Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition exhibitors are eligible to receive over $17,000 in prize money.
The Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts recently ranked second on the list of 100 Best Fine Art and Design Shows in America, up from a ranking of third, which it held for the last two years. The twentieth annual poll, published in the September 2012 issue of Sunshine Artist, is based on sales totals reported by exhibitors at the 2011 festival. Sunshine Artist magazine is America's premier show and festival guide.
== Performing arts ==
In addition to the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition, the Festival presents performers on outdoor and indoor stages in downtown State College and on the Penn State campus. Currently the Festival presents indoors in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, State College Presbyterian Church, and the State Theatre in downtown State College. The Festival also erects outdoor stages on the 100 block of South Allen Street, and on the lawn of Old Main, Penn State's administration building. Each July, about fifty different performers are presented. Most performances are free, some require a Festival button for admission. Music presented covers a wide range of genres, from classical to rock to bluegrass to jazz to symphonic band. Performers are of international, national, state, and regional standing.
== Images Exhibition ==
Images is the Festival's juried gallery exhibition in the Robeson Gallery on the University Park campus of Penn State and hangs from June through July each year. It is open to artists living in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Work entered in exhibition is to be no more than three years old.
The exhibition accepts works in ceramic, fiber, and paper, in addition to the traditional fine art categories of drawings, painting, mixed media, photography, printmaking, watercolor, and sculpture. Artists must have their primary residence in Pennsylvania, one of the adjacent states, Virginia or the District of Columbia. While exhibition is regional in scope, the region in question is very large and has a high population.
Through the years the exhibition has been juried by curators and directors from the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Albright-Knox Gallery, and major university galleries, including Penn State's own, Palmer Museum of Art.
== Posters ==
Arts festivals across the country often advertise themselves with collectible posters. For the past 30 years this Festival's posters have been designed Penn State Professor of Visual Arts Lanny Sommese, and many are locally iconic images in the community.
== The Sue Crowe Memorial Annual Arts Festival Races ==
The Arts Festival 10K is the oldest race in Central Pennsylvania. First run in 1975 as a 10 Miler, the Arts Festival race became a 10K race in the late 1980s. The course has gone through numerous changes over the years. In 2005, a 5K race was added and a new course created that combines East and West Campuses. Proceeds benefit youth running activities in Centre County and the continuing operations of the Nittany Valley Running Club.
In 2006, the Arts Festival races were renamed in honor of Sue Crowe, who died in February 2006. Crowe was a Central Pennsylvania running community fixture who also coached upcoming competitors. She and her family competed in most of the Arts Festival races, and she was a five-time winner: three times while the race was a 10-miler and two times after it became a 10K race. The race currently honors her memory.
== Downtown State College Italian Street Painting Festival ==
Italian Street Painting, in the style of Renaissance Europe, has been a tradition in State College since 1999. This portion of the Festival is on the 100 block of Hiester Street, a few blocks away from the main Festival zone.
The Downtown State College Italian Street Painting Festival features street painters of national significance, in addition to a Young Artists Alley. At least 30 smaller works measuring 6’ by 4’ are drawn by a variety of local visual artists, State College Area High School art students and Penn State art majors.
== First Night State College ==
Festival organisers also produce First Night State College, an alcohol-free, arts centered festival on December 31. First Night features a display of outdoor ice carving, including an ice slide. First Night features performances by musicians, dancers, and theatre groups, Other activities include arts and crafts workshops for young children, carriage rides, and a 5K run.
== BookFestPA ==
BookfestPA is a portion of the Festival centered around literature and includes local authors, talks by writers, and an array of book-related activities. The event is hosted by Schlow Centre Region Library.
The anime convention Setsucon, run under the local Penn State Anime Organization, sponsors a Costume Contest during BookFestPA.
== External links ==
Official website
First Night State College
National Association of Independent Artists
BookFestPA
Sue Crow Memorial Arts Festival 10K Race
HUB Robeson Galleries, Penn State
Chamber of Business and Industry Centre County
Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau |
1,578 | 17,863,055 | 0 | Cherry Creek Arts Festival | States | The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is an annual festival held in Denver, Colorado, during the first weekend of July, usually Fourth of July weekend. The inaugural Cherry Creek Arts Festival began in 1991.
== History ==
The first president and executive director of the Arts Festival was Bill Charney who originally presented the Arts Festival concept to the Cherry Creek Chamber of Commerce (then the Cherry Creek Commerce Association) Board of Directors. At that meeting, the leadership of the Cherry Creek business community committed $15,000 in seed money, and a group of volunteers to assist Charney as an Organizing Committee. Currently, Tara Brickell serves as the festival's executive director.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused 2020's cancellation. The 30th was deferred to September 2021.
== Description ==
The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is a year-round 501(c)(3) non-profit arts services organization that presents an award-winning annual civic event. For three days during early July, the nation's #1 outdoor Arts Festival (as ranked by four independent industry publications) is presented in Denver's Cherry Creek North neighborhood. With an attendance of 350,000+, the Arts Festival features over 232 of the nation's visual artists; seven performance stages presenting a broad range of entertainment; a volunteer program with over 1,000+ volunteers working in 23 different committees; and a sponsorship program with a 91% retention rate.
The [Cherry Creek Arts Festival] continues to be a vital part of Denver's annual cultural and economic landscape, contributing approximately $20,000 annually to local non-profits and $250,000 in tax revenues, CCAF's overall economic impact is $11–13 million each year.
The Arts Festival is hosted by the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District and receives no commission for the sale of artwork. CCAF is entirely dependent upon donations, sponsorships and grants, in addition to support from the City and County of Denver and the SCFD. On an individual level, the public can support the Arts Festival by purchasing official Cherry Creek Arts Festival posters and merchandise for sale throughout the year, as well as refreshments for sale on-site. Individuals and businesses are also invited to participate in the Arts Festival's Festival Club and Donor programs.
Four full-time employees fulfill the agency's educational mission during the year through art education and outreach programs that touch 20,000 Coloradans annually. Collectively known as Arts in Action, this includes the Mobile Art Collection, the Alliance Project and the Artist in Residence program. It also sponsors lesson plans for teachers that fulfill Colorado Arts Education and National Arts Standards. |
1,579 | 62,344,310 | 0 | Chicago Art Book Fair | States | The Chicago Art Book Fair (CABF) is an annual art fair held in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The fair focuses on art books and small press publishing featuring independent artists, publishers, presses and printmakers. The genre of materials represented ranges from traditional artist's book publishers and printing to comics, zines and alternative press materials. The fair was founded by the artists Aay Preston-Myint and Alexander Valentine.
It has been held annually in Chicago since 2017. The first three fairs were held in November at the Chicago Athletic Association in downtown Chicago. |
1,580 | 7,918,493 | 0 | Chicago Humanities Festival | States | The Chicago Humanities Festival is a non-profit organization which hosts an annual series of lectures, concerts, and films in Chicago, Illinois, United States. There are two seasons each year, including a spring festival from April through May, and a longer fall festival from September through November. The festival was started in 1989 by the Illinois Humanities Council and became an independent organization in 1997. Each year of programming is connected to a broader theme and covers a wide variety of topics in the arts, politics and society, and science and technology.
== Mission ==
The Chicago Humanities Festival is designed to create opportunities for people to explore the humanities.
== History ==
Under the aegis of the Illinois Humanities Council and its then-chairman Richard J. Franke, the notion of a humanities day was proposed, and then expanded into a festival. Eileen Mackevich created the first Chicago Humanities Festival, a one-day affair, held on November 11, 1990, at the Art Institute of Chicago and Orchestra Hall, before an audience of 3,500 people. Eight programs addressed the theme Expressions of Freedom, including a keynote address by playwright Arthur Miller. Founding co-sponsor institutions included the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the University of Chicago.
In 1997, the Festival formally separated from the Illinois Humanities Council and established itself as an independent, nonprofit organization. Under Eileen Mackevich's leadership, by 2006, the independent Festival had expanded to nearly 150 programs over 16 days, in more than 30 venues, involving nearly 40 partner institutions and several hundred site volunteers, and attracting a combined audience of nearly 50,000.
A Children's Humanities Festival was introduced in 2000. In addition, a year-round slate of education programs is devoted to supporting classroom teachers and students. The Festival also expanded its presence year-round, offering public lectures, readings, concerts, and special events that anticipate and build interest in the November Festival.
In 2006, Lawrence Weschler was appointed as the first artistic director of CHF, and in 2007 Stuart Flack joined as executive director.
In January 2010, Matti Bunzl was appointed as associate artistic director. In the fall, after four years with the festival, Lawrence Weschler became emeritus artistic director and Matti Bunzl assumed the role of artistic director. Bunzl left in 2014 for Vienna's Wien Museum.
Alison Cuddy was the artistic director from 2017 to 2021.
In 2022, Lauren M. Pacheco and Michael Green were hired as Co-Creative Directors.
== Stages, Sights & Sounds ==
In 2009, the Children's Humanities Festival was renamed to Stages, Sights & Sounds to better reflect the full breadth of the spring festival. Stages, Sights & Sounds is now in its third year. The spring festival's emphasis on performance provides contrast
to the fall festival's adult-centered programming, which includes more lectures and
discussions in exploration of a central theme that changes each year.
== Past festivals ==
CHF I: Expressions of Freedom (1990)
Notable Presenters: Arthur Miller, Ed Paschke, Philip Gossett
CHF II: Culture Contact (1991)
Notable Presenters: Toni Morrison, John Edgar Wideman, Michael Ondaatje, Sandra Cisneros
CHF III: From Freedom to Equality (1992)
Notable Presenters: John Updike, Czesław Miłosz
CHF IV: From Communication to Understanding (1993)
Notable Presenters: William Safire, David McCullough, Marlo Thomas
CHF V: Crime and Punishment (1994)
Notable Presenters: Tom Wolfe, Scott Turow, Sherman Alexie
CHF VI: Love and Marriage (1995)
Notable Presenters: Stephen Sondheim, Stevie Wonder, Diane Ackerman, Betty Friedan
CHF VII: Birth and Death (1996)
Notable Presenters: Edward Albee, Jane Urquhart, Stephen Ambrose
CHF VIII: Work & Play (1997)
Notable Presenters: Peter O'Toole, Amartya Sen, Michael Moore
CHF IX: He/She (1998)
Notable Presenters: Wendy Wasserstein, Edward Hirsch, Galway Kinnell
CHF X: New & Old (1999)
Notable Presenters: Yusef Komunyakaa, Mordecai Richler
CHF XI: NOW! (2000)
Notable Presenters: Alan Lightman, Harold Ramis, Alison Lurie
CHF XII: Words & Pictures (2001)
Notable Presenters: Leonard Nimoy, Jonathan Franzen, Witold Rybczynski, Junot Diaz, Art Spiegelman
CHF XIII: Brains & Beauty (2002)
Notable Presenters: Francis Fukuyama, Joyce Carol Oates, Jeffrey Eugenides, Francine Prose, Mira Nair
CHF XIV: Saving + Spending (2003)
Notable Presenters: Roberto Benigni, Oscar Hijuelos, Tom Wolfe
CHF XV: Time (2004)
Notable Presenters: August Wilson, Maxine Hong Kingston, Clive Barker
CHF XVI: Home and Away (2005)
Notable Presenters: Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Annie Proulx, Susan Orlean
CHF XVII: Peace and War (2006)
Notable Presenters: Paul Krugman, Azar Nafisi, Joel Meyerowitz, Frank McCourt, Joan Baez, Errol Morris, Wesley Clark, Garry Trudeau
CHF XVIII: The Climate of Concern (2007)
Notable presenters: Wangari Maathai, E.L. Doctorow, Philip Pullman, Majora Carter, Peter Singer, Roger Payne, Terry Tempest Williams, W.S. Merwin, Edward Burtynsky, Maya Lin, Dave Eggers, Colin Quinn, Cat Chow, Greil Marcus, Amartya Sen, and the head writers of The Onion
CHF XIX: Thinking Big! (2008)
Notable presenters: David McCullough, Jeffrey Sachs, Robert Darnton, Wendy Kopp, Erika Doss, Robert Irwin, Naomi Klein, Lawrence Lessig, Amitav Ghosh, Colonel Eileen Collins, Jonathan Alter, Ronald Mallett, and Laurence Tribe
CHF XX: Laughter (2009)
Notable presenters: Matt Groening, John Hodgman, Bob Sabiston, Lynda Barry, Jules Feiffer, Robert Mankoff, Barbara Ehrenreich, Paul Farmer, Claire McCaskill, Robert Reich, Billy Collins, Ronald K.L. Collins, Kay Ryan, Tim Reid, Tom Dreesen, Ian Frazier, John Adams (composer)
CHFXXI: The Body (2010)
Notable presenters: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sam Shepard, Dan Savage, Sarah Jones (stage actress), Sherwin B. Nuland, Laura Kipnis, Frank Shorter, Alpana Singh
CHF XXII: tech•knowledgē (2011)
Notable presenters: Stephen Sondheim, Jonathan Franzen, Jeanne Gang, William Gibson, Michael Taussig, Cathy Davidson, Yuri Lane, Claudia Rankine, Jared Diamond
CHF XXIII: America (2012)
Notable presenters: Camille Paglia, Mark Helprin, Charles C. Mann, John Lewis Gaddis, Yves Béhar, Austan Goolsbee, Neil MacGregor, Nate Silver, Ian Frazier, Russ Feingold, David Brooks, Elie Wiesel, Richard Ford
CHF: Animal - What Makes Us Human (2013)
Notable presenters: David Axelrod, Rick Bayless, Jonathan Safran Foer, Kimberly Peirce, Martina Navratilova, Sherman Alexie
CHF: Journeys (2014)
Notable presenters: Anne Rice, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Cheryl Strayed, eighth blackbird
CHF: Citizens (2015)
Notable presenters: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Elvis Costello, Lawrence Lessig, Bob Mankoff
CHF: Speed (2016)
Notable presenters: Gloria Steinem, Trevor Noah, Thomas Friedman
CHF: Belief (2017)
Notable presenters: Al Gore, Reza Aslan, Samantha Power
CHF: Graphic (2018)
Notable presenters: Tom Hanks, Abbi Jacobson, Hanif Abdurraqib, Ron Chernow, Jill Lepore, Tim Wu, Phoebe Robinson, Doris Kearns Goodwin
CHF: Power (2019)
Notable presenters: Nikki Giovanni, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., David Brooks, Stacey Abrams, Raghuram Rajan
CHF: Vision (2020)
Notable presenters: Tori Amos, Abby McEnany, Margaret Atwood, David Axelrod, Maria Hinojosa, John Dickerson
== External links ==
Chicago Humanities Festival Website |
1,581 | 59,517,729 | 0 | Crafty Bastards | States | Crafty Bastards is an annual curated arts and crafts fair. In 2018, Crafty Bastards fairs were held in Washington, DC, Nashville, TN, and Charleston, SC. The event is marketed as one where consumers can discover unconventional, hard-to-find arts and crafts, designer goods, and meet the artists/makers/creatives. Held in the fall, Crafty Bastards generally draws a large number of holiday shoppers.
== History ==
In 2004, the Washington City Paper held the first Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair at the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace featuring 150 vendors, food, and bands. The event, which has historically included arts and crafts for sale along with workshops, kid-friendly activities and more, attracts thousands of attendees every year. Crafty Bastards expanded to Nashville in 2014 and Charleston in 2017.
== Crafty Bastards in Washington, DC ==
Following its inaugural year in Columbia Heights, Crafty Bastards moved to the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan in 2005. It remained in that location until 2012, when the fair relocated to Union Market. In recent years the fair has been held at different locations around the city:2017: Nationals Park
2018: Yards Park
2019: Buzzard Point
Originally a free event, the organizers began charging a nominal fee in 2012. Despite this, attendance and sales have remained strong. Crafty Bastards vendors cite the event as key to their overall financial success for the year.
In 2019, the D.C. fair was placed under new management and rebranded simply as Crafty.
== Crafty Bastards in Nashville, TN ==
Presented by the Nashville Scene, Crafty Bastards Nashville has been held since 2014. The most recent fair was held in The Gulch neighborhood on November 3-4, 2018. Admission was free.
== Crafty Bastards in Charleston, SC ==
Presented by the Charleston City Paper, the inaugural Charleston Crafty Bastards was held in 2017 and most recently took place at Joe Riley Park on December 1, 2018. Admission was free. |
1,582 | 6,937,125 | 0 | Dally in the Alley | States | Dally in the Alley is Detroit's largest annual community festival, located in the Cass Corridor district (the north end, close to Wayne State University) in Detroit. The event is completely organized and executed by a team of community volunteers. According to organizers, The Dally in the Alley gives an offering of live music, visual arts, performance, food and beer.
== History ==
=== Community Background 1866-1925 ===
In 1866, Michigan Governor Lewis Cass owned a piece of farmland that spread over the current-day Cass Corridor. He sold a portion to William A. Butler that bordered Putnam to Prentis, and was bounded 2nd and 3rd Street. Apartment buildings blossomed as heirs of Butler began dividing and selling up the land. Streets began to be paved as the city expanded north.
The neighborhood started to come together at the turn of the century. Second and Third were then paved with cedar and Forest with brick, west of Woodward Avenue. In 1899 there were only 5 houses in this neighborhood, four of them being on Forest and one on Second. In 1904, Horace Elgin Dodge purchased one of the houses on Forest, and built the now demolished garage in the back (in the alley). Rumor has it that Horace created his own automobile back there, knowing how to from working for Henry Ford. Horace definitely tinkered in the garage, and at the time, he and his brother John Francis Dodge were most well known as being part of Ford Motor Company. From about 1903 to 1914, the Dodge brothers were the largest parts suppliers to Ford. In 1914, they launched a car company in their own name, Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company.In 1910 The Winthrop, the first apartment building on Second, was built. It was the only one until the Hollender went up on the corner of Second and Forest in 1912. More and more apartment buildings started being constructed, primarily by residents living in the area.
The Wellesley, located on Hancock, was the most extravagant, largest apartment building in 1914. The Sherbrooke, located at Hancock and Third, was built that same year and would eventually be owned by Wayne State Housing in recent years. Due to a boiler problem, the building had to be shut down for financial reasons. Wayne State University has then sold the building to a private owner and is yet to be back in commission.
=== Dally in the Alley History: Since 1977 ===
The very first Dally was held in 1977 on the first Saturday after Labor Day. The fair didn't have its official Dally in the Alley title until 1982, named by Allen Schaerges, long-time Cass Corridor resident. Since then, the Dally has grown and expanded to what it is today; a popular music arts and music festival bringing in thousands of visitors.
Along with new artists and performers each year, there also comes the year's Dally in the Alley Poster, used to advertise the event. Each year, the community calls upon a local artist to create the specially designed poster and is showcased throughout the neighborhood. Most party stores, notably Marcus Market and University Market (located on Forest and Third), have the posters from each year displayed on their walls. Posters from each year can be found on the Dally's website.
In 2020 and 2021 the NCCU cancelled Dally in the Alley due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they planned on having one in 2022. The event returned in 2022 for its 43rd year, on September 10.
== Vendors ==Dally in the Alley over the years has featured numerous vendors. The vendors provide shopping and food. The Dally features Detroit's local music talent and beer for 12 hours. Vendors' arrangements are first come, first served. A small fee is also applied to those partaking in the Dally as vendors. Vendors provide a plethora of items for Dally guests.
A few things sold at the vendors are homemade jewelry, unique arts and crafts, music records, t-shirts, etc. Art and poetry workshops are also provided. Dally in the Alley caters to adults and children; they offer family-friendly activities. Some vendors will provide stations for arts and crafts and face painting. Attendees of Dally in the Alley are surrounded by many of Detroit's local restaurants. There is a whole district just for the food offered. Some of the food vendors Dally in the Alley hosts are Amicci's Pizza, Turkey Tom, Taste of Ethiopia, Oslo, Kola's Kitchen, and Mario's. One of the features of the vendors is the beer. Beer is on sale throughout the course of the Dally. Incidentally, Dally in the Alley as the name of the event is a medieval drinking song. Dally in the Alley started in the Cass Corridor which developers recently rebranded as just another section of Midtown.
== Performers ==
In 1977, an inner city art fair evolved into a performing arts festival in the vicinity of W Hancock Street, 2nd Avenue and West Forest. Today it is known as Dally in the Alley. The North Cass Community Union Is the sponsor of Detroit's Dally in the Alley. Proceeds from the Dally events are used to support North Cass projects which are said to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in the North Cass Community. The North Cass Community Union has used Dally proceeds to fund an environmental lawsuit against the City of Detroit trash incinerator, provide roaming security during nighttime hours and grant scholarships to enable neighborhood children to attend the Art Center Music School.
These Artists have converged with a number of other primarily Detroit-based performers on the Dally in the Alley art festival in Detroit, Michigan for the one weekend every late summer. They all perform on one of the stages and have transformed a small-time art fair into a festival of the performing arts. This festival has gone beyond just providing entertainment to the community. Proceeds from the event have made the neighborhoods safer, fought injustice and given the youth a place to chase their dreams and aspirations in the field of art and music.
== Posters ==Gary Grimshaw designed the first Dally in the alley poster in 1982, which featured dancing cats created by artist Brian Taylor. Gary was born 1946 in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Lincoln Park high school. Gary started his artwork at the age of twenty and has continued prospering ever since. Gary went on to create two other posters in 1986 and 1987. Brian was born in 1952 in Inkster, Michigan and earned his B.A. in art at Wayne State University. He also painted the Dancing Cats in the alley where the festival is held in Detroit. Brian also designed the artwork for the 1983 and 1984 posters. As part of the Detroit mural team, Brian painted over twenty murals in Detroit. He has exhibited his fine paintings at The Traffic Jam and Snug. He currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio.Jerome Ferreti designed the Dally in the Alley poster of 2001. He took classes at a few universities, including Wayne State University. Jerome is also a part of a society of artists called Slippery Weasel, which is centered in Detroit. The Slippery Weasel's first exhibit was in Rochester, Michigan in 2005.
== External links ==
Dally in the Alley
Midtown Detroit |
1,583 | 47,231,081 | 0 | Des Moines Arts Festival | States | The Des Moines Arts Festival is an arts festival held every June in Western Gateway Park in Des Moines, Iowa. The three-day festival frequently draws in excess of 200,000 people and has been ranked among the top festivals in the United States.
== History ==
The arts festival has its roots in the Des Moines Arts Center's Art in the Park, which started in 1958. Originally held in the parking lot of the Arts Center, the event eventually moved to a nearby park and later the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
Following the 1997 event, organizers decided to move the festival downtown and rebranded the event as the Des Moines Arts Festival. With the more prominent location, three-day attendance increased to over 200,000 people, and a more national artist list was attracted. When construction limited access to its location on the bridges over the Des Moines River in 2006, the festival moved to its current location in the newly opened Western Gateway Park. Living performing artists debuted in 2009; previous performers have included Gavin DeGraw and Mat Kearney.
== Recognition ==
Since its move, the festival has frequently been ranked among the top in the nation.
== Sponsors ==
The festival has numerous sponsors supporting it. Primary sponsors include Nationwide Insurance, Hy-Vee, Meredith Corporation, Prairie Meadows, Principal Financial Group, and The Des Moines Register.
== External links ==
Official Site
Facebook Page
Twitter Feed
YouTube Channel |
1,584 | 11,685,036 | 0 | Detroit Festival of the Arts | States | The Detroit Festival of the Arts was a three-day arts festival in Detroit, Michigan, held on the second weekend of June. First held in 1986, the Festival featured free musical performances, art showings, activities for children, and local food. It was located in Detroit's cultural center, spanning the Detroit Institute of Arts, the main branch of the Detroit Public Library, and the main Wayne State University campus. A giant sand sculpture had been a fixture of the event since 2004. The theme of the sand sculpture was selected by the sponsors and not by the artists. Official sponsors for the 2007 Festival included DaimlerChrysler, Macy's and the Metro Times.
In 2009, the University Cultural Center Association and Wayne State University produced a new event called Midsummer Nights in Midtown, which took place every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the month of June that year.
Art on the Move |
1,585 | 3,221,568 | 0 | Edmonds Arts Festival | States | The Edmonds Arts Festival is held in Edmonds, Washington during Father's Day weekend annually in June. The Festival first opened in 1957, and is one of the oldest and largest art festivals in Washington. The Festival celebrates and promotes the artwork of various local and national artists, showing an average of about 200 artists per year.
Run by volunteers alone, the Festival has an array of sponsorship to support its mission. All proceeds from the Festival are used to support scholarships, schools, and community grants to promote the arts and expand cultural experiences.
Held at the Frances Anderson Cultural Center in Edmonds, the outside lawn area of the center is arranged with a variety of booths where works of fine art and artisan crafts are displayed for sale directly from the artists. Inside the center is the juried art gallery where 450 of the best local and national artists have had pieces juried in to the event.
The festival is consistently ranked in the top 100 art festival in the United States, and in the top three in the Pacific Northwest region. A wide variety of two- and three-dimensional art is represented including oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, drawings, mixed media, photography, sculpture, textiles, jewelry, and glass works.
== External links ==
Edmonds Arts Festival homepage
Edmonds Art Festival Foundation
The Edmonds Beacon
Snohomish County Arts
Frances Anderson Cultural Center |
1,586 | 6,931,514 | 0 | Faerieworlds | States | Faerieworlds was an annual music and arts festival currently held annually in the U.S. state of Oregon. The festival's primary theme was the realm of the faerie. As of 2015, the festival moved to Hornings Hideout near Portland after many recent festivals had been held at Mount Pisgah in the Howard Buford Park Recreation Area southeast of Eugene, Oregon. The 2015-2019 festivals were held at Horning's Hideout and 2020 saw a virtual event take place on the live stream platform PORTL. The 2021 date was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, and in 2022 resumed, taking place at the Cuthbert Theater in Eugene, Oregon. In 2023, all future events were cancelled and their LLC was legally dissolved due to under-performance and financial issues as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
== Events ==
Faerieworlds was started by Emilio and Kelly Miller-Lopez of the musical group Woodland, and Robert Gould of the transmedia arts company Imaginosis. The festival features artists, authors, musicians and crafters whose work is connected to or inspired by folklore, specifically faerie lore.
== Locations ==
Faerieworlds Festivals have now taken place in Sedona and Prescott, Arizona, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Los Angeles, California, North Plains, Oregon, and from 2005 to 2008 at Secret House Winery in Veneta, Oregon. Faerieworlds 2009 was moved to Mount Pisgah to accommodate a larger number of daily attendees and to allow onsite camping to thousands of guests, and it was held there from 2010 to 2014. In 2014, the Lane County Board of Commissioners voted to not allow Faerieworlds, and another event, to use the Buford Park location in 2015. The result of this was a return of the festival to Hornings Hideout, an outdoor festival venue just west of Portland Oregon.
== Performers and artists ==The festival main stage has included such acts as Donovan, Lindsey Stirling, Omnia, Wardruna, Faun, Rasputina, Solas, Woodland, Kila, Johnny Cunningham, Susan McKeown, John Renbourn, Karan Casey, Gaia Consort, Frenchy and the Punk, Sharon Knight, Priscilla Hernandez and Qntal.
Artists and authors featured at Faerieworlds have included Brian Froud, Tony DiTerlizzi, Michael Hague, Wendy Froud, Jen Delyth, Terri Windling, Charles Vess, Charles De Lint and Amy Brown.
== FaerieCon ==The creators of Faerieworlds also produce an event on the east coast called FaerieCon International, which first took place on the weekend of October 10–12, 2007–2008 in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. FaerieCon moved to Baltimore in 2009 and took place at the Baltimore Marriott Hunt Valley Inn in 2009–2018, and the Sheraton Baltimore Waterfront Hotel in 2019. The 2020 event was canceled due to the ongoing pandemic. In February 2012 and 2013 FaerieCon West was held at the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle. FaerieCon West eventually was renamed Mythicworlds: Convention and Masquerades, which took place annually at the Seatac Doubletree Hilton in 2017 and 2018.
== External links ==
Faerieworlds Festival official site
FaerieCon official site |
1,587 | 30,354,814 | 0 | Fairie Festival | States | The Fairie Festival (also known as the May Day Fairie Festival, or Pennsylvania Fairie Festival) is a music and arts festival currently held annually in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, that began in 1991. The festival's primary theme is to celebrate the beginning of spring and all of the faerie and nature spirits' return to the warm world.
== History ==
The May Day Fairie Festival is the brainchild of Rob and Lucy Wood, owners of Spoutwood Farm, an organic farm in the Community Supported Agriculture movement. It began as a tea party for about 100 friends and their children, and attendance has grown to over 16,000 “friends” annually. Previously a one-day festival, a second day was added in 2001; a third, in 2006. The festival features artists and authors from around the world, local and international musicians and crafters whose work is connected to or inspired by folklore, specifically faerie lore. On 1/10/ 2018 Rob and Lucy Wood announced that May 2018 will be the last Fairie Festival to be held at Spoutwood Farm due to the stress it puts on the farm. In short the festival has grown too big for the farm. A new location was sought out for the future which was announced and held at Marshy Point Nature Center, located at 7130 Marshy Point Rd, Baltimore, MD 21220. The May Day Fairie Festival is now known as the Summer Solstice Faerie Festival presented in partnership by Spoutwood Farm Center, Marshy Point Nature Center and the Baltimore County Park System. With the close of the May Day Fairie Festival, there has been an insurgence of new Faerie Festivals in the local area. These festivals are a welcome addition to the FAEMILY, however they should not be confused with the May Day Fairie Festival and are in no way affiliated with Spoutwood Farm Center. These festivals are being held in New Freedom, Sunbury and York Pennsylvania.
There were no festivals in 2020-21.
== Events ==The May Day Fairie Festival was the first festival in the United States devoted solely to faerie and nature spirits. It has been held on the grounds of Spoutwood Farm Center since 1991.
The festival expects, each year, performances by musicians and dancers, storytellers, participatory maypole dancing, fairie craft activities such as wand and garland making. It provides 70 juried arts and crafts vendors (featuring handmade art inspired by the faerie), and food vendors. The Nature Place offers a place for environmental, health, animal interest and other groups to share their vision; fairie and gnome habitat tours are to be expected, along with fairie tea parties, and guest appearances by Sweet Pea, the Mossmen, and the Green Man. Alongside the traditional May Day crowning of the May Queen may be seen the crowning of the May King, Prince, and Princess. The Fairie Chautauqua offers the opportunity for attendees to delve more deeply into the lore and arts of Fairie, in workshops led by scholars, artists, musicians, and crafters.
== Impact ==
Each year, the Fairie Festival benefits the Spoutwood Farm Center CSA, which in turn provides organically produced food to over 150 families in the community. The Fairie Festival maintains an example of ecologically sound entertainment in the fantasy genre; it utilizes recycled printed materials, compostable foodware, and features a food court of diverse food vendors, including organic and vegetarian food vendors. In 2000, the Fairie Festival instituted a Zero Waste policy, requiring all vendors to haul out their own trash, and all food vendors to provide compostable materials to their customers. The compostable materials are added to a special compost pile located at the entrance to the CSA, and is part of the educational programs offered to attendees. In 2010, after a three-day event attended by over 17,000 people, a total of 23 plastic bags worth of non-recyclables and non-compostables were collected and disposed of by Waste Management of York County.
Attendance is international, with vendors and attendees coming from England, Australia and Japan.
The Fairie Festival was the subject of a 2010 documentary entitled Glen Rock Fae: The Spoutwood Fairie Festival on the Internet Movie Database.
Fairy Investigation Society
Glen Rock Carolers
List of fairy and sprite characters
May Day
== External links ==
National Public Radio audio commentary on the 2001 Fairie Festival, by Marion Winik. NPR article, with link to audio file
Official Fairie Festival website
Official Spoutwood Farm Center website
Glen Rock Fae: The Spoutwood Fairie Festival (2010) on IMDB |
1,588 | 11,549,661 | 0 | Festival of the Arts (Grand Rapids) | States | The Festival of the Arts – known locally as simply Festival, typically with the year added (e.g. Festival 2005) – is a three-day multimedia arts festival, held annually at the La Grande Vitesse sculpture in Grand Rapids, Michigan on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of June. The event is free and open to all.
The event features live performances of music, dance, and other performing arts; displays and sales of paintings and other visual arts; art and sculpture opportunities for children; film/video and literary presentations; and a wide variety of multicultural food booths operated by local non-profit organizations. The festival typically involves nearly 20,000 community volunteers and over half a million visitors. According to the Library of Congress, Festival is the largest all-volunteer arts festival in the United States.
== History ==
Festival was first held in 1970, inspired by the installation of Alexander Calder's La Grande Vitesse previous year, featuring two stages and a few food booths. The event grew quickly, filling the Vandenberg Plaza by the 1980s, and subsequently expanding into nearby streets, with several performance stages, and more than two dozen food booths. The public event was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, replaced with a virtual event. Festival has since returned to a free, public live event.
In 2022, one person was killed and three others injured in an early morning shooting at Festival.
== External links ==
Festival of the Arts Homepage
MLive's coverage of Festival |
1,589 | 17,266,580 | 0 | Figment (arts event) | States | FIGMENT is an annual participatory arts event that began on Governors Island in New York Harbor, United States in 2007, and has since spread to a number of other cities. The mission of FIGMENT is to provide a forum for community-based participatory art and experience. FIGMENT strives to build community among artists and participants, to foster the participatory arts in New York City, and to demonstrate a vision for the future of Governors Island as an international arts destination. FIGMENT is a community-based event organized and run by volunteers.
The event draws its name from New York's artistic heritage. Andy Warhol once commented that he would like his tombstone to have only one word on it: “Figment.” Warhol never got his wish; he has a traditional grave marker.
FIGMENT is based on 11 principles including participation, inclusion, decommodification and leave no trace.
Art projects are solicited for FIGMENT through a curatorial process, based on artistic merit, ambitiousness, and interactivity. FIGMENT focuses on art projects that demonstrate an ability to transform their environment and the perception of participants.
FIGMENT is produced by Figment Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization registered in New York State. This not-for-profit organization was originally formed as Action Arts League, Inc., in 2006. The board of directors decided to rename the organization Figment Project, Inc., in December 2010, and the name change was acknowledged by the New York State Department of State on February 9, 2011.
The event is currently supported by individual donations and by grants. FIGMENT does not accept any corporate sponsorships.
== FIGMENT 2007 ==
FIGMENT was launched in 2007 as a one-day event on July 8. FIGMENT attracted over 60 participatory arts projects, and hosted over 2,600 participants.
== FIGMENT 2008 ==
In 2008, FIGMENT was a three-day event on June 27–29. Nearly 10,000 people attended the event, and attendance records were set for Governors Island for the most people ever on the island on a Friday (1,486), on a Saturday (5,305), and on a Sunday (3,174), and over a single weekend (9,965).
Two special projects include the City of Dreams Minigolf course (open from June 27 to October 12, 2008), and the Emergence exhibition (open from May 31 to July 26, 2008). Both of these special projects were funded by the Black Rock Arts Foundation. It is estimated that approximately 50,000 visitors to the island engaged with these exhibitions over the summer of 2008.
== FIGMENT 2009 ==FIGMENT 2009 took place on June 12–14 on Governors Island. In addition to the main festival, FIGMENT expanded the City of Dreams Minigolf Course to 18 holes, and added a season-long exhibition of interactive sculpture. Both of these projects together are called the City of Dreams.
FIGMENT 2009 was attended by 13,331 people, including 1,139 participants on Friday, June 12; 5,488 participants on Saturday, June 13; and 6,704 participants on Sunday, June 14.
FIGMENT received six grants in 2009, including The Fund for Creative Communities, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, and the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Both funds are administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. In addition, four large-scale sculptures in the City of Dreams season-long sculpture installation have received the 2009 Oscar M. Ruebhausen Commission from the Greenwall Foundation.
== FIGMENT 2010 ==
In 2010, FIGMENT added an event in Boston to its event in New York. FIGMENT Boston took place on June 5, 2010, along the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in partnership with the Cambridge Arts Council, with approximately 10,000 participants who engaged with nearly 100 arts projects. FIGMENT New York took place on June 11–13, 2010, on Governors Island, with a total of 23,665 participants: 4,103 on Friday, 9,856 on Saturday, and 9,706 on Sunday.
FIGMENT created another summer-long minigolf course and sculpture garden in 2010 on Governors Island, and added an architectural competition to design and build a pavilion on the island as a center for arts activity. The City of Dreams Pavilion Design Competition was being jointly hosted by FIGMENT, the Emerging New York Architects (ENYA) committee of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY). The competition received over 50 entries, and a jury of architects, journalists, and engineers selected Ann Ha and Behrang Behin's Living Pavilion as the winner of the competition. The Living Pavilion was built on the Parade Grounds on Governors Island, and opened in time for FIGMENT on June 11. The Living Pavilion, Minigolf Course, and Sculpture Garden were open on the island through October 3, 2010, and were visited by an estimated 200,000 visitors to the island.
== FIGMENT 2011 ==
In 2011, FIGMENT added events in Jackson, Mississippi and Detroit, Michigan, for a total of four events. The season began with the event in Jackson on May 21–22. Then next was Boston (relocated from Memorial Drive to the Rose Kennedy Greenway) on June 4–5. Then FIGMENT NYC on Governors Island on June 10–12. And finally FIGMENT Detroit on Belle Isle on August 6.
2011 brought much more interest and collaboration from public officials. Mayor Harvey Johnson visited FIGMENT Jackson on May 21. Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston issued a proclamation naming June 4 as FIGMENT Boston Day in the City of Boston. And New York State Senator Daniel Squadron visited FIGMENT NYC on June 10 and gave a press conference with Trust for Governors Island President Leslie Koch and FIGMENT Executive Producer David Koren.FIGMENT NYC was named the Best Art Festival in New York by the Village Voice.
FIGMENT's brand received a design award in late 2011 by the AIGA.
In late 2011, FIGMENT received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for the first time ever, for its 2012 season.
== Notes ==
Furlan, Julia (June 9, 2011). Figment Festival Brings Whimsy and Art to Governor's Island. WNYC. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
Above and Beyond: FIGMENT Festival. The New Yorker. June 13, 2011.
SILVERMAN, JUSTIN ROCKET (June 28, 2008). FIGMENT & IMAGINATION. NY Post. Archived from the original on 2024-05-25.
Whitaker, Nick (July 2, 2008). Figment* 2008 on Governors Island. Street Films. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28.
NEWS: FIGMENT RTRNS TO GOV'S ISL. Daily Sessions. June 17, 2008.
RYZIK, MELENA (July 6, 2007). Ferrying Creative Impulses Across New York Harbor. New York Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
Zimmer, Amy (July 9, 2007). Arts festival awakens sleepy Governors Island. Metro New York. Archived from the original on 2008-10-30.
She Was Not a Figment of Your Imagination. New York Magazine. July 9, 2007. Retrieved 2011-07-02.
Figment on Governor's Island - Burning Man for lazy people... Rhythmism. July 8, 2007. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
Governor's Island Alliance
== External links ==
FIGMENT website
Emergence Catalogue. Archived from the original on 2008-11-19.
Governors Island website
Black Rock Arts Foundation website
Peter G Pereira Trees of Life Website |
1,590 | 4,988,395 | 0 | French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts | States | French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts (or simply French Woods Festival or French Woods), is a private, co-educational performing and visual arts camp for youth aged 7 to 17 located in Hancock, New York. Established in 1970, French Woods is among the most prestigious summer arts programs in the United States.
French Woods Festival runs one of the longest summer programs in American camping, running four three-week sessions, one week-long mini-session, and sponsoring a week-long adult camp at its sister camp, French Woods Sports and Arts Center. The primary summer schedule (the first four sessions) itself is among the longest in camping, ending in the last week of August. Campers are not required to attend for the entire summer and are able to choose any arrangement of the four sessions they wish to attend.
French Woods Festival has prepared generations of prominent alumni in arts and culture, particularly in the performing arts. Alumni have either won or been nominated for a total of 40 Billboard Awards, 29 Emmy Awards, 26 Tony Awards, 22 Drama Desk Awards, 18 Grammy Awards, 7 Golden Globe Awards, 6 People’s Choice Awards, 4 BRIT Awards, and others.
In recent years, French Woods has premiered several amateur productions of Broadway shows, including Billy Elliot and Honeymoon in Vegas.
== Program Overview ==
French Woods runs four, three-week sessions (e.g. First Session, Second Session, etc.) from early June to late August. An additional one-week session immediately follows Fourth Session. The program incorporates major-minor scheduling. The daily schedule revolves around three majors and three minors, beginning at 9:30 am and ending at 5:45 pm. French Woods offers nearly 400 individual majors and minors each session, stemming from over a dozen departments.
The camp produces a series of shows each session, which were described by Broadway World as having full production values, including sets, lighting, sound, costumes and live orchestras. Each camper may work on a number of shows per session, and any auditioning for a musical are guaranteed a slot of some kind on the production.
The camp and its activities are divided into three aged camps: Lower Camp (7–11 years), Middle Camp (11–14 years), and Upper Camp (14–17 years).
Each September, French Woods sponsors the French Woods Classic Band Festival, an adult band camp hosted by its sister camp, French Woods Sports & Arts Center.
French Woods administers the Hancock-French Woods Arts Alliance, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that primarily provides financial scholarships to a selected group of staff pursuing education in the arts.
== Location & Facilities ==French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts is situated on a small lake in the town of Hancock, New York, roughly two and a half hours from New York City and three hours from Philadelphia. The camp is situated in the western Catskill Mountains near the convergence of that region and New York’s Southern Tier. The Delaware River (and thus, the New York-Pennsylvania border) is about 6 miles south and west of French Woods. The camp’s name is derived from the hamlet of French Woods where it resides. It is approximately 170 acres (68 hectares).
French Woods is home to five theaters, two circus pavilions, two music centers, two visual arts complexes, a costumes building, dance center, culinary shed, and a collection of fitness facilities including eleven outdoor tennis courts, an indoor skatepark, hilltop challenge course, equestrian stables, sports complex consisting of a gymnasium and sport-specific fields/courts, fitness center, and pool.
The property also has two administrative buildings, a dining hall, wellness center, camp store, and a canteen.
== Notable alumni ==
Steve Augeri, former lead vocalist, Journey
Doug Besterman, Tony Award-winning orchestrator
Jason Robert Brown, Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist
Andréa Burns, actress
Jesse Carmichael, keyboardist, Maroon 5
Aiden Curtiss, model
Daniel Delaney, restaurateur
Zooey Deschanel, actress
Max Ehrich, actor
Melissa Errico, actress
Jon Favreau, actor
Barrett Foa, actor
Gideon Glick, actor
Ilan Hall, restaurateur
David Javerbaum, Executive Producer, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Adam Kantor, actor and singer
Cameron Kasky, activist
Adam Levine, lead singer, Maroon 5
Natasha Lyonne, actress
Tito Muñoz, Music Director, The Phoenix Symphony
Benj Pasek, Tony-Award winning composer and lyricist
David Pogue, contributor, The New York Times
Zac Posen, fashion designer
Elena Satine, actress
Dan Schneider, Emmy-winning television producer
Max Schneider, singer-songwriter and actor
David Sheinkopf, actor
Iliza Shlesinger, stand-up comedian
Howard Stelzer, composer and owner of Intransitive Recordings
David Stone, musical theater producer
Olivia Thirlby, actress
Jed Whedon, screenwriter and musician
Nat Wolff, singer-songwriter
Jason Wise, choreographer
Harris Wulfson, composer and violinist
Remy Zaken, actress
== In popular culture ==
Camp'd Out: I'm Going to Performing Arts Camp is a documentary television movie in the MTV True Life series that was filmed in the summer of 2008 and first shown on April 25, 2009. The film follows three aspiring Broadway stars through nine weeks of competitive drama at French Woods. |
1,591 | 63,505,096 | 0 | Harlem Arts Festival | States | The Harlem Arts Festival is an annual arts festival and arts nonprofit based in Harlem that began in 2012. The organization presented community-based music, dance, theatre, and visual artists at Marcus Garvey Park and the surrounding Harlem area. Notable participants included Queen Esther, Toni Blackman, Brandee Younger, Kris Bowers, Divinity Roxx, Marc Cary, AKIR, Timothy Bloom, Brady Watt, Maurice Mobetta Brown, M-1, Solomon Hicks, Bentley Meeker, among many others.
== History ==
The organization and festival was co-founded and led by three local Harlem producers: Neal Ludevig, J.J. El-Far and Chelsea Goding. The festival debuted in 2012 after a successful Kickstarter campaign garnered press from The New York Times, The Daily News, DNAInfo, Northhattan News, and a number of other media outlets. The organization presented more than 200 artists to more than 17,000 attendees in 5 years.
In 2014, the organization honored musician and social activist Fred Ho with its annual Lynette Velasco Community Impact Award, which honored the NYC's Assembly Member Inez Dickens late Chief of Staff.
In 2017, the festival's headlining performance, which featured Prodigy from Mobb Deep, passed away shortly before his performance. In response to his death, the organizers and Maurice Mobetta Brown, a long-time collaborator of Prodigy's, paid tribute to him through performances alongside M-1 (of Dead Prez) and a number of other musicians. HipHopDX premiered an exclusive from the festival where M-1 spit never-before-heard verses from Dead Prez's debut album, Lets Get Free.
== Recognition ==
Harlem Arts Festival received letters of support from a number of NYC elected officials and local entities, including Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Assembly member Inez Dickens, Congressman Charles Rangel, Councilman Mark Levine, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Councilman Bill Perkins, among others.
NYC Congressman Charles Rangel declared an official proclamation of a Harlem Arts Festival Day on June 22, 2015.
In June 2016, Uptown Scoop listed Harlem Arts Festival as #1 on its list of the 100 best things to do in Harlem.
In 2017, Baucemag listed Harlem Arts Festival as #5 in a list of 12 Major Events Where You Can Meet a High-Quality BAUCE Bae.
== External links ==
Official website |
1,592 | 51,361,636 | 0 | Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts | States | The Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts is an annual event that was started in 1952 by Leonard Bernstein who was both a composer and a Brandeis University faculty member. It is sponsored by Brandeis University's Office of the Arts.
Its founding in 1952 was held at the graduation of the first graduating class and included the world premier of Bernstein's opera Trouble in Tahiti.
Its philosophy is that the art of an era is a reflection of the society in which it is produced, and through creative endeavors the thoughts and expression which characterize each generation are revealed and transformed.
== Further reading ==
Klein, Karen. The Creative Arts at Brandeis (PDF). Brandeis University. Retrieved 18 August 2016. |
1,593 | 42,874,903 | 0 | Lubbock Arts Festival | States | The Lubbock Arts Festival is an annual arts festival held in April at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center in Lubbock, Texas. The festival is the largest fine arts and crafts show in West Texas. Since its establishment in 1978, the Lubbock Arts Festival focuses on visual, performing, culinary, and children's art. The 2013 Lubbock Arts Festival drew a record attendance of over 30,000. In 2014, the Silent Wings Museum participated in the festival.
A virtual festival was created in 2020, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
== External links ==
Official website |
1,594 | 22,185,263 | 0 | Lummis Day | States | Lummis Day is a signature community arts and music event in the neighborhoods of Northeast Los Angeles, showcasing the community's considerable pool of musicians, poets, artists, dancers and restaurants representing a kaleidoscope of ethnicities and cultural traditions. Since 2014, Occidental College's Institute for the Study of Los Angeles has partnered with the Lummis Day Community Foundation to support cultural programming.
For the community, Lummis Day was a party with a purpose, a cultural showcase for the various ethnicities and cultures that share the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods. In 2008, attendance reached 9,000 people – making it into one of the area's biggest annual events.
== Charles Fletcher Lummis ==
Lummis Day is named for Charles Fletcher Lummis—author, adventurer, early advocate of multiculturalism, and founder of the Southwest Museum.
Lummis played a role in the cultural history of Los Angeles of the 1880s-1920s. He settled into Northeast Los Angeles in 1895 and built a home out Arroyo Seco river rock on the borders of the Highland Park and Montecito Heights communities. Celebrated as a city of Los Angeles and state of California Historical Monument, the Lummis Home which he named El Alisal, is included on the National Register of Historic Places, the List of California Historical Landmarks and is owned and maintained by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. Lummis used his home to host gatherings of artists, journalists, and prominent people of his time. In 1907 Lummis opened the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in nearby Mount Washington. It was the first public museum in the city of Los Angeles and operated today by the Autry Museum of the American West.
== 2015 10th Anniversary Festival June 5,6 and 7 ==
Lummis Day-The Festival of Northeast Los Angeles, marked its 10th anniversary with an expansion to a three-day event at five Northeast L.A. sites on June 5, 6 and 7, featuring music, poetry, dance, art, theater and opera representing a rainbow of cultural traditions. Admission to all events was free.
The 2015 program continued the Festival's multi-cultural tradition, with performances ranging from Italian opera to Mexican mariachi, Celtic to cumbia, country to jazz, middle eastern Ghawazi dancers,” hip-hoppers and folkloric dancers, poets and puppets.
The three-day festival took place on a variety of sites:
§ Friday, June 5, Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights, 4:00pm–8:00pm (in cooperation with the Boyle Heights Farmers Market). Music, dance, poetry and theater.
§ Saturday, June 6, Historic Southwest Museum in Mount Washington, 10:00am–4:00pm (in partnership with the Arroyo Arts Collective). Art exhibits, a tribute to the late artist, mentor and printmaker Richard Duardo, poetry and music.
§ Saturday, June 6, York Park in Highland Park, 2:00pm–6:00pm. Opera, dance, jazz and rock music.
§ Sunday, June 7: Lummis Home in Montecito Heights, 10:30 am–5:00pm: Poetry, music, crafts exhibits.
§ Sunday, June 7: Historic Southwest Museum in Mt Washington, 12:noon-5:00pm: Art exhibits, music.
§ Sunday, June 7 Sycamore Grove Park in Sycamore Grove/Highland Park., 12 noon-7:00 pm. Music, dance, puppets, storytelling and other family activities.
== Other past events ==
The festival was organized by activists and neighborhood council representatives in 2006 as a celebration the history and diversity of the Northeast Los Angeles communities (the neighborhoods of Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Cypress Park, Mount Washington, Montecito Heights, Sycamore Grove, Lincoln Heights, and Glassell Park) and was designed to strengthen the ties among community's cultural, commercial and community resources.
Since 2006, the Lummis Day program has grown in size and stature and now includes an educational program for Los Angeles teachers, a series of poetry readings and workshops that are held in public library branches throughout the area, and annual same-day events at three separate locations: a poetry reading and music recital at Lummis Home; a festival of music and dance performances at Sycamore Grove Park; and an annual art exhibition held at the Autry National Center's Casa de Adobe.
Since 2006, the principal Lummis Day event has been held on the first Sunday in June. The first event, on Sunday, June 4, 2006, featured East L.A. rock band Quinto Sol, musician Severin Browne, Ann Likes Red, Cuban-born musician Juan Carlos Formell, Danza Azteca Cuahtlehuanitl, the Tongva-Gabrielino Native American Dancers, Pilipino folk ensemble Panama Rondalla and poets B. H. Fairchild, William Archila and Suzanne Lummis.
In 2007, Lummis Day performers included Quetzal, Ollin, the Evangenitals, the Greger Walnum Blues Band, the Susie Hansen Latin Band, Likas Pilipinas Folk Arts, Ballet Coco Folklorico, Rene and His Marionettes, poets Lynne Thompson, Charles Harper Webb, Steve Abee and cellist Kevin Buck.
The 2008 Lummis Day event took place on June 1 and was headlined by Highland Park native son Jackson Browne. Other performers included the celebrated comedy ensemble Culture Clash, Latina fusion rocker Cava, the Chapin Sisters, the Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea, Artichoke, Ann Likes Red with guest star L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti, poets Steve Kowit, liz gonzalez, Cathie Sandstrom and guitarist Carlos Guitarlos, the “I Tell Stories” troupe of actors and storytellers, the Cypress Park Folkloric dancers, Ballet Coco and the Puppets and Players Little Theatre.
The same year, the Lummis Day organizing committee formed a California corporation, the Lummis Day Community Foundation, Inc. and was granted federal non-profit status as a 501(c)(3) organization.
Media sponsors for Lummis Day include TV stations KMEX and KTTV, public radio station KPFK and the Arroyo Seco Journal. The Annenberg Foundation, the Autry National Center and the Northeast L.A. neighborhood councils (the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council, the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council, the Eagle Rock neighborhood Council and the Greater Cypress Park Neighborhood Council) and community organizations The Highland Park Historic Trust and the Mount Washington Association help underwrite the event.
=== 2013 ===
The eighth annual Lummis Day Festival was held on June 2, 2013. Los Angeles rock heroes Ollin, folk legend Jim Kweskin with the Crockett Sisters and gospel belters Little Faith led a lineup of music, dance and poetry representing a rainbow of cultural traditions.
The main stages for Lummis Day's performances were located at Heritage Square Museum, where the best of home-grown Northeast L.A. music, dance, food and community resources was presented on four stages amid the historic buildings preserved on the unique museum's grounds. The diverse styles and traditions of the festival's music ( featuring 17 bands) included rock music from Boyle Heights and Japan, Cuban jazz, folk, mariachi, Americana, Gospel, indie rock, reggae and jazz. Dance groups presented modern dance, folkloric, American historic and flamenco traditions. Some of the historic buildings at Heritage Square Museum were available to festival-goers via docent-led tours.
The Festival's opening morning event took place at Lummis Home beginning at 10:30 AM with readings by critically acclaimed poets, led by Suzanne Lummis and including Luis J. Rodriguez, Erika Ayón and Sung Yi, preceded by a musical interlude performed by jazz guitarist Joe Calderon. A collaboration between guitarist Calderon and the dramatic readings of Luis J. Rodriguez were particularly well-received, as was the annual guest reading by former State Assemblymember (and current State Senate Candidate) Anthony Portantino.
The Lummis Home site also featured art exhibits, book sales and crafts. The Festival's art exhibit continued at Lummis Home until 5pm while performances—music, dance, puppet theatre—as well as community and family activities shifted to nearby Heritage Square Museum, beginning at noon. Visitors to Lummis Home also toured enjoy the interior of the century-old home, influenced by mission architecture and Pueblo Indian dwellings, and many guests strolled through the beautiful native plant gardens that surround the building.
In addition to Ollin, Kweskin and Little Faith, musical performers at Heritage Square Museum included Tall Men Group (featuring Lummis Day veteran Severin Browne) KoTolan, Many Distant Cities, The Fly By Night Jazz Band featuring Greg Walnum, The Old Round, The Plaza de la Raza Youth Mariachi Ensemble, El Profe, Sueño Eterno, Brian & Nick, The Volcano Police, Pio Pico Middle School Stage Band and Genesee Hall. Dance ensembles included Louise Reichlin / Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers, Ballet Coco, the Lineage Dance Company's Michelle Kolb and Teya Wolvington, Jessica Pacheco of Flamenco Express and the Yesteryears Dancers. MC's included KPFK radio personality Patrick Perez, actress/comedian Lizzy Redner and radio host Bill Murray.
The Puppets & Players Theatre, a Lummis Day family favorite, returned with their unique brand of children's entertainment. Other family activities included making Tongva/Chumash Clapper Sticks and planting at the Home Depot/Color Spot booth. State and city officials (Los Angeles City Councilmember-elect Gil Cedillo, State Senator Kevin DeLeon and State Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez) attended the event.
Lummis Day sponsors included The Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council, Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council, The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council, L.A. 32 Neighborhood Council, The Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council, The Greater Cypress Park Neighborhood Council, The Glassell Park Neighborhood Council, The Highland Park Heritage Trust, Council District 1, Council District 14, METRO, The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, PEN Center USA, Poets & Writers Inc. through a grant it has received from the James Irvine Foundation and public radio station KPFK 90.7 KPFK
=== 2009 ===
The fourth annual event, held June 7, 2009, featured a diverse collection of performers, including Wil-Dog Abers (a member of the famed Los Angeles band Ozomatli) with his group La Banda Juvenil; perennial Best Los Angeles Country Band-winners I See Hawks in L.A.; virtuoso blues guitarist legend Carlos Guitarlos and his band; poet and journalist Rubén Martínez; poets Gail Wronsky and Suzanne Lummis; members of Chicano comedy and theater troupe Culture Clash; Native American singer Glen Ahhaitty; and Filipino, Native American, Mexican and Pacific Islander folk artists and visual artists of various stripes and traditions.
The 2009 event was the last to be held at Sycamore Grove Park. In 2010, Lummis Day's main stages moved to nearby Heritage Square Museum (3800 Homer Street). The Festival's morning poetry event remains anchored at Lummis Home, aka El Alisal, 200 East Avenue 43, Los Angeles.
== External links ==
Lummis Day Community Foundation & Festival - Official Website
Lummis House & Gardens - Official Website |
1,595 | 17,436,504 | 0 | Manifest (urban arts festival) | States | Manifest is an urban art festival put on by Columbia College Chicago to showcase the works of graduate students and seniors from the many departments of the college. Started in 2002, activities at Manifest include gallery shows, musical performances, screenings, readings, and various other activities and the whole event is open to the public. It is also a time when many of the clubs at Columbia promote themselves to returning students. In 2007, Manifest coincided, perhaps just by chance, with the premier of Looptopia in the downtown central business district known as the Loop. Manifest is always held on a Friday and past dates have included May 15, 2006, and May 11, 2007. Manifest 2008 was on May 16. Several large name groups have played at Manifest including Ozomatli in 2005, Lupe Fiasco in 2007, and OK Go in 2008. According to the official Columbia page, 30,000 people attended and participated in Manifest.
== External links ==
Official website
Columbia College Chicago's Brightcove video channel
https://web.archive.org/web/20070808063318/http://manifest.colum.edu/2005/
https://web.archive.org/web/20080905193424/http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/sidebars/theater/manifest08/ |
1,596 | 29,379,705 | 0 | Megapolis Festival | States | The Megapolis Audio Festival (aka MEGAPOLIS) is a weekend-long event dedicated to the art of sound and to do-it-yourself (DIY) culture. The festival serves as a forum for artists, documentarians, musicians, and fans to come together to share secrets on producing and presenting challenging audio works online, on-air, and on the stage. Traveling to a new city each year to connect artists from around the world with local artists and arts organizations, MEGAPOLIS remains an affordable event where people of all ages can educate and inspire each other to hear the world differently.
MEGAPOLIS was founded in 2008 by Justin Grotelueschen (managing director) and Nick van der Kolk (of Love and Radio) and is administered by a new team of organizers each year.
The name Megapolis is a variation of megalopolis, referring originally to the Northeast megalopolis of the United States and to the cultural influence of an urban environment on the soundscape.
== Past festivals ==
=== 2009 ===
The inaugural MEGAPOLIS Audio Festival kicked off in Cambridge, Massachusetts, starting on April 24, 2009, at the Massasoit Elks Lodge and continuing April 25 and 26 at the Pierre Menard Gallery, with some events in Boston. Featured events included:A performance by Gregory Whitehead, radio theatre legend
An audio documentary listening room from the Third Coast International Audio Festival
An opening night of intense musics led by The Lothars, theremin-infused psych rock from Boston, along with a typewriter orchestra, a man manipulating the radio waves with a steering wheel, and a demonstration of culinary auditory delights
Over 40 artists from across North America and from countries beyond combined with local artists to perform, install works, and conduct workshops and tours under the general theme of the megapolis, including:workshops for building your own instruments and contact microphones
an audio-making slumber party
a bicycle-powered 8-track player
a clandestine audio tour of an insane asylum
a presentation on the cross-pollination of poetry and sound
Co-sponsored Festival events included a media archaeology of Boston at the Carpenter Center at Harvard University, a live cello score of a museum construction at the Axiom Gallery in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and a live performance of the WNYC science program Radio Lab at the Museum of Science in Boston.
=== 2010 ===
The second MEGAPOLIS occurred in Baltimore, Maryland starting on May 14 at the Windup Space and continued May 15 and 16 starting at the Hexagon Gallery. The 2010 event featured several high-profile artists including:Felix Kubin, sci-fi music and radio visionary from Germany
Lucky Dragons, psychedelic electronic artists from Los Angeles
David Kestenbaum, science and economics correspondent for NPR
Over 60 artists from around the world interpreted the festival theme of travel during:audio scavenger hunts with iPhones and low-wattage transmitters
collaborative sound-making performances using contact mics attached to parachutes and knitting needles
1-800-numbers that attendees could call that dealt out exercises and suggestions designed to elicit aural experiences
booths where participants could retell their nightmares and strain to hear to tiny sounds
existentialist theatrical tours led by gnomes who encounter deviant characters along a path to 'enlightenment'
audio transmissions between live-mic'd venues using FM and shortwave radio
=== 2013 ===
The third MEGAPOLIS Audio Festival took place in New York City, from April 19–21, 2013, with most events happening in and around the New School. More than 100 artists participated including:Leif Elggren
Mountains (Thrill Jockey records)
Flutronix
Kitchen Sisters (NPR)
Artists loosely interpreted the festival theme of tourism through more than 60 events such as:“noise” karaoke, where participants sing hit songs as the DJ mangles their vocals through live processing
Foley effect workshop recording food items then sampled and mixed live in a dance music tent
helmet that used bone conduction to “hear” sounds
experimental one-man theatre backed by suffocating noise music and harrowing spoken word
global experiments in musical improvisation using telecommunications networks
=== 2015 ===
The fourth MEGAPOLIS was the first held outside the Northeast megalopolis, instead popping up within the Northern California megaregion. This event kicked off at The LAB in San Francisco CA on July 5, 2015, continuing the 6th at various venues in Oakland before landing at the Omni Commons on the 7th. Some of the artists featured that weekend:Roman Mars, executive producer of highly acclaimed podcast 99% Invisible
Matmos, experimental electronic music duo; collaborated on albums with Icelandic musician Björk
Al Letson, Peabody-award-winning radio host, poet, playwright, and actor
Doseone, a poet, rapper, singer, painter, producer, and member of cLOUDDEAD, anticon, and more
Fantastic Negrito, winner of NPR's 2015 Tiny Desk Concert Contest
Kevin Blechdom (Blectum From Blechdom), a Bay Area experimental electronic musician self-dubbed as an avenging angel of pop music
Song Exploder, a podcast where artists deconstruct their songs from the inside out
Gamelan X, ensemble that remixes the ritual of a Balinese procession with a decidedly west coast twist
The theme of the 2015 MEGAPOLIS Festival was the frontier and featured 30 events including:an immersive installation of sound-emitting light bulbs that react to your presence
interactive presentations on scientific innovations in music and storytelling through conscious thought control as well as infrasound imperceptible to the human ear
an exercise in rapid prototyping using the basics of design thinking to introduce the idea of iterative problem solving for artists
hacking and soldering workshops to create Moldover's Light-Theremin CD cases, low-wattage radio transmitters, homemade synthesizers, and manipulated game controllers
yoga together with drone music
== External links ==
MEGAPOLIS Festival website. Megapolis Festival. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. |
1,597 | 5,642,171 | 0 | National Arts & Humanities Month | States | National Arts & Humanities Month was established in 1993 and is celebrated every October in the United States. It was initiated to encourage Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of participation in the arts and humanities. It has become the nation's largest collective annual celebration of the arts and humanities.
National Arts and Humanities Month's four goals are:FOCUSING: To create a national, state and local focus on the arts and humanities through the media,
ENCOURAGING: To encourage the participation of individuals, as well as arts, humanities and other organizations nationwide,
ALLOWING: To provide an opportunity for federal, state and local business, government and civic leaders to declare their support for the arts and humanities,
RAISING: To establish a highly visible vehicle for raising public awareness about the arts and humanities.
Americans for the Arts
National Arts Awards
== External links ==
Celebrate National Arts & Humanities Month |
1,598 | 13,181,821 | 0 | National Black Arts Festival | States | The National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) is an organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 1987. It was originally a one-week long summer festival which was held biennially starting in 1998.
It was started after the Fulton County Arts Council (in Atlanta, Georgia) commissioned a study to explore the feasibility of creating a festival dedicated to celebrating the work of artists of African descent. With Fulton County government as the major sponsor, along with corporate and foundation sponsors, the Festival's first biannual summer festival was held in 1988.
Many artists have taken part in the festival, which includes an Artists’ Market, film screenings, and live performances of jazz, gospel and other music. Among the participants in the festival have been Maya Angelou, Charles Dutton, Wynton Marsalis, Amiri Baraka, Avery Brooks, Nancy Wilson, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Spike Lee, Ousmane Sembène, Pearl Cleage, Kenny Leon, Carrie Mae Weems, Radcliffe Bailey, Sonia Sanchez and many other artists from the US and around the world. As the festival established itself as a showcase for the art and culture of the African Diaspora, it expanded to include year-round educational activities.
The festival's artistic leadership has included Avery Brooks, Dwight Andrews and Stephanie Hughley and has reached over five million people since the first year. |
1,599 | 24,238,990 | 0 | National Queer Arts Festival | States | National Queer Arts Festival (NQAF) is an annual queer festival in San Francisco organized by the Queer Cultural Center and established in 1998 to coincide with Pride Month.
Other organisations which have assisted over the years include the Harvey Milk Institute, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Art and the Center for African and African American Art & Culture.
Jonathan David Katz is the founding artist director of the festival.
Since 1998, NQAF has presented more than 800 different events that have featured more than 2,300 LGBTQ+ artists including Bill T. Jones, Alice Walker, Robert Rauschenberg, Meredith Monk, Adrienne Rich, Marga Gomez, Justin Chin, Thom Gunn, Cherríe Moraga and Dorothy Allison. NQAF is the largest queer arts festival in North America.
== Festivals ==
1998
June 1, 1999
June 1-July 4. 2000
June 1-July 4, 2001
June 1-July 7
May 31- June 29, 2003.
June 3–27, 2004.
June 1–30
2006, June 1–30
2007, May 26- June 30
2008, June 1–30
2009, May 31 – July 11
== External links ==
QCC |
1,600 | 16,322,260 | 0 | North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Performance Festival | States | Presenting over sixty free shows annually on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Performance Festival, funded by the State of North Carolina, is produced, performed and directed by students, alumni, faculty and staff of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). The family-friendly festival offers drama, music, dance and film performances for six consecutive weeks, late June to early August, at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo, North Carolina. Since its inception in 1997, the summer festival has become an important cultural resource to residents and visitors of North Carolina and an enriching educational and training experience for emerging and professional artists of UNCSA. In 2007, the festival audience grew to a record attendance of over 11,000.
Evening festival events are staged at the newly renovated Outdoor Pavilion on the banks of Shallowbag Bay while afternoon events are staged indoors at the Film Theater. Both venues are at Roanoke Island Festival Park just across the bridge from the seaside town of Manteo. As of 2005, the festival's rain policy changed. In inclement weather, all outdoor shows now move to the Film Theater replacing the previous cancellation policy.
For evening shows, patrons are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs as no permanent seats are available on the lawn. Many families and groups come early to enjoy a picnic at the park before the shows. All shows are free and appropriate for all ages. Casual attire is encouraged. Even pets and pajamas are welcome.
== Performance series ==
In recent years, the festival has expanded its calendar of events to include additional programs for families. In 2006, UNCSA's School of Drama produced its first family musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and a new Saturday Night at the Movies series. First produced in 2007, the Rock the Boat! series invites families to relax on the charming Manteo waterfront while UNCSA's conservatory-trained musicians perform aboard the Elizabeth II. In 2008, a newly created Classics for Kids series presents an hour of kid-focused music every Thursday afternoon and gives children an opportunity to interact with the musicians and their instruments. In addition, the films on Saturday nights move from the Film Theater to the big outdoor screen.
=== Outdoor Pavilion Series ===
Feature presentations vary each summer. Shows are at 8 pm at the Outdoor Pavilion for four consecutive nights, Tuesday through Friday. Traditionally, each week of the season presents a different program presented by the Schools of Drama, Music, Dance or Film. In recent years the UNCSA School of Drama has expanded its presentations to include a Shakespeare comedy, a family musical and a cabaret performed in repertoire during three weeks of the festival. The School of Music presentations may include concerts by the UNCSA orchestra or by UNCSA ensembles for jazz, ragtime, percussion, woodwinds or brass. The School of Dance presents a program of classical and contemporary dance often featuring new and juried works by UNCSA alumni. The School of Filmmaking presents films on Saturday nights selected for a family audience. All shows are designed and produced by the faculty and students from UNCSA's School of Design and Production.
=== Afternoon Classics Series ===
Casual classical concerts are offered on Tuesday and Friday afternoons at 2 pm in the Film Theater. Programs vary daily and weekly. Music for guitars, saxophones, vocalists, woodwinds, strings, brass, or percussion may be featured with repertoire ranging from jazz to classical by American and international composers.
=== Wild Wednesday! Series ===
Excerpts from the 8 pm feature performances may be heard every Wednesday at 2 pm in the Film Theater. Audiences are encouraged to meet the performers and ask questions about life as a student at UNCSA.
=== Rock the Boat! Series ===
On Wednesdays at 7 pm, musicians aboard the Elizabeth II perform a 30-minute concert to boaters, pedestrians and diners on the [Manteo] waterfront.
=== Classics for Kids Series ===
On Thursdays at 2 pm, musicians present programs designed especially for kids in the Film Theater. Kids are invited to participate and interact with the performers.
=== Saturday Night at the Movies Film Series ===
The School of Filmmaking selects films for a family audience ranging from classic Charlie Chaplin films to contemporary animation. Films are shown at 8 pm on the big outdoor screen at Roanoke Island Festival Park's Outdoor Pavilion.
== Fourth of July celebration ==
Now an Outer Banks tradition, Roanoke Island Festival Park, the Town of Manteo and UNCSA honors America's independence with an evening of patriotic music and dazzling fireworks. Music begins at 8 pm and continues during the fireworks beginning at dark. Families and groups are encouraged to come early to picnic at the park.
== CAP for kids ==
Introduced in 2007, the festival offers a program to encourage young patrons to attend shows for performing artists. Kids can become a Community Arts Patron or CAP by attending at three least shows. CAP punch cards are available at each performance and may be redeemed for prizes when children present their CAP card at their third show.
== Festival alumni ==
Festival performers often make headlines soon after they perform in Manteo. In addition to playing in orchestras and on stages worldwide, recent alumni have won the Metropolitan Opera's National Finalist award, performed on Broadway, played in the Grammy orchestra, acted in films and TV series and joined professional dance companies like Limon, Pilobolus, and American Ballet Theatre.
== External links ==
Summer Performance Festival website |
1,601 | 32,925,382 | 0 | Northside Festival | States | The Northside Festival is an annual week-long summer showcase celebrating emerging music, innovation and art in Brooklyn, New York, United States. The festival is held at venues across the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick and is organized by Northside Media Group, the publishers of The L Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, Playwright's Horizon and BAMbill.
== History ==
Northside was started in 2009 by Brooklyn's Northside Media Group, which published the L Magazine and Brooklyn Magazine.
The festival is a showcase of Brooklyn's recent cultural renaissance. Every June for the past decade, Northside has brought hundreds of bands, artists and speakers to the festival. Past performers include Guided By Voices, Solange, Brian Wilson, Miguel, Dirty Projectors, Beirut, Girlpool and more. Past speakers include Mayor Bill de Blasio, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, SNL's Sasheer Zamata, hotelier Ian Schrager, writer Piper Kerman and Kickstarter CEO Yancey Stickler. |
1,602 | 40,726,529 | 0 | NY Art Book Fair | States | The NY Art Book Fair is Printed Matter, Inc's annual event, historically held in September or October. The NY Art Book Fair is the world's largest book fair for artists’ books and related publications, featuring over 370 exhibitors from 30 countries, and attended by over 39,000 visitors annually. Originally free, the now ticketed fair presents an active program of exhibitions, talks, workshops, book launches and performances, as well as many off-schedule events hosted by individual publishers.
The NY Art Book Fair was created under the direction of AA Bronson, a New York artist and former President of Printed Matter, Inc. (2004-2010). It was held at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, New York from 2009 to 2019. In 2012, over 25,000 people attended the event. In 2013, the attendance rose to 27,000. From 2013 to 2017, the NY Art Book Fair was run and curated by Printed Matter's Shannon Michael Cane and artist Jordan Nassar, until Cane's death in November 2017.
Beginning in 2018, Printed Matter's Art Book Fairs, which includes the NY Art Book Fair, LA Art Book Fair, and Printed Matter's Virtual Art Book Fair (PMVABF), have been under the direction of Sonel Breslav who organized the fair with artist and curator Emmy Catedral between 2018 and 2021, and currently with Sanjana Iyer.
Printed Matter's NY Art Book Fair hosts over nearly 300 independent presses, zines, booksellers, antiquarian dealers, artists and publishers from over twenty countries, in addition to featuring special programming, such as the Contemporary Artists' Books Conference, The Classroom, and special exhibitions.
== External links ==
Official website |
1,603 | 9,452,529 | 0 | Pageant of the Masters | States | The Pageant of the Masters is an annual festival held by the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, California, United States.
The event is known for its tableaux vivants or living pictures in which classical and contemporary works of art are recreated by real people who are made to look nearly identical to the originals through the clever application of costumes, makeup, headdresses, lighting, props, and backdrops.
The first Festival of Arts was produced in 1932, and the first presentation of the Pageant was done in 1933. Since then, the two events have been held each summer, apart from a four-year interruption caused by World War II & in 2020 caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
The 91st season of the Pageant of the Masters opened on July 6, 2024 and will run until August 30, 2024. The pageant hosts more than a quarter million people each year.
== History ==
In 1933, at the second Festival of Arts, artist Lolita Perine had an idea for a living work of art. Persuading residents of Laguna Beach to dress in costume, she seated them behind an oversized frame, recreating well-known works of art.
The Spirit of the Masters Pageant was formally started the next year by the Festival's organizers and was put on again in 1934, but in those early days was an amateur operation of low quality.
In 1934, local developer Roy Ropp expressed his dissatisfaction with the poor quality of the production in blunt terms; the Festival's board responded to his frank criticism by placing him in charge of the Pageant. He renamed it the Pageant of the Masters and with the assistance of his wife, Marie, he organized a high-quality and well-received production in the summer of 1935.
Building upon this initial success, the Ropps continued to refine and improve the Pageant through its 1941 production; then the Festival and Pageant were suspended for four years due to World War II. Because of increasing personal friction between the Ropps and the Festival's board, Roy Ropp came back only once after the war to direct the Pageant, in 1950. Ropp died in 1974, but today is still remembered as the Father of the Pageant.
The Pageant was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
== Pageant ==
The Pageant is held eight weeks each summer and consists of 90 minutes of living pictures accompanied by a professional narrator, an orchestra, and period songs by professional vocalists. The Pageant is put on by a small paid staff and several hundred volunteers. Production begins in January with auditions and casting of volunteers from all over Southern California; it takes over 60,000 volunteer hours to put on the two-month Pageant in July and August. Today, the costumes and makeup involved are very elaborate and often require large commitments of volunteer time, so to reduce the impact on individual volunteers, the Pageant selects two full casts known as Blue and Green, which then alternate back and forth.
== Recognition ==
In 2014, The New York Times summarized the event by stating:The pageant is hard to describe, because it is — in a strict sense — unique: There is nothing else in the world like it.
== Popular culture ==
The Pageant of the Masters was parodied in the Arrested Development episode In God We Trust.
The festival was imitated in Gilmore Girls episode The Festival of Living Art, for which the show won an Emmy Award.
The festival was featured on the fifth episode of Somebody's Gotta Do It with Mike Rowe.
== External links ==
Official website
Artists that have exhibited at the Pageant of the Masters, and have been featured in the show include:
Susan Cox |
1,605 | 41,813,779 | 0 | Reed Arts Week | States | Reed Arts Week (RAW) is a celebration of the arts at Reed College, a liberal arts institution in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. It includes music, dance, theater, films, creative writing and the visual arts. In addition to student performances, major artists perform original works and participate in master class work with members of the Reed College community. Visiting artists have included Karen Finley (2001), The Yes Men (2003), Tao Lin (2009), Chris Kraus (2012), and Antoine Catala (2014). RAW was conceived by professors David Schiff and Maeera Schreiber in 1990 as a weekend that would highlight the visual and performing arts at the college. It originally began as a weekend, but soon grew into a weeklong annual festival celebrated in February or March.
Since its founding by Schiff and Schreiber, RAW has been managed by students. Each year, RAW Student Coordinators are tasked with appointing students to various roles within RAW, including positions in public relations and graphic design. Until 2003, the appointment of RAW Student Coordinators and the funding of RAW were handled by the student body and its senate. Following a 2001 controversy in which an anonymous Title IX complaint was filed against the college after a purportedly pornographic performance piece, Reed community members, the student senate, and the administration engaged in a discussion about student management of RAW in spring of 2001. The Title IX complaint alleged that the piece constituted sexual harassment and lacked artistic merit. The 2001 discussion revealed that several community members supported the claim that it lacked artistic merit and demonstrated indecency, and senate discussed the possibility that RAW would be placed under administrative control, such that the administration would elect student coordinators and manage RAW funds.
In 2003, the Reed College administration announced that the RAW coordinator appointment process would be conducted by Reed's Student Services. |
1,606 | 24,005,862 | 0 | Ringling International Arts Festival | States | The Ringling International Arts Festival is an annual festival at the Ringling Museum of Art. The first three years the festival was a collaboration with the Baryshnikov Arts Center, but currently is curated solely by the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.
Encompassing Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Florida, the annual festival is scheduled every October and includes artists from all over the world.
== Background ==
Sarasota, Florida has been a leading centers of the arts in the Southeastern United States since the 1920s. John Ringling, lead founder of the Ringling Brothers Circus, built his winter home on Sarasota Bay and then completed construction on the Ringling Museum of Art in 1931. Upon his death in 1936, John Ringling left the Museum of Art to the State of Florida. With the museum garnering international recognition, the Sarasota area also became home to major opera, ballet, dance, and theater venues. |
1,607 | 17,326,815 | 0 | River to River Festival | States | The River To River Festival is an annual arts festival held in summer in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The festival presents live art and installations in public spaces and in partnership with institutions in Lower Manhattan. It is presented by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
The festival includes dance, visual and performance art, poetry, film, music, theatre, and other events that are free and open to the public.
== History ==
The River To River stival was founded in 2002 by American Express, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Alliance for Downtown New York, Arts Brookfield, Battery Park City Authority, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and South Street Seaport. It was created as an effort to revitalize the Lower Manhattan community after the September 11 attacks by promoting cultural activity and making Lower Manhattan an important experience of New York City's history, art, and commerce.
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council became the lead organizer and producer of the festival in 2011. |
1,608 | 34,191,020 | 0 | St. Louis African Arts Festival | States | The St. Louis African Arts Festival (also known as STLAAF or St. Louis African Arts Fair) is an annual arts and cultural festival in St. Louis, Missouri, which has been running since 1991. The STLAAF is a three-day event that takes place over the Memorial Day weekend. The African Arts Festival is a production of the St. Louis African Heritage Association, Inc. The St. Louis African Heritage Association, Inc. was established in 1995 and serves as the parent organization of the STLAAF and is a not-for-profit organization.
== History ==
The St. Louis African Arts Festival began in 1991 as an artistic and cultural arm of the African Studies Association's 34th Annual Conference hosted by Washington University in St. Louis. A variety of festival programs and activities were held throughout Greater St. Louis.
== Organization ==
The St. Louis African Arts Festival is headquartered at Washington University in St. Louis. Cynthia L. Cosby, Manager of Special Projects and Program Coordinator for the Black Alumni Council for Washington University in St. Louis, is the festival founder. |
1,609 | 23,764,301 | 0 | Santa Fe International Folk Art Market | States | Started in 2004, the annual International Folk Art Market | Santa Fe is held during one weekend of July on Milner Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Folk Art Market is one of three summer markets in Santa Fe; Santa Fe also hosts the Spanish Market and the Indian Market.
== History ==
The Market was founded by businesswoman Judith Espinar, together with Thomas Aageson, executive director of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and former executive director of Aid to Artisans; the former Market executive director, Charlene Cerny, formerly director of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, and Charmay Allred, a community philanthropist. The State of New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Museum of International Folk Art, and the Museum of New Mexico Foundation are the primary strategic partners. In its inaugural year, the market hosted sixty participating folk artists. By 2008, the number of artists grew to 125 artists from 41 different countries and in 2009, 126 artists from 46 nations.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) was an early sponsor, providing funding for ten artists, followed by an artist-training program in 22 countries. UNESCO has given its Award of Excellence to several products beginning in 2007. In 2009, three booths featured UNESCO award-winning work. In 2008, 97% of the market artists were from developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
The Market supported an initiative to train cultural entrepreneurs in Africa through the W.K. Kellogg Intern Program. The program funded four arts professionals from Africa, to prepare the interns to develop folk art markets in their home countries. In 2008, the arts professionals in this program were: Mahaliah Kowa, former Project Coordinator of the Harambe Afrika! Festival in Johannesburg; Chila Smith Lino, Marketing Director of the non-profit Nacional de Artesanato in Mozambique; Nomvula Moshoai-Cook, Chairperson for the Mpumulanga Traditional Arts Festival in South Africa; and Jane Parsons, Crafts Consultant for the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe.
=== Clinton Global Initiative ===
Former President Bill Clinton had commissioned three market artists to create prizes that were presented in September 2009 to the winners of the Clinton Global Citizen Awards — which honored individuals and organizations for their philanthropic contributions to global welfare. The work of the three artists, Serge Jolimeau and Michee Remy of Haiti and Toyin Folorunso of Nigeria, represented recycled metals.
=== Market 2012 ===
In July 2012, the ninth year of the Market, 156 artists participated from 54 different countries across 6 continents; 4 new countries were represented including Colombia, Hungary, South Sudan, South Korea, and Vanuatu. 58 artists were from cooperatives and NGOs that represent approximately 36,059 artisans — positively impacting the lives of over 360,000 extended family members. 19,536 people attended. Artists’ sales increased by 7% from the 2011 Market to $2.4 million in 2012. The average sales per booth amounted to $18,253. Artists retain 90% of their sales.
== External Links ==
Official website - |
1,610 | 14,270,826 | 0 | South End Art Hop | States | null |
1,611 | 31,789,066 | 0 | Tsunami on the Square | States | Tsunami on the Square is an annual performing-arts and culture festival in Prescott, Arizona that showcases exotic and unique performance art forms not typically seen in smaller towns. Historically, it took place on the third weekend in June on Prescott's historic Courthouse Square. In 2015, Tsunami switched to the fourth weekend of October due to the county's concerns about grass maintenance in June. The festival features a mix of local, national and internationally known professional performers.
== History ==
Tsunami on the Square is named after the natural event least likely to occur in the high desert and was founded by Jay Ruby of The Carpetbag Brigade in 1998. JACQUES LALIBERTÉ, artist, was a Co-founder of the festival, and is believed to have conceived its moniker. The festival is funded primarily through donations from area residents, grants and sponsorships from local businesses.
In 2005, Tsunami on the Square held its first Circus Camp for children between the ages of 6 and 14. Circus Camp is held during the week(s) leading up to Tsunami and the children get to lead the parade that opens the Tsunami on the Square Festival. They are also the opening act on the main stage. Starting in 2011, children over the age of 14 who wanted to continue learning and participating in Circus Camp were given the opportunity to become Circus Camp Counselors in Training. Several of the instructors at Circus Camp are also visiting artists who perform on the main stage at the Tsunami festival.
=== Past directors ===
After Jay Ruby there have been five Executive Directors: John J.T. Tannous, Susan Defreitas, Megan Buchanan Cherry, Andrew Johnson-Schmit and Tom Von Deck.
== Festival details ==
Tsunami on the Square features a wide range of performance traditions and styles. Past festivals have featured acts such as Native American hoop dancing, modern dance, circus arts, acrobatic stilt walkers, fire performers, hula hoopers, blacklight theater, Japanese Butoh and giant puppets. In addition to the main event, Tsunami on the Square also has traditionally included a site-specific performance on the Thursday before the festival called Flourish Before the Flood.
In 2011, a new event on the Friday before the main Tsunami on the Square festival was added. Neptune's Tea Party featured an acrobatic stilt performance by The Carpetbag Brigade, excerpts of Ember Larson's folk opera, music by Dutch Holly, and music/video/spoken word by Verbobala. This event was held at the historic Elks Opera House in downtown Prescott.
Some past festival performers include headliners and crowd favorites: Beatmauler, Pyroklectic, The Carpetbag Brigade, Clan Tynker, Flam Chen, Koichi Tamano and Harupin-ha, Archedream for Humankind, Grupo Axé Capoeira, Kid Beyond, Bad Unkl Sista, Aero HoopStars, Troupe Salamat, Verbobala, and Jonathan Best.
One of the popular fundraising methods of the festival is the Skitmercial. Skitmercials are live skits, performed on stage, about festival sponsors. The 2015 production added Rapmercials to the mix, including full length rap songs for upper level sponsors. Phoenix artist Jacob Schaffer, aka Jakeup the Savior wrote and performed the Rapmercials in 2015. Future Rapmercials will include a troupe of dancers like the Fly Girls of the TV program, In Living Color. Future years will include Songmercials and Poetrymercials.
== The fall of tsunami ==
It was announced in January 2014 that the board of directors had dissolved the nonprofit because no one heeded the call to take then Executive Director Andrew Johnson-Schmit's place. The two-year search for a new director ended. The festival did not happen in 2014.
== 2015 Revival ==
Prescott resident Tom Von Deck made a public statement on June 16, 2014 that he had spearheaded a local effort to bring the festival back in 2015. The festival was incorporated in September 2014 as Tsunami Arts Festival. Their fiscal sponsor began accepting tax deductible donations for the festival that October.
The first big performing arts party celebrating the festival's return into the 2015 year was called The Balloonfish Bash. On November 8, 2014 fire performers Pyroklectic provided a 25-minute sneak preview of the show they planned to do at Tsunami on the Square 2015. Ballet Folklorico Sol de Mexico, a dance troupe composed of girls between the ages of 5 and 12, made their Tsunami debut that night. Other performers included jugglers Frankie Cardamone and Heather and Ivan Marriott, Jewel of the Desert Belly Dance, Zumba Fitness with Tiger and Albert Sarko and the Jazz Workshop Band.
Tsunami 2015 featured performances from Mystic Circus, Pyroklectic, The Carpetbag Brigade, New Moon Tribal Belly Dance, Fantastick Patrick – The One Man Circus, Ballet Folklorico Sol de Mexico, Jonathan Best, hula hooper Sierra Almena, magician Leigh Hotz and juggler Frankie Cardamone. Musical acts included Stella's Infirmary, Paul T. Morris and old time musician Parker Smith. Masters of Ceremonies were Jack Lough, Tom Von Deck and Connecticut resident Dave Bonan.
== External links ==
Tsunami on the Square Official Website
Clan Tynker
Flam Chen |
1,612 | 22,063,351 | 0 | Virginia Arts Festival | States | The Virginia Arts Festival is a Norfolk-based non-profit arts presenter which serves southeastern Virginia, offering dozens of performances during the spring and throughout the year. Virginia Arts Festival performances have included international ballet companies, along with modern, contemporary, and ethnic dance companies; world-renowned soloists and ensembles in musical genres including classical, jazz, world, folk, rock, blues, bluegrass, country, and pop; opera; theater and cabaret; and collaborative productions with local arts organizations like the Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
== History ==
City of Norfolk and a group of arts patrons, seeking to increase local tourism during the spring shoulder season, approached Robert W. Cross in 1995 to create a performing arts festival that would serve as a cultural destination for the region. Cross produced the first Virginia International Waterside Arts Festival on 1997, presenting an 18-day festival featuring such performers as Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Mark Morris Dance Group, contemporary composer/performer Steve Reich, and jazz legends Ramsey Lewis and Billy Taylor. The 1997 Festival also saw the creation of the first Virginia International Tattoo, an international display of military bands, drill teams, and pipe and drum corps.
After four successful years, in 2001 the name was officially changed to the Virginia Arts Festival.
The Washington Post has called the Virginia Arts Festival the Tidewater Tanglewood. From a two-week festival in its first year, the festival has tripled in size and attendance. In 2016, the Virginia Arts Festival celebrated its 20th Anniversary season, presenting 72 ticketed performances throughout the region from mid-April through June, with patrons traveling from 49 states and 13 countries.
== Education ==
Reaching tens of thousands of students every year, the Virginia Arts Festival offers year-round arts education programs, presenting special student matinee performances and aligning visiting performing artists with area schools for master classes, in-school workshops, and demonstrations. According to their 2016 Annual Report, the organization's education programs reached 39,644 area school children during the 2015–16 season.
== Commissions ==
The Festival's John Duffy Institute for New Opera seeks out and supports the work of opera composer/librettist teams by providing professional mentorship and a professional process for the development of their new work, with the intent to see the works through to full productions. In May, 2016, the Festival will present the world premiere of Kept: a ghost story, a world premiere performances of the new opera Kept: a ghost story, at Norfolk's Attucks Theatre. Created by composer Kristin Kuster and librettist Megan Levad, the work was developed over a three-year process through the Duffy Institute. Additional new operas are currently in the development phase and will receive their premieres in 2018 and beyond.
In addition to its commissions through the Duffy Institute, the Virginia Arts Festival has commissioned 18 works of music, dance, and opera:Brahms Variations - In 2016 the Virginia Arts Festival commissioned a new work from Dance Theatre of Harlem in honor of the Festival's 20th season. Choreographed by Robert Garland and set to Johannes Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Haydn, the ballet was premiered at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, Virginia, on May 14, 2016, with Benjamin Rous conducting the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in the pit.
BEN-HUR, A tale of the Christ - Composer and percussionist Stewart Copeland created a new score for a 90-minute edited version of the 1925 MGM silent epic film; the work was premiered with the Virginia Arts Festival Orchestra, conducted by Richard Kaufman, in Norfolk, on April 19, 2014.
Song of the Shulamite - Composer Donald McCullough, founder of the Virginia Symphony Chorus and Virginia Chorale, and for more than a decade the music director of the Master Chorale of Washington, premiered his new work in November 2012 at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. The Virginia Arts Festival co-commissioned this piece, named after the beautiful young bride and heroine in Song of Solomon in the Bible.
Dreams of the Fallen – Created by composer Jake Runestad, a fellow of the John Duffy Composer's Institute, this musical work combined solo piano, chorus, and orchestra with powerful texts written by Iraq War veteran and award-winning poet Brian Turner, chronicling a soldier's emotional response to the experience of war. The work was premiered in New Orleans in 2013.
Rappahannock County - American composer Ricky Ian Gordon and librettist Mark Campbell were commissioned to write a staged song cycle in commemoration of the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the American Civil War. Rappahannock County which had its world premiere in Norfolk, VA April 12, 2011, the same day that Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in 1861, with subsequent performances in Richmond, VA and Austin, TX.
Romeo and Juliet, On Motifs of Shakespeare: Mark Morris Dance Group – This commissioning project was an extension of many years of creative collaboration between the Festival and Mark Morris Dance Group; the world premiere performance featured the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in the pit. Inspired by the recently restored manuscripts that Soviet cultural officials originally rejected and suppressed, Mark Morris set his choreography to Prokofiev's original unedited 1935 ballet score. This historic production (which was part of a 10-member international commissioning consortium project) included, for the first time, an entire fourth act that until now had never been heard (Prokofiev was forced to supplant this act with his known 'epilogue' ending). Virginia Symphony Orchestra played the score live during the 2009 Festival.
Septet – This work was commissioned by the Festival in consortium with other national presenters from American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and was performed by the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio (KLR Trio) and Miami String Quartet during the 2009 Festival.
Piano Trio – Renowned composer and icon of contemporary American music, Joan Tower was jointly commissioned by the Virginia Arts Festival, La Jolla Music Society and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to compose a piano trio in 2008. The premiere performance piece featured chamber musicians: violinist Cho-Liang Lin, cellist Gary Hoffman, and pianist André-Michel Schub.
Pocahontas Chamber Opera – Composed by Linda Tutas Haugen and libretto by Joan Vail Thorne, this joint commission with Virginia Opera was a world premiere production, presented in 2007 in honor of the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown, Virginia landing.
America's 400th Anniversary Celebration – Four new musical works were commissioned this 2007 commemoration event by American composers John Corigliano, John Duffy, Adolphus Hailstork, and Jennifer Higdon.
A Midsummer Night's Dream – This fully staged world premiere production, presented in 2005, was performed in 2005 with the orchestra on stage with the actors, with the score taken from Mendelssohn's Overture and Incidental Music.
The Lost Treasure of Atlantis – The Imani Winds quintet created this new work for Virginia Arts Festival education programs in 2006.
Chinese Ancient Dance Suite and Night Thoughts – Two chamber music works were commissioned from Chinese-born American composer Chen Yi in 2004.
Gershwin's World - Jazz master Herbie Hancock created an orchestral version of his Grammy Award-winning 1998 album Gershwin's World, which received its world premiere in the 2003 Virginia Arts Festival.
Memories of a Possible Future – Composed by Bruce Adolphe, this work for piano and string quartet was co-commissioned by the Virginia Arts Festival and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and was premiered in 2002.
== Recordings ==
Virginia Arts Festival performances have been recorded for the Naxos label, including the Festival-commissioned song cycle by Rappahannock County, Stravinsky's Les Noces and The Soldier's Tale, and the Schoenberg transcriptions of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde and Songs of a Wayfarer. Additionally, the Festival's presentation of Peter and the Wolf: A Special Report was recorded for NPR Classics.
== External links ==
https://www.vafest.org/
https://www.vafest.org/media/51314/2016_annual_report.pdf |
1,613 | 35,619,183 | 0 | Virginia–Highland Summerfest | States | Summerfest is an annual arts festival in the Virginia–Highland neighborhood of Intown Atlanta, taking place on two days in June each year. It is one of the largest art festivals in the Southeastern United States, typically attended by more than 50,000 visitors and showcasing more than 200 artists from across the region.
In addition to art it features music (on the dave fm stage), food, KidsFest, and for neighborhood residents, a parade, dinner and movie. It is the main source of funding (over $100,000) for the activities of the Virginia–Highland Civic Association, which spends it on parks, schools, the firehouse and other community organizations.
== History ==
Summerfest began as a block party with Atkins Park restaurant owner Warren Bruno and other local businesses in 1984. The party took place between St. Charles and Greenwood Avenues along N. Highland Avenue.
In 1986 the event expanded along N. Highland Ave. to include stages at the intersections with Virginia Ave., Amsterdam Ave., and University Drive in the Morningside neighborhood.
In 1987 Star 94 radio was added as a sponsor and an art show was added at Virginia Avenue.
Bruno stated in an interview that in the 1980s there was a lot of animosity between residents and businesses in Virginia–Highland and the festival was a way for businesses to give back to the community.
In 1988 the Civic Association took over the event, though the businesses stayed involved. Restaurants set up tasting booths in John Howell Park. A Kidsfest was added to bring back the family component in the celebration.
In 1999 Creative Loafing Atlanta voted Summerfest Atlanta's Best Neighborhood Festival.
In 2000, a spat among organizers and a shakeup in the organizing committee made local headlines, but nonetheless Summerfest did continue as usual in 2001.
In 2008 Summerfest celebrated its 25th anniversary.
In 2009 the festival was second only to the Inman Park festival for the Creative Loafing accolade of Best Neighborhood Festival.
2020 saw no festival.
== External links ==Official website |
1,614 | 50,776,176 | 0 | The Winter Show | States | The Winter Show is an annual art, antiques, and design fair organized by East Side House Settlement and held at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. All net proceeds from the fair benefit East Side House Settlement, which provides education, technology training, and college opportunities to residents of the Bronx and Northern Manhattan.
The Winter Show is a ten-day event held each year at the Park Avenue Armory. In 2024, The Show celebrated its Platinum Jubilee (70th Anniversary) to become America's longest running art, antiques, and design fair. Each year, over seventy exhibitors from North America and Europe are featured. The New York Times describes the show as a “galaxy of colliding worlds,” with works ranging from Egyptian antiquities to postwar Italian art glass.
All works are vetted by a committee of 150 experts for authenticity, date, and condition.
== History ==
The fair was first established in 1954 when two young antiques dealers, John Bihler and Henry Coger, suggested the creation of an antique show-fundraiser for East Side House Settlement to the charity's co-director Grace Lindquist. Their proposal came days after socialite Norris Harkness enlisted Lindquist's help to sell five Louis Vuitton trunks at the National Antiques Show, during which time Bihler and Coger witnessed Lindquist's acumen for antiques. On Monday, January 24, 1955, the fair opened at the Seventh Regiment Armory with one hundred dealers from the East Coast. By the end of the decade, The Winter Show was seen as the leading event of its kind in the United States.
In 1970, the Show's first catalogue was produced, and the fair hosted a loan show of 19th-century American paintings and objects from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflecting a focus on American art at the fair.
The fair's annual loan exhibitions promote the collections of American museums and have included loan shows from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New-York Historical Society, and Peabody Essex Museum.
In 1993, the vetting process that is still in use today was introduced.
In 1995, Arie L. Kopelman was named co-chair of The Winter Show.
In 2015, Lucinda C. Ballard and Michael R. Lynch joined Kopelman as co-chairs of The Winter Show.
In 2017, Arie L. Kopelman was named Chairman Emeritus of The Winter Show. Lucinda C. Ballard and Michael R. Lynch continue to serve as the Show's Co-Chairs.
In 2018, Helen Allen was appointed The Winter Show's Executive Director. Michael Diaz-Griffith is the Show's Associate Executive Director.
In 2025, The Winter Show will return to the Park Avenue Armory to celebrate its 71st year.
== Loan exhibitions ==
2004: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2005: New-York Historical Society
2006: George Washington's Mount Vernon
2007: Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA)
2008: The Shaker Museum and Library
2009: The Corning Museum of Glass
2010: Colonial to Modern: A Century of Collecting at Historic New England
2011: Grandeur Preserved: Masterworks Presented by Historic Charleston Foundation
2012: Celebrating Historic Hudson Valley at 60: Rockefeller Patronage in Sleepy Hollow Country
2013: Newport: The Glamour of Ornament (The Preservation Society of Newport County)
2014: Fresh Take, Making Connections at the Peabody Essex Museum
2015: Ahead of the Curve: The Newark Museum 1909-2015
2016: Legacy for the Future: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
2017: Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum: Revolution & Evolution
2018: Collecting for the Commonwealth/Preserving for the Nation: Celebrating a Century of Art Patronage 1919-2018 (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts)
== Bibliography ==
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum Selected as the Featured Loan Exhibition at the 2017 Winter Antiques Show to Launch the Museum's Sixtieth Anniversary Year. Sept. 19, 2016. ArtfixFaily. http://www.artfixdaily.com/artwire/release/9589-abby-aldrich-rockefeller-folk-art-museum-selected-as-the-featured
Ballard, Lucinda C. The Iconic Phoenix. Winter Antiques Show 2014 Exhibition Catalogue (2014): 1–276.
Beach, Laura. Hudson River Classics. The Magazine Antiques. Jan. - Feb. 2012. https://classicalamericanhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/2012-Jan-Feb-Hudson-River-Classics-The-Magazine-Antiques.pdf
Behre, Robert. Charleston Paintings, Ceramics, Furniture, Other Items Head for Winter Antiques Show in New York City. The Post and Courier. Jan. 13, 2011. https://www.postandcourier.com/news/charleston-paintings-ceramics-furniture-other-items-headed-for-winter-antiques/article_0179def3-cf2f-51a3-b883-42541aa47128.html
Diaz-Griffith, Michael. An Outpost of Friendship, Learning, and Hope: The Making of East Side House Settlement. Winter Antiques Show 2016 Exhibition Catalogue (2016): 1–228.
Dietz, Ulysses Grant. Newark Museum: 106 Years Ahead of the Curve. Antiques and Fine Art. 2015. https://www.newarkmuseum.org/sites/default/files/antique-and-fine-arts.pdf
East Side House Settlement. Winter Antiques Show 2014 Exhibition Catalogue (2014): 1–276.
Genocchio, Benjamin. A Winter Wonderland of Old and Modern Invites Meandering. The New York Times. Jan. 22, 2009. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/design/23wint.html
Historic New England's Centennial To Be Celebrated at 2010 Winter Antiques Show. ArtFixDaily. Nov. 13, 2009. http://www.artfixdaily.com/artwire/release/historic-new-england%E2%80%99s-centennial-to-be-celebrated-at-2010-winter-antiques-show
Hartigan, Lynda. A World of Connections at The Peabody Essex Museum. InCollect. Jan. 14, 2014. https://www.incollect.com/articles/a-world-of-connections-at-the-peabody-essex-museum
Hunt, Stephanie. A Grand Tour. Charleston Magazine. Jan. 2011. https://charlestonmag.com/features/a_grand_tour
Mason, Brook S. New Lamps for Old. Artnet Magazine. Jan. 2009. http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/reviews/mason/mason1-28-09.asp
Metzgar, Johanna Brown. The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts: A Southern Backcountry Perspective at the Winter Antiques Show. InCollect Dec. 18, 2007. https://www.incollect.com/articles/the-museum-of-early-southern-decorative-arts
Moonan, Wendy. The Bustling Season of American Art and English Pottery. The New York Times. Jan. 13, 2006. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/13/arts/design/the-bustling-season-of-american-art-and-english-pottery.html
New Views at the 55th Annual Winter Antiques Show. The Magazine Antiques. Feb. 2, 2009. http://www.themagazineantiques.com/article/winter-antiques-show-2009/
New England Antiques - In the News. Fine Books Magazine. Jan. 13, 2010. https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/press/2010/01/new-englad-antiques.phtml
Oseid, John. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to Headline Manhattan's Winter Antiques Show. Forbes. Jan. 17, 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnoseid/2018/01/17/virginia-museum-of-fine-arts-to-headline-manhattans-winter-antiques-show/#38764f597cce
Robinson, Katherine S. Charleston's Master Works Presented by Historic Charleston Foundation. Antiques & Fine Art. 2011. http://www.antiquesandfineart.com/articles/media/images/00901-01000/00981/Robinson_Charleston.indd.pdf
Rosenberg, Karen. Recalling an Opulent Age Through Its Trove of Art. The New York Times. Jan. 24, 2013. www.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/.../winter-antiques-show-at-park-avenue-armory.html
Schwendener, Martha. The Winter Antiques Show Embraces the Evolving Definition of Antique. The New York Times. Jan. 18, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/arts/winter-antiques-show-review.html
Smith, Roberta. Winter Antiques Show Offers a Collection of Rare and Recent Works. The New York Times. Jan. 22, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/arts/design/winter-antiques-show-offers-a-collection-of-recent-and-rare-works.html
The Shaker Museum to Display 100 Shaker Objects at Winter Antiques Show. Art Daily. http://artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=22824&int_modo=2#.W6EgoRNKi9Y
Update: Winter Antiques Show Celebrates Its 57th Year with Three New Exhibitors and a Loan Exhibition from Historic Charleston Foundation. Cision PR Newswire. Dec. 21, 2010. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/update-winter-antiques-show-celebrates-its-57th-year-with-three-new-exhibitors-and-a-loan-exhibition-from-historic-charleston-foundation-112259624.html
Washington Crosses the Hudson for Americana Week. Antiques and Arts Weekly. Jan. 25, 2006. https://www.antiquesandthearts.com/washington-crosses-the-hudson-for-americana-week/
Winter Antiques Show Celebrates its 55th Year with Five New Exhibitions and a Loan Exhibition from the Corning Museum of Glass. Antiques Publicity. Jan. 19, 2009. http://antiquespublicity.com/2009/01/19/winter-antiques-show-celebrates-its-55th-year-with-five-new-exhibitors-and-a-loan-exhibition-from-the-corning-museum-of-glass/
Winter Antiques Show Celebrates the 2014 Loan Exhibition from Peabody Essex Museum with Lecture Series. Jan. 16, 2014. ArtFixDaily. http://www.artfixdaily.com/artwire/release/7527-winter-antiques-show-celebrates-the-2014-loan-exhibition-from-pea
Winter Antiques Show Celebrates its 56th Year with Six New Exhibitors and a Loan from Historic New England. Antiques Publicity. Nov. 17, 2009. http://antiquespublicity.com/2009/11/17/winter-antiques-show-celebrates-its-56th-year-with-six-new-exhibitors-and-a-loan-exhibition-from-historic-new-england/
Winter Antiques Show Showcases Preview to its 60th Year Diamond Jubilee. Cision PR Newswire. Nov. 25, 2013. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/winter-antiques-show-showcases-preview-to-its-60th-year-diamond-jubilee-233309211.html
Winter Antiques Show Runs to Feb 1 At Park Avenue Armory. Antiques and Arts Weekly. Jan. 27, 2009. https://www.antiquesandthearts.com/winter-antiques-show-runs-to-feb-1-at-park-avenue-armory/
58th Winter Antiques Show Celebrates the Rockefeller Family Patronage of Historic Hudson Valley. ArtDaily. 2011. http://artdaily.com/news/51911/58th-Winter-Antiques-Show-celebrates-the-Rockefeller-family-patronage-of-historic-Hudson-Valley
61st Annual Winter Antiques Show: 106 Years Ahead of the Curve at the Newark Museum. Artsy. 2015. https://www.artsy.net/show/newark-museum-61st-annual-winter-antiques-show-106-years-ahead-of-the-curve-at-the-newark-museum |
1,615 | 37,104,823 | 0 | XOXO (festival) | States | XOXO was an annual festival and conference held in Portland, Oregon, that described itself as an experimental festival for independent artists who live and work online. XOXO was founded in 2012 by Andy Baio and Andy McMillan with funding from prepaid tickets and other contributions via Kickstarter. In 2016, technology website The Verge called it the internet's best festival.
XOXO was held every year from 2012 to 2019 except for 2017. It was not held between 2020 and 2023, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The final festival was held in 2024.
== History ==
XOXO was an annual festival and conference that focused on indie creators and artists working on the web. Except for a larger conference in 2018, the conference was limited to around 1,000 attendees, and organizers introduced an application and lottery system to promote diversity and discourage attendees who were focused on marketing to other attendees. Speakers at the festivals were most often independent creators, and the festival eschewed the corporate nature of other conferences and festivals centered around technology. Talks at the first two events generally reflected enthusiasm around being an indie creator, while later events featured more reflection on the challenges of being an independent artist, criticism of the web and the broader technology industry, and focus on social justice and activism.
=== 2012 ===
The inaugural event was held in Portland's Yale Union Laundry Building in September 2012 with approximately 400 participants. That year's event was funded on Kickstarter, raising $175,000.
Associated events included live music, film screenings, an arcade of independently produced video games, a market, and food trucks. News media and bloggers noted an impressive list of speakers and an intimate tone missing from other technology-focused conferences. Ruth Brown wrote the audience was overwhelmingly white, male, middle class and educated.
=== 2013 ===
The festival returned to the Yale Union Laundry Building with speakers, workshops, films, music shows, game events, and a market. Baio described it as being about artists and hackers and makers that are using the internet to make a living doing what they love independently without sacrificing creative or financial control. To handle increased interest while remaining small (500 conference tickets and 200 fringe event tickets), it had an application process with questions intended to filter out people who wanted to market to attendees.
Portland Monthly compared the event to the larger South by Southwest festival, quoting Matthew Haughey saying SXSW speakers are in the business of selling technologies and XOXO speakers are creating things. Rachel Edidin described the event in Wired as a creative incubator that is painfully earnest, unflaggingly positive, and criticized the event for high ticket costs that introduced barriers to access that mirrored some of the issues it sought to resist.
=== 2014 ===XOXO 2014 was held at The Redd, a former ironworks facility in an industrial area of Portland. Conference speakers included feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian, data visualization designer Rachel Binx, software engineer Edna Piranha, Welcome to Night Vale creator Joseph Fink, Lifehacker founder Gina Trapani, lexicographer Erin McKean, and technologist Paul Ford. Sarkeesian's appearance was met with controversy from Gamergate supporters, with one protester trespassing the festival grounds and Portland Police being called to the festival. Casey Newton wrote in The Verge about the festival's focus on freelance and indie artists: this is likely to be the only conference where you see tech CEOs listening to a freelance jewelry designer talk about her struggles paying the rent. Attendance was capped at 1,000 people, and attendees were selected through an application and lottery process that aimed to increase diversity.
=== 2015 ===
XOXO 2015 was held at the Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon. Baio and McMillan aimed to increase the number of talks focusing on the challenges of being an independent creator, and to offer more criticism than previous years. They also capped attendance at 750 people. Speakers included video game developer Zoe Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian, and web technologist Eric A. Meyer. Engadget wrote many talks were emotionally driven... centered around the difficult issues of being independent. The Guardian attributed the festival's popularity to its gentleness, its emotive undertone and thoughtful curation, but also its commitment to supporting individual artists over businesses and corporates.
In 2015, the festival adopted the chat software Slack, and by the time of the conference the XOXO Slack instance had more than 150 channels. The Verge later credited XOXO for bringing Slack into the mainstream.
=== 2016 ===
XOXO 2016 was also held at the Revolution Hall and was attended by over 1,200 attendees. Speakers included musician Neil Cicierega, journalist Sarah Jeong, satirist Jenn Schiffer, and Itch.io founder Leaf Corcoran. The Verge called it the internet's best festival, and highlighted its attention to detail, focus on diversity, and curation. A follow-up article featured highlights and discoveries from the festival lineup. Organizers announced that they would not be hosting an event the following year, instead choosing to focus on the Outpost workspace they had founded in mid-2015.
=== 2018 ===
After a one-year hiatus in 2017, the sixth XOXO was held on September 6–9, 2018 at a new venue, Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Nearly twice the size of past years, over 2,300 attendees attended XOXO 2018.
The festival opened with a keynote from comedian Cameron Esposito about the production of her Rape Jokes standup special. Speakers included author John Hodgman, author Ijeoma Oluo, rapper and producer Open Mike Eagle, and Anita Sarkeesian. The festival closed with an unannounced concert by Lizzo on the festival's main stage, who surprised attendees after the show by performing karaoke in the Blue Ox Bar, a dedicated pop-up dive bar created for the event. Other on-site installations included a secret speakeasy, accessible only by solving a series of puzzles accessible via telephone booths around the venue, and Dear Future Me, an interactive installation by illustrator Alice Lee inviting attendees to mail a postcard to their future selves. The festival also introduced an event called Art+Code, which showcased quirky web-based art, and a comics night.
=== 2019 ===
After experimenting with a larger event in 2018, XOXO returned to its previous size and venue for its seventh year, with 1,200 attendees at Revolution Hall. Organizers cited the desire to return to a more comfortable, accessible, and intimate size.
=== 2020–2023 ===
The 2020–2023 XOXO festivals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with Willamette Week in 2020, festival co-founder Andy Baio said that, due to uncertainty about the duration of the pandemic, The last XOXO may have been the last one.
=== 2024 ===In March 2024, the festival's organizers published a blog post announcing that the August 2024 XOXO festival would be the last. They explained that decreased sponsor budgets, independent artists' financial struggles, as well as the dangers of COVID-19 make XOXO unsustainable.
== Outpost ==
In June 2015, the organizers of XOXO announced they were opening a shared, pay-what-you-can workspace to bring some of our favorite people and projects in indie art and tech under one roof in a 13,000 square foot building in Portland's Central Eastside Industrial District. The Outpost was open from February 2016 until December 2016, when it closed citing rising rental costs.
== External links ==
Official website
2024 website |
1,617 | 40,465,368 | 0 | 626 Night Market | States | 626 Night Market is a regular night market located in the 626 area code region of San Gabriel Valley, northeast of Los Angeles. As of 2022 it is the largest night market in the United States.
== Format ==
The event is held multiple times a year from May through September. Each 3-day night market event draws up to 100,000 attendees with more than 250 participating food, merchandise, and craft vendors, as well as art and music. The market is held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. It is the largest night market in the United States.
The events are known for their large selection of Instagram-friendly foods, ranging from traditional night market snacks found in Asia such as stinky tofu and meat skewers to fusion cuisine such as pho tacos and ramen burgers. Vendors are local artisans and aspiring chefs plus entrepreneurs who already own a restaurant, retail store or food truck, or those who are launching a new product or brand or test-marketing a new concept.
== History ==
Conceived by Jonny C. Hwang, a businessman born in Taiwan and raised in southern California, the market was inspired by the night markets of Asia, especially the Shilin Night Market in Taipei. The inaugural market was held in 2012 and drew an unexpectedly large crowd that clogged the streets of Old Town Pasadena, initially drawing negative criticism from attendees and allegations of mismanagement. The market subsequently relocated to Santa Anita Park.
== Related events ==
626 Night Market established OC Night Market at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa. DTLA Night Market was held for a limited run next to Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles in the same year. In 2018, 626 launched NorCal Night Market at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. As of 2020, all events were renamed to 626 Night Market, with OC Night Market rebranded as 626 Night Market/OC and NorCal Night Market as 626 Night Market/Bay Area. In 2022 626 launched in Santa Monica. The various locations do not overlap dates.
== Similar events ==
Since the first 626 Night Market event in 2012, a number of other night markets have emerged in Los Angeles and Orange County, including the KTOWN Night Market, the Little Saigon Night Market and the MPK Night Market.
== External links ==
626 Night Market official website
Interview: The Fearless Duo Who Brought the World's Largest Boba Cup to Los Angeles, Asia Society, 14 August 2013 |
1,618 | 1,259,788 | 0 | Acadian World Congress | States | The Acadian World Congress, or Le Congrès Mondial Acadien, is a festival of Acadian and Cajun culture and history, held every five years. It is also informally known as the Acadian Reunion. Its creator was André Boudreau (1945-2005).
== History ==
An earlier series of Acadian national conventions (:fr:) occurred from 1881 to 1979 in the Atlantic Canada region of Acadia.
=== 1994 World Congress ===
The first World Congress took place from August 12, 1994 to August 22, 1994 in Moncton and in nine other communities in southeastern New Brunswick, including, Bouctouche, Shediac, Saint-Joseph, Richibucto, Cap-Pelé, Dieppe, New Brunswick, Saint-Antoine, Rogersville, Saint-Louis-de-Kent and Saint Thomas. Conferences, shows and family reunions were on the program. The number of participants was estimated at more than 200,000.
The official opening ceremony took place on August 13, 1994 at Aboiteau Beach in Cap-Pelé, in the presence of Jean Chrétien, the Prime Minister of Canada, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary General of the UN, Frank McKenna, Premier of New Brunswick, Alfred Siefer-Gaillardin, Ambassador of France to Canada, Claude Ryan, Minister of Municipal Affairs of Quebec and Antonine Maillet, writer.
The song, Sommet des femmes en Acadie was organized by the Fédération des Dames d'Acadia. The 1994 Acadian World Congress was recognized by UNESCO as an activity of the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-1997). The president and founder of this first congress was André Boudreau, native of Nigadoo, New Brunswick.
=== 1999 World Congress ===
The second congress was held from July 31, 1999 to August 15, 1999 in several parishes in Louisiana, including, Terrebonne, Lafayette, East Baton Rouge. The 1999 event featured the reunions of over 80 Acadian families, three major concerts (Houma, Oak Alley Plantation, and Lafayette Cajundome), and academic conferences centered on economics, culture, women's issues, genealogy and genetics. The President and executive director of the 1999 event was Brian Gabriel Comeaux of Lafayette, Louisiana.
=== 2004 World Congress ===
The third Congress took place from July 31, 2004 to August 15, 2004 in several Nova Scotia regions in the ancestral Acadia region including Clare, Chéticamp, Grand-Pré, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Congress took place during the 400th anniversary of Acadia, for which there was also a program during the year. The theme song was Je reviens au Berceau de l'Acadie by Grand Dérangement and Carole Daigle.
The Official Opening took place on July 31 at Université Sainte-Anne and was centered around the theme of the return to ancestral lands. It was followed by cooking parties in halls throughout the southwest of the province. The program included conferences, family gatherings, a festival of festivals, and a mass. The August 15th mega-show took place on the Halifax Citadel, a place of imprisonment during the deportation of the Acadians.
The Congress President was Allister Surette and the Executive Director was Vaughne Madden.
=== 2009 World Congress ===
The fourth congress took place in the Acadian Peninsula in northeastern New Brunswick from August 7, 2009 to August 23, 2009.
The opening ceremony took place in the region of Lamèque-Shippagan-Miscou, while the closing ceremony was held in the region of Tracadie-Sheila and Neguac. The theme song was Enfin retrouvés by Daniel Léger.
The Congress President was Jean-Guy Rioux and the managing director was Robert Frenette.
=== 2014 World Congress ===
The fifth Congress was held along the Canada–United States border, co-hosted by Maine's Aroostook County in the United States and its neighbouring counties in Canada (Témiscouata in Quebec, and Victoria, Madawaska and Restigouche in New Brunswick).
The Congress President was Émilien Nadeau the general director was Léo-Paul Charest.
=== 2019 World Congress ===
The 2019 Congress was held from August 10, 2019 to August 24, 2019 on Prince Edward Island and in southeastern New Brunswick, with its central events held in Summerside.
The Congress' vision was to promote a contemporary Acadia through its urbanity, its rurality and its cooperation.
The kick-off was launched at Abram-Village, Prince Edward Island during a night run on the Confederation Bridge. The closing concert took place in Shediac, New Brunswick.
The Congress President was Claudette Thériault and the general director was Vaughne Madden.
=== 2024 World Congress ===
The 2024 Congress is planned to be held in the municipalities of Argyle and Clare in southwestern Nova Scotia.
== External links ==
2014 Acadian World Congress |
1,619 | 5,325,007 | 0 | Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival | States | The Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival, held the first weekend in August (Thursday through Sunday, 05–8 August 2021, subject to cancellation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic) in Nappanee, Indiana, celebrated 62 years in 2022. It features 350 artists and craftsmen in a marketplace surrounding the farm's pond. Over $10,000 in cash prizes are awarded winners in twelve categories. Four full days of entertainment on four stages, musical theatre, guided tours, wagon rides, and popular awards highlight the event. The festival is one of the American Bus Association's Top 100 Events in North America in 2003, 2006, plus 2008 and the 7th Best Traditional Crafts Festival in the United States according to Sunshine Artist magazine. Over 70,000 visitors attend the event.
== History ==
The festival began in 1962 in front of the Pletcher Furniture Village in downtown Nappanee as part of a sidewalk days celebration. Watercolors painted by local students in the park department's summer arts program were hung on clotheslines between the pillars of the store. The event quickly grew to include artists and craftsmen displaying and selling their wares in booths. The event soon spread to several blocks and alleys surrounding the furniture store. Visitors soon demanded Amish-related products including smoked hams, jams, jellies, and baked goods. A converted school bus was used to tour the surrounding countryside. The Pletcher family founded Amish Acres in 1968 partly from this market study in miniature. The festival was moved to the historic farm in 1971 and rapidly expanded to surround the farm's pond.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, 2020 saw no concerts nor shows due to COVID-19. Since that year, strict measures are undertaken, such as wearing masks and social distancing.
== External links ==
Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival
Amish Acres Historic Farm & Heritage Resort - Listed in the National Register of Historic Places |
1,620 | 14,654,027 | 0 | Apple Chill | States | Apple Chill is a festival in North Carolina. The event takes place in late April. Food vendors, crafters, and a kids zone attract more than 30,000 people to the host city. The festival began in 1972 in Chapel Hill, where the name is a spoonerism. It ran for over 30 years until 2006 when shootings forced the town to formally disband it, then later began hosting the event again a couple years later. The nickname After Chill was used to describe the drinking and cruising that continued late into the night after the festival was over.
From 2007 until 2010 the festival was held at the Roxboro Motorsports Dragway in Roxboro. From 2011 to 2014 the festival was held at the Fayetteville Motor Sports Park in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In 2015, the Apple Chill was held at Roxboro Motorsports, and in 2016 it was held at Fayetteville Motor Sports Park. Normally the event is held on the first Sunday in May. The 2016 event took place on Sunday, May 8, after being rescheduled due to the anticipation of rain on May 1. The most recent Apple Chill festival was held in June 2023.
== Media and influence ==
Radio stations such as KISS FM often begin advertising this festival in late November. However, in November 2020, the event had to be canceled due to the COVID breakout.
== Attractions ==
Drag racing and painted motorcycles are carried out during this Apple Chill. There are also pop culture stars that attend and sing their hits. A lot of people usually make it for those. |
1,621 | 19,713,345 | 0 | Artivist Film Festival & Awards | States | The Artivist Film Festival & Awards is an international film festival and awards ceremony dedicated to recognizing activist efforts of filmmakers, specifically in the areas of human rights, child advocacy, environmental preservation, and animal rights.
== Background ==
The Festival is held annually and tours internationally. Its mission is to strengthen the voice of activist/artists (artivists), while raising awareness for global causes. The festival is produced by Artivist Collective, a nonprofit organization founded in August 2003 by Diaky Diaz, Bettina Wolff, and Christopher Riedesel.
The first Artivist Film & Awards Festival was held April 27, 2007, at Hollywood's Egyptian Theater. Honorees were Ed Begley, Jr., Tippi Hedren, Mike Farrell and France Nuyen.
Set to coincide with Earth Day, when the 2nd Annual Artivist Film Festival began on April 20, 2005, Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn declared the day Artivist Day, and among the festival's 2005 honorees were James Cromwell and Mira Sorvino.
The third annual festival was held in Los Angeles on November 9, 2006, and premiered the film Fast Food Nation. Festival honorees included Joaquin Phoenix, Daryl Hannah, and Matthew McConaughey.
== Board and honorees ==
Artivist's advisory board includes Congressman Dennis Kucinich, actor James Cromwell, actor/director James Haven, and Senator Barbara Boxer. Past honorees include Ted Danson, Alyssa Milano, Claes Nobel, James Cromwell, Mira Sorvino, Ed Begley, Jr., Tippi Hedren, Mike Farrell, France Nuyen, Joaquin Phoenix, Daryl Hannah, and Matthew McConaughey, among others.
== Award winners ==
=== 2011 ===
Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: Love Hate Love directed by Dana Nachman and Don Hardy
Best Short – Artivist Spirit: Crooked Beauty directed by Ken Paul Rosenthal
Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: Surfing Soweto directed by Sara Blecher
Best Short – Children's Advocacy: Grace directed by Meagan Kelly
Best Feature – Animal Advocacy: Green directed by Patrick Rouxel
Best Short – Animal Advocacy: Saving Pelican 895 directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky
Best Feature – Environmental Preservation: Spoil directed by Trip Jennings
Best Short – Environmental Preservation: The Leaves Keep Falling directed by Julie Winokur
Best Feature – International Human Rights: Because We Were Beautiful directed by Frank van Osch
Best Short – International Human Rights: Umoja directed by Elizabeth Tadic
=== 2010 ===
Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: ReGeneration directed by Philip Montgomery
Best Short – Artivist Spirit: Arena directed by Jota Aronack
Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: Kids of the Majestic directed by Dylan Verrechia
Best Short – Children's Advocacy: Sarah directed by Brandon Hess
Best Feature – Animal Advocacy: Africa's Lost Eden directed by James Byrne
Best Short – Animal Advocacy: Albatrocity directed by J. Ollie Lucks, Iain Frengley, Edward Saltau
Best Feature – Environmental Preservation: Deep Green directed by Matt Briggs
Best Short – Environmental Preservation: The Krill is Gone directed by Jeffrey Bost
Best Feature – International Human Rights: Complexo – Universo Paralelo directed by Mário Patrocinio
Best Short – International Human Rights: Mine: Story of a Sacred Mountain directed by Toby Marsden
=== 2009 ===
Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: Intelligent Life directed by Brian Malone
Best Short – Artivist Spirit: Rough Cut directed by Taghreed Saadeh
Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: Children of War directed by Bryan Single
Best Short – Children's Advocacy: The One Wayz directed by Linda Chavez
Best Feature – Animal Advocacy: Ice Bears of the Beaufort directed by Arthur C. Smith III
Best Short – Animal Advocacy: Abe directed by Khen Shalem
Best Feature – Environmental Preservation: Belonging directed by Gerard Ungerman
Best Short – Environmental Preservation: Urubus têm Asas (Vultures Have Wings) directed by Marcos Negrão and Andre Rangel
Best Feature – International Human Rights: La Mission directed by Peter Bratt
Best Short – International Human Rights: Intersection directed by Jae Woe Kim
=== 2008 ===
Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: Zeitgeist: Addendum directed by Peter Joseph (This was the festival opening movie)
Best Short – Artivist Spirit: Sovereignty directed by Jonathan Sale
Best Feature – International Human Rights: They Turned Our Desert Into Fire directed by Marck Brecke
Best Short – International Human Rights: Tibet: Beyond Fear directed by Michael Perlman
Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: Bomb Harvest directed by Kim Mordaunt
Best Short – Children's Advocacy: Returned: Child Soldiers of Nepal's Maoist Army directed by Robert Koenig
Best Feature – Animal Advocacy: Companions to None directed by Bill Buchanan
Best Short – Animal Advocacy: Blinders directed by Donald Moss
Best Feature – Environmental Preservation: One Water directed by Sanjeev Chatterjee
Best Short – Environmental Preservation: Eudaimonia directed by Jude Shingle
=== 2007 ===
Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: Zeitgeist directed by Peter Joseph
Best Short – Artivist Spirit: The Rich Have Their Own Photographers directed by Ezra Bookstein
Best Feature – International Human Rights: American Drug War directed by Kevin Booth
Best Short – International Human Rights: The Worst Job in the World directed by Jens Pedersen
Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: Glue Boys directed by Phil Hamer
Best Short – Children's Advocacy: Girl Stars: Anita the Beekeeper directed by Vikash Nowlakh
Best Feature – Animal Advocacy: Beyond Closed Doors directed by Hugh Dorigo
Best Short – Animal Advocacy: Sharks – Stewards of the Reef directed by Holiday Johnson
Best Feature – Environmental Preservation: Out of Balance directed by Tom Jackson
Best Short – Environmental Preservation: Anthropology 101 directed by Wayne Brittendon
=== 2006 ===
Best Short – Human Rights: A QUESTION OF LOYALTY directed by Randall Wilkins
Best Feature – Human Rights: Occupation 101 directed by Sufyan Omeish and Abdallah Omeish
Best Short – Children's Advocacy: DAUGHTERS AND SONS: PREVENTING CHILD TRAFFICKING IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE directed by Sarah Feinbloom
Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: SITA: A GIRL OF JAMBU directed by Kathleen Man
Best Short – International Environmental Preservation: FREEDOM FUELS directed by Martin O'Brien
Best Feature – International Environmental Preservation: Crude Impact directed by James Jandak Wood
Best Short – Animal Advocacy: THE MEATRIX II directed by Louis Fox
Best Feature – Animal Advocacy: MAD COWBOY directed by Dr. Michael Tobias
Best Short – Artivist Spirit: BELIEVE directed by Synthian Sharp
Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: CLASS ACT directed by Sara Sackner
=== 2005 ===
Best Short – Environmental Preservation: OIL AND WATER directed by Corwin Fergus
Best Feature– Environmental Preservation: OIL ON ICE directed by Dale Djerassi
Best Short – Animal Advocacy: WITNESS directed by Jennifer Stein
Best Feature – Animal Advocacy: Earthlings directed by Shaun Monson
Best Short – International Human Rights: Seoul Train directed by Jim Butterworth, Lisa Sleeth & Aaron Lubarsky
Best Feature – International Human Rights: TRUDELL directed by Heather Rae
Best Short – Children's Advocacy: HUMMINGBIRD directed by Holly Mosher
Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: STOLEN CHILDHOODS directed by Len Morris
Best Short – Artivist Spirit: EMMANUEL'S GIFT directed by Lisa Lax and Nancy Lax
Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: HOPE directed by Catherine Margerin
=== 2004 ===
Best Feature – Environmental Preservation: BLUE VINYL directed by Judith Helfland
Best Short– Environmental Preservation: GOOD RIDDANCE directed by Nick Hilligoss
Best Feature – Animal Rights: CHATTEL directed by Rebecca Harrell
Best Short– Animal Rights: 4 DAYS directed by Richard Hauck
Best Feature – Children's Advocacy: BORN INTO BROTHELS directed by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski
Best Short – Children's Advocacy: OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER directed by Joel Venet
Best Feature – Human Rights: WE INTERRUPT THIS EMPIRE directed by Rana Freedman
Best Short – Human Rights: BID 'EM IN directed by Neal Sopata
Best Feature – Artivist Spirit: A LIFE OF DEATH directed by Dawn Westlake
Best Short – Artivist Spirit: OUTSIDE THE LINES, Directed by Markus Stilman
Audience Award: NOTHING WITHOUT YOU directed by Ted Mattison and Paul Kelleher
== External links ==
Official website |
1,622 | 11,397,913 | 0 | Asian Heritage Street Celebration | States | The Asian Heritage Street Celebration is an Asian American event held in San Francisco, California. The Street Celebration is organized by the non-profit AsianWeek Foundation in cooperation with over 51 organizations in the Asian American community and is supported by community groups representing over 225,000 members. All proceeds from the celebration are donated to local and national charities.
The location of the street fair rotates each year to showcase the different Asian enclaves in San Francisco. The first celebration highlighted the Japanese community and took place in Japantown drawing 50,000 people, last year the event showcased the Chinese Community on Irving. St. and in 2007, celebrated the Filipino community in the downtown South of Market Area on Howard and 5th Streets.
== External links ==Official website
MySpace page |
1,623 | 5,822,034 | 0 | Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival | States | The Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival, hosted by the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans in New York City, is one of the largest outdoors celebrations of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the United States.
== History ==
Each year, in May, the festival offers music, performances, arts, food, history and corporate outreach. The first festival in 1979 grew out of the civil rights movements of that era when President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation to declare the first week in May to be Asian American Heritage Week. The proclamation was later extended to Asian Pacific American Heritage Month for the entire month of May. The festival has continued every year to celebrate the diverse cultures of Asian Americans and their contribution to American society. It has become so large that it takes the Coalition all year to put together.
A number of notable Asian American performers have performed at the festival, including Regie Cabico, George Gee with his orchestra, and Terry Watada. |
1,624 | 25,694,628 | 0 | Bavarian Blast | States | Bavarian Blast is the summer festival held every year in New Ulm, Minnesota, United States. The festival features numerous bands, activities and attractions. Due to its growth in popularity over the years, the location was moved from the downtown area (mainly German Park) to the local fair grounds. The weekend event includes local bands, Tubamania, 10K Race, and a parade. The festival is held mid-July.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced officials to cancel the Blast & defer to 2021.
== Origin ==
While Bavarian Blast is young, its true past goes back to polkas. New Ulm was once referred to as the polka capital of the world and so a summer festival called Polka Days evolved (1953). Within a few years the festival grew to thousands of loyal fans. In the 1980s the festival, whose focal point was an outdoor stage playing polkas til the early hours, reached 80,000. The festival grew too big and great for the city which caused New Ulm to end the festival in 1971.
Soon the tradition of a summer festival continued with Heritagefest. Held at the fairgrounds, this festival was a big event for locals. The festival included a yearly drama about Hermann (local monument) called Hermannstraum. The festival faced financial difficulties, forcing it to end.
== Attendance ==
The event is a big deal for the city, in 2008 it was reported by a document from the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce that the event had an attendance estimate equal to that of the two-weekend Oktoberfest festival the city holds (6,000 attendees).
== Narren ==
A group of New Ulm citizens started a group called the Narren. The group is based on German tradition. The members dress up in fun costumes they assemble and then put on handcarved masks which they import from Germany. While unusual, this group brings great cheer to the event. They always lead the dancing at the festival when the local municipal men's choir (the Concord Singers) performs.
== Heinzelmännchen gnomes ==
A group of New Ulm Goosetown resident family that comes out to the festival to have a good time with the children and the young at heart. They love to dance and have a good time. Be sure to have your cameras, because they are always willing to stop and pose for a picture. The family includes Hans and his wife Carola, their energetic son Johanne, and their shy little daughter Angelika. Gertie the Goose is also often spotted with the family along with the three moral mushrooms, Max, Morrit, and Meta. It is said that to see a gnome would bring you good luck for the year to come.
== Run and walk ==
Every year there is a race held in connection with the Bavarian Blast. The race starts off downtown and utilizes New Ulm's 7 miles of bike paths. The run/walk has gained popularity, especial with New Ulm's Heart of New Ulm project. The 2009 race was won by a local who wore nothing but flaming orange shorts and his shoes.
== External links ==
Official Bavarian Blast website
Newulm.com: New Ulm (Minnesota) website |
1,625 | 2,054,725 | 0 | Big Pig Gig | States | The Big Pig Gig and Big Pig Gig: Do-Re-Wee were public art exhibits on display in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, in the summers of 2000 and 2012, respectively. Local artists and schools decorated hundreds of full-sized fiberglass pig statues and installed them throughout the downtown area. The events were organized by ArtWorks, a community art employment program.
== Background ==
The Big Pig Gig had several origin sources. It’s theorized that it’s perhaps one of many projects inspired by CowParade, which had been featured in Chicago the previous year, but others argue that it was the work of an anonymous behind the scenes activist who had never heard of Cowparade. The public version of the story was noted by Laura Pulfer, a columnist at The Cincinnati Enquirer, who wrote about seven-year-old Alexander Longi's proposal to Mayor Roxanne Qualls for an event similar to the one in Chicago. The idea to build statues of pigs recalled Cincinnati's annual Flying Pig Marathon and the city's nickname of Porkopolis. The nickname dates from the mid–19th century, when the Cincinnati meat packing industry led the country. The project's rhyming name was submitted by Joyce Monger and won a naming contest.
With the support of ArtWorks and various local businesses and media outlets, the project attracted 425 entries, many of which depicted flying pigs. Hundreds of pigs were installed downtown, while others were stationed across the Ohio River in Newport and Covington, Kentucky. They stretched north to Findlay Market, east to Eden Park, south to the Covington Cathedral, and west to Union Terminal. Participants included over 50 schools. More than 500,000 visitors brought an estimated $170 million to the city. The exhibit officially began May 14 and ended October 31.
A number of these statues have been sold on eBay for charity since the event, and many others have come to decorate the Cincinnati airport, local hotels, and other buildings. The following year saw a similar though less publicized event in which large flower pots were decorated and placed throughout downtown.
== Big Pig Gig: Do-Re-Wee ==
ArtWorks organized a smaller exhibit, which went on display from June to September 2012, to coincide with the World Choir Games. One hundred fiberglass pigs – including a pair joined by a replica Roebling Suspension Bridge – were stationed downtown and in Over-the-Rhine.
CowParade
Flying Pig Marathon
Pigs in the City, another public art exhibit featuring pigs
== External links ==
Websites about the 2000 event:
Original Big Pig Gig website. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2005-06-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Big Pig Gig 2000. Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2012-08-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Big Pig Gig at Cincinnati.Com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2005-06-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Websites about the 2012 event:
Big Pig Gig Do-Re-Wee. Archived from the original on 2013-09-16. Retrieved 2012-08-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) |
1,626 | 23,788,853 | 0 | Brazilian Day | States | Brazilian Day is an annual festival which takes place in New York City (NYC) and other cities around the world. It is held near the beginning of September to celebrate Brazil's independence day celebrated today in the Federative Republic of Brazil on September 7, 1822 - proclaimed by prince regent - heir to the Portuguese throne Dom Pedro I (1798-1834), from the previous United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (and his father King Joao VI / John VI, 1767–1826), establishing the new Empire of Brazil (1822-1889) in South America. Brazilian Day is always on Sunday before the American Labor Day holiday weekend. Brazilian Day is part of the official calendar of New York City. The event first ran in 1984, and was on West 46th Street between 5th Avenue and Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue), which later received the name Little Brazil. From 2009 on, Brazilian Day also has taken place in the United States (San Francisco), Canada (Montreal, Toronto), Japan (Tokyo), United Kingdom (London) and Angola (Luanda).
Over time, Brazilian Day in New York has grown larger and has moved to nearby broader 6th Avenue, between 42nd and 46th Streets, becoming one of the biggest and most famous Brazilian attractions outside of Brazil itself. Currently, the event takes up over 25 blocks. At the festival, a big crowd attends to see the spectacles and visit the stands in which are sold Brazilian food and products. Baterias de Samba (samba drum and musician groups) play in the street and the people dance. Rede Globo television has been broadcasting the NYC Brazilian Day in the last few years, making the festival well known in Brazil.
Brazilian Day NYC was created in 1984, by the founder of the Brazilian American Cultural Center (BACC Travel), João De Matos. The first event was more of a block party centered on West 46th street between 5th Ave and Avenue of the Americas. Today, this same area is known as Little Brazil, Manhattan because Mayor Rudy Giuliani had this area so proclaimed. In 1984 the festival only showcased arts and crafts from Brazil, as well as Brazilian cuisine, but today it introduces New Yorkers and other visitors to the culture of Brazil.Brazilian Day has become a mega event, with over one million people from across the US, Brazil and other countries across the globe celebrating. For the music attractions, which feature some of the most famous bands and singers from Brazil, people line up the night before to make sure they will get a good view of the huge stage set in the middle of 6th Avenue. Keeping with tradition, there are various stands with arts and crafts from Brazil and typical foods.
Brazilian Day has already brought many acclaimed Brazilian artists, such as Blitz, Kid Abelha, Jorge Ben Jor, Carlinhos Brown, Claudia Leitte, Skank, Jota Quest, Alcione Nazareth, Ivete Sangalo, Elba Ramalho, Marcelo D2, Sandy e Júnior, Daniela Mercury, Lulu Santos, Zeca Pagodinho, Banda Calypso and many other artists. Brazilian Day has also brought new successful artists of Brazilian music, such as Luan Santana, Gusttavo Lima, and Jorge & Mateus.
== Notes ==
== External links ==
Official Website
The Last Samba of Summer
http://braziliandayphiladelphia.com/ |
1,627 | 15,075,908 | 0 | Carolina Renaissance Festival | States | The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a 25 acre renaissance themed amusement park. The festival is set in a fictional storybook village of Fairhaven. The open air village and artisan marketplace contain permanent cottages and bungalows based on 16th century European architecture. Sixteen outdoor stages are used for comedy theater, dance, and circus-like entertainments. Featured, live-action shows include knights on horseback (who joust three times daily); presentations of the art of falconry; and live swimming mermaids. The festival is held annually on Saturdays and Sundays in October and November. An average of 195,000 visitors a year attend the festival during its Fall season.
== History ==
The Carolina Renaissance Festival was inaugurated in 1994 by Jeff Siegel, owner of Royal Faires, Ltd., the parent company. Royal Faires also owns and operates the Arizona Renaissance Festival. The festival takes place on 25 acres (10 ha) of land located just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, between the towns of Huntersville and Concord. The land is leased to festival organizers by the estate of Porter Byrum. It is one of the largest—by acreage—Renaissance fairs in America.
== Acts and attractions ==
Carolina Renaissance Festival stage shows feature live music, dance, comedy shows, and performers with circus variety skills such as juggling, aerial skills, acrobatics, and sideshow antics. Musicians perform with traditional instruments such as the harp, bagpipes, and other obscure period instruments. Roaming the lanes of the festival are a variety of traveling street performers who engage visitors in interactive performance experiences. An in-house performance company that features over 100 costumed characters that interact directly with visitors at the fair creates an authentic feel of the renaissance-era town. Professional and volunteer actors help bring the village to life. Individuals in the company have developed unique characters such as the Village Baker, the Tavern Keeper, the village Lord Mayor, and a fictional Royal family that has come to visit Fairhaven. The volunteers in the company are primarily people from surrounding communities, including Concord, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Charlotte.
=== Major attractions ===
In addition to 16 stages of rotating, scheduled entertainers, there are three premier attractions: The jousting knights on horseback; the falconry demonstration; and the Sea Fairies mermaid exhibit.Jousting
The jousts are enacted by performers from Aventail Productions; and the competition is judged with points that are awarded using a historically accurate scoring system. The victory is awarded to the true winners of each competition. The final joust of the day ends with a conflict settled by an unhorsing and ground fight to the death.Falconry
A variety of birds-of-prey are put on display highlighting their unique abilities and training that enraptured nobles long ago and made falconry the 'sport of kings.'Mermaids
The Sea Fairies exhibit features mermaids swimming in a 3,000 gallon aquarium tank. Near the tank is a Mermaid sitting on a throne where children can have their photos taken.
== Retail sales and services ==
Over 140 vendors sell a variety of handmade arts and craft goods such as artisan jewelry and leather goods, blown glass (made during live demonstrations), candles, and custom chain mail. The festival vends an assortment of medieval themed foods, including: giant turkey legs, savory soups, stews, and chowders (served in bread bowls), Steak on a Stake, fish and chips, corn on the cob, and Scotch eggs. The site also features games such as archery target-shooting, crossbow shooting, axe throwing, frog catapults, and a gold coin hunt.
== Special events ==
Weddings and vow-renewal ceremonies are attended by the cast of the Royal Court and take place in a covered pavilion reserved for the event.
The festival has themed weekends throughout the course of the season. Themes include: Time Travelers Weekend where costume players of all genres (science fiction, comic books, etc.) are invited to time travel to the renaissance; BrewFest weekend, Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights weekend, and Pirate's Christmas weekend.
Every year, three consecutive week dates in October are set aside for area schools as a field trip destination for students and faculty.
List of Renaissance and Medieval fairs
Reenactment
== External links ==
Official website |
1,628 | 6,809,756 | 0 | Cherokee National Holiday | States | The Cherokee National Holiday is an annual event held each Labor Day weekend in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The event celebrates the September 6, 1839 signing of the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma after the Trail of Tears Indian removal ended.
== Origins and activities ==
Originally begun in 1953, the event has grown into one of the largest festivals in Oklahoma, attracting in excess of 70,000 attendees coming from all over the United States. Many attendees are also tribal members of the Five Civilized Tribes (the Cherokee, and also the Chickasaws, the Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles). Others who routinely attend the event are the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians located in western North Carolina and also the United Keetowah Band which, like the Cherokee Nation, are headquartered in Tahlequah.
The holiday hosts many different cultural and artistic events such as a two-night intertribal pow wow, stickball, Cherokee marbles, horseshoes and cornstalk shoot tournaments, softball tournaments, rodeos, car and art shows, gospel singings, the annual Miss Cherokee pageant, the Cherokee National Holiday parade, and the annual State of the Nation address by the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
== Celebration themes ==
Each year a committee chooses a new theme for the annual celebration. Some recent themes have included:Building our Nation, Strengthening our Sovereignty - (71st Annual) 2023
Forging a Legacy: Seven Decades of Cherokee Fellowship - (70th Annual) 2022
Cultivating Our Culture Language. Literacy. Lifeways. - (69th Annual) 2021
We the People of the Cherokee Nation: Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty - (68th Annual) 2020
Rising Together - (67th Annual) 2019
Family: A bridge to the future, a link to the past - (66th Annual) 2018
Water is Sacred - (65th Annual) 2017
Stewards of Our Land - (64th Annual) 2016
Reunion - (63rd Annual) 2015
Homes. Health. Hope. - (62nd Annual) 2014
Homes. Health. Hope. – (61st Annual) 2013
From One Fire to a Proud Future – (60th Annual) 2012
Jobs, Language and Community – (59th Annual) 2011
Happy, Healthy People – (58th Annual) 2010
Learn from all that I observe – (57th Annual) 2009
Planting the Seed Corn For Our Children's Future – (56th Annual) 2008
The Cherokee Nation Continues in Full Force and Effect – (54th Annual) 2006
Celebrating the State of Sequoyah – (53rd Annual) 2005
The Spirit of the Trail – (52nd Annual) 2004
The Strength of Our Nation – (51st Annual) 2003
Building One Fire – (50th Annual) 2002
Celebrating The Seven Clans – (49th Annual) 2001
== Covid-19 ==
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the 68th Annual Cherokee National Holiday was a virtual holiday. Many events still took place and spectators were able to watch online to see the Chief's State of the Nation address, Cherokee art show, Miss Cherokee competition, as well as, demonstrations of traditional games. However, events such as the annual parade, fishing derby, powwow, softball tournament, arts and crafts, food markets and vendors were canceled and initially set to resume in 2021. However, due to the pandemic continuing into 2021, the 69th Annual Cherokee National Holiday was announced as a hybrid celebration featuring virtual and smaller scale in-person events, with the expected return to normal delayed until 2022. After two years of purely virtual participation the 70th annual celebration was held in-person. Officials stated that virtual participation would still be provided for some elements of the holiday due to COVID concerns.
Cherokee Heritage Center
Cherokee language
Park Hill, Oklahoma
== Notes ==
== External links ==
Cherokee National Holiday Archives
The Cherokee Nation Homepage |
1,629 | 67,136,795 | 0 | Cracker Storytelling Festival | States | null |
1,630 | 31,812,809 | 0 | Cuba Nostalgia | States | Cuba Nostalgia is an annual three-day festival in Little Havana, a neighbourhood in Miami, Florida, where Cuban-Americans celebrate Cuba as it was before Castro. The festival has also hosted a database to reconnect those who were trafficked from Cuba as children during Operation Peter Pan.
== External links ==
Cuba Nostalgia Official Site
A Quick Stop in Old Cuba
Cuba Nostalgia offers a slice of old Cuban culture |
1,631 | 4,457,463 | 0 | Cumberland Fair | States | The Cumberland Fair is an annual farmers' fair held in Cumberland, Maine, United States, at the Cumberland Fairgrounds. It is put on by the Cumberland Farmers' Club and is usually held the last week in September.
== Events ==The annual Maine State Pumpkin and Squash Weigh-Off is held at the fair. The winner of the event receives $500. An adult is limited to one entry in the giant squash and pumpkin weigh-off. The 2015 winner of this event was Edwin Pierpont, who harvested a 1,046 pound pumpkin.
== History ==
The inaugural Cumberland Fair was held for two days, on October 10 and 11, 1868 in the center of town in the back of what is now Greely Junior High School. The land was provided by Capt. Enos Blanchard. On show were foods, handicrafts, vegetables of all shapes and sizes and also steers, especially in the traditional ox-pull. Horse racing was also featured.
There was no fair in 1919, 1942-44 nor 2020, although the latter year saw the 4H livestock show & auction go on.
== External links ==
Cumberland Fair Web site |
1,632 | 11,615,874 | 0 | Dominican Day Parade | States | The National Dominican Day Parade in New York City is a parade organized by people of Dominican heritage in the city. The event started in 1982 as a local celebration with concerts and cultural events in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. Organized by Dominican American community leaders, the parade is held annually in August on 6th Avenue.
Similar parades to celebrate the culture of Dominican Republic are also held every year in Haverstraw, New York, Paterson, New Jersey, Boston, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, Providence, Rhode Island, and along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx.
In 2020, there was a Virtual Dominican Parade due to COVID restrictions.
== Parade and Related Events ==The parade is held on 6th Avenue in New York City. Marching proceeds from south to north, beginning on 38th Street.
There are a series of events leading to the National Dominican Day Parade.
Borough Presidents Heritage EventsBronx Dominican Heritage Celebration
Queens Dominican Heritage Celebration
Brooklyn Dominican Heritage Celebration
Manhattan Dominican Heritage Celebration
A gala is held on the second Friday in August before Sunday's parade.
Visit: https:NatDDP.org for information.
A scholarship awards banquet takes place in the fall.
== Mission ==The newly formed Dominican Day Parade, Inc. is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3, non-partisan organization in formation that organizes the annual parade and festivities. The organization strives to provide an understanding of the heritage and contributions of the Dominican community in America and throughout the world. The mission of the Dominican Day Parade, Inc. is to celebrate the richness of the Dominican culture, folklore and popular traditions.
== Themes ==
The parade’s theme for 2015 is Education and Economic Empowerment. The organization recognizes the lack of resources for youth that seek a formal education. For that reason, Dominican Day Parade, Inc. has set a goal of creating a $250,000 Scholarship Fund. The fund, the first of its kind in the recent history of the parade, will help pay for education that will, in turn, economically empower young Dominicans throughout the United States.
2020: Virtual Parade
2021: Moving Forward.
2022: Empowering the Dominican Legacy
2023: Our History, Our People.
== Board of directors ==
Over the past several years, the leadership of the Dominican Day Parade had been under scrutiny because the non-profit organization at its helm was not being run according to New York State law. Under the direction of Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Mayor Bill de Blasio, along with other elected officials and community leaders, in 2015, an entirely new entity and Board of Directors were created for what is now called the Dominican Day Parade, Inc. The new members of the board include many distinguished people from the Dominican-American community, representing a variety of industries and backgrounds.
EXECUTIVE TEAMCristina Contreras: Chair, Board of Directors
Wilton Cedeno: Immediate Past Chair, Special Advisor
Dorian Rojas: Chair, Development Committee
José Ramón Martínez: 1st Vice President. Co-Chair, Scholarship Committee
Leonardo Iván Dominguez: 2nd Vice President. Co-Chair, Culture, Arts & Education Committee
Manny Saez: Treasurer
BOARD OF DIRECTORSMaría T. Osorio: Secretary
Bernardo “Bernie” Rodriguez: Chair, Volunteer Committee
Ysmael DeCastro: Chair, Audit Committee
Alexander Nunez-Torres: Co-Chair, Scholarship Committee
María M. Khury: Board Member
Gregoria Feliciano: Board Member
María Lizardo: Board Member
== Date of Parade ==
The Dominican Day Parade is celebrated on the second Sunday of August to honor the start of the war for the “Second Independence” (La Guerra de la Restauracion). Under the leadership of General Gregorio Luperon, the war was ultimately won from Spain.
In 1844, the Dominican Republic secured its independence from Haiti and became a sovereign state until 1861. Under the leadership of General Pedro Santana, segments of the Dominican population sought to annex the Republic back to Spain and did so during March 18, 1861. On August 16, 1863, the start of the war for the Restoration of the Dominican Republic under the command of General Luperon. The Dominican Republic originally declared its independence from Spain on December 1, 1821. Ultimately, the Dominican Republic was re-established, free from Spain, on March 3, 1865.
== Gallery ==
Labor Day Carnival
Puerto Rican Day Parade |
1,633 | 1,023,088 | 0 | Feast of San Gennaro | States | The Feast of San Gennaro (in Italian: Festa di San Gennaro), also known as San Gennaro Festival, is a Neapolitan and Italian-American patronal festival dedicated to Saint Januarius, patron saint of Naples and Little Italy, New York.
His feast is celebrated on 19 September in the calendar of the Catholic Church.
In the United States, the Festa of San Gennaro is also a highlight of the year for New York's Little Italy, with the saint's polychrome statue carried through the middle of a street fair stretching for blocks.
== In Italy ==
=== History ===On 19 September 305, Gennaro (Latin: Ianuarius), bishop of Benevento, was beheaded in Pozzuoli during the persecution of Christians by Diocletian. According to the legend,The blood gushed due to the decapitation was collected and kept in an ampoule by Eusebia, who had been his wet nurse.
In 313, the martyr's body was being moved to Naples, and the procession stopped to rest in what would be today's piazza Bernini, in the area known as Vomero. Eusebia put the vials containing the martyr's blood near his head, and the blood started to melt, at the presence of the local bishop.
San Gennaro was named patron and protector of the city, and is invoked by the people of Naples on several occasions, e.g. to ask for help, healing and special favors; memorably, he was called on to stop the 1631 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and the lava – that was about to destroy the towns around it – slowed down.
Meanwhile, with very few exceptions, the blood miracle happens again and again, three times a year:the Saturday prior the first Sunday of May – the day when the saint's body was transferred from Pozzuoli to Naples;
on 19 September – the day of his martyrdom;
and, finally, on 16 December – date when the saint interceded to end the 1631 eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
=== Celebration ===In Naples and neighboring areas, an annual celebration and feast of faith is held over the course of three days, commemorating Saint Gennaro. Throughout the festival, parades, religious processions and musical entertainment are featured.
The focus of the celebration is the miracle of San Gennaro's blood melting, also simply known as the miracle of San Gennaro, or blood miracle.
== In the United States ==
=== Little Italy, New York ===The festival was first celebrated in the United States in September 1926, when immigrants from Naples congregated along Mulberry Street in the Little Italy section of Manhattan in New York City to continue the tradition they had followed in Italy to celebrate Saint Januarius, the Patron Saint of Naples.
The immigrant families on Mulberry Street who started the feast, a group of cafe owners, erected a small chapel in the street to house the image of their patron Saint. They invited all to partake of their wares, asking the devoted to pin an offering to the ribbon streamers that are hung from the statue's apron. This money was then distributed to the needy poor of the neighborhood. Originally a one-day religious commemoration, over time, the festival expanded into an 11-day street fair organized and run by people outside the neighborhood. It is now an annual celebration of food and drink, and a major tourist attraction.
Centered on Mulberry Street, which is closed to traffic for the occasion, the festival generally features sausages, zeppole, street vendors, games, parades and other such attractions. The Grand Procession is held starting at 2 p.m. on the last Saturday of the feast, immediately after a celebratory Mass at the Church of the Most Precious Blood. This is a Roman Catholic candlelit procession in which the statue of San Gennaro is carried from its permanent home in the Most Precious Blood Church through the streets of Little Italy.
Another festival is held with the same attractions in New York City's other Little Italy, in the Fordham/Belmont community in the Bronx. The streets are closed to traffic, and the festivities begin early in the morning and proceed late into the night.
==== Corruption ====
In 1995, following the exposure of financial improprieties and mafia involvement, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani declared that if the city's San Gennaro festival did not remove corrupt elements, he would shut it down.
After Giuliani's ultimatum, a community group was formed to manage the festival; the municipal government asked it to hire a professional manager, and it hired Mort Berkowitz to be the financial manager.
=== Other locations ===
Similar festivals have also been sponsored in other cities.
In 1980, Vincent Jimmy Palmisano brought the Feast of San Gennaro to the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, for the first time. The event was hosted and entertained by Tony Sacca from 1986 to 2016, along with celebrities from the strip such as Pat Cooper, Ernest Borgnine, Jerry Vale, Liberace, Frankie Avalon.
The Las Vegas festival is now held twice a year, in the Spring and Fall. This bi-annual festival features traditional Italian cuisine, amusement rides and games, and entertainers such as Emilio Baglioni, Chazz Palminteri, Tommy DeVito from the Jersey Boys and Louis Prima's daughter, Lena Prima.
In 2002, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla, and Doug DeLuca founded the Feast of San Gennaro Los Angeles, which is now a major annual event held every September in Hollywood.
In 2011, Hampton Bays (Long Island, New York) started their San Gennaro celebration. It has since grown rapidly to become the largest San Gennaro Feast on Long Island, and second only to the Little Italy Feast in New York State. The Hampton Bays Feast of San Gennaro draws a huge crowd, with live bands, raffles and prizes, and vendors selling food and drink.
In 2012, the Feast of San Gennaro of the Jersey Shore was established in Belmar, New Jersey, by Daniel Di Cesare, whose goal was to highlight the positive contributions of Italian Americans.
In 2013, the San Gennaro Festival was brought to Seattle, WA, by the Mascio family, who formed the San Gennaro Foundation Seattle. Held the second week of September, it includes the procession of the San Gennaro statue, live music and food. This three day festival is held in the heart of Georgetown, WA, where many of Seattle's Italian community settled when they first arrived in Seattle.
== In popular culture ==
The feast features prominently in the second entry of Francis Ford Coppola's cinematic opus, The Godfather Part II (1974), serving as backdrop to a young Vito Corleone murdering the Don Fanucci character. In The Godfather Part III (1990), Vincent Corleone assassinates Joey Zasa at the festa.
It was a crime scene on CSI: NY in the season 2 episode Corporate Warriors.
It was also featured prominently in the 1973 movie Mean Streets.
It is mentioned in the song Sad Nights by Blue Rodeo.
In The Ride (Season 6 Episode 9 of The Sopranos) Tony, Carmela, and several other members of the family attend a fictitious festival in Newark patterned after this feast. It is the Feast of Elzéar of Sabran which also has a connection with Naples and is celebrated on September 27.
Brian Altano tells a story about the (few) differences between the New Jersey festival and the Italian festival in The GameSpy Debriefings episode 158.
On The Golden Girls, in the episode The Accurate Conception (Season Five, Episode 3), when the girls shared stories of how their children were conceived, Sophia Petrillo joyfully recalls how she and her husband Salvador attempted conception of Dorothy behind the sausage and pepper stand due to the excitement of the San Gennaro's festivities, much to Dorothy's dismay. Also on The Golden Girls, in the episode called The Competition (Season 1, Episode 7), Sophia wants to return to Sicily for the San Gennaro Festival with a long-lost love, Augustine Bagatelli.
On Laverne & Shirley, the two-part season 4 opener has the characters travelling to New York to attend the festival.
In the Marvel: Avengers Alliance game, magic has brought the statue of San Gennaro to life, and a hero can be sent to fight it.
On Family Guy: season 15 episode 2, a parody of The Godfather II's scene mentioned above.
On Billions (TV series) Season 4 episode 2, Charles Rhodes is endorsed by the police commissioner, Richie Sansome making it known he is running for Attorney General of New York.
== Gallery ==
Cathedral of Saint Januarius – Naples Cathedral
Church of the Most Precious Blood (Manhattan) – National Shrine Church of San Gennaro in New York
Italians in New York City
Patronal festival
== Notes and references ==
=== Notes ===
==
=== Bibliography ===
Lanzoni, Francesco (1927). Le diocesi d'Italia dalle origini al principio del secolo VII (an. 604) (in Italian). Faenza: F. Lega. pp. 254–263.
== External links ==
Official website
Feast of San Gennaro. Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 20 August 2007. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
San Gennaro Festival. Seattle. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
Feast of San Gennaro. Photo walk. Flickr. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
Midlin, Alex (15 April 2007). The Socks, the Sausage and the Snub. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2022. |
1,634 | 1,002,347 | 0 | Festál | States | Festál is a free series of annual ethnically-related festivals that take place on the grounds of Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington. A major cultural program of Seattle, these festivals aim to celebrate and connect the city to its varied ethnic and international community. Most festivals contain various arts performances (dances, theatre, musical ensembles, films), dances, marketplace and other programs. These have also come to be the annual gathering place for ethnic groups of the community. Both older and younger people attend, especially the dances and musical concerts.
The Festál events range enormously in scope, from smaller festivals to the enormous pan-ethnic Northwest Folklife Festival, which draws an estimated 250,000 visitors on Memorial Day weekend. Typical Festál events draw 5,000 to 30,000 visitors. Some of them (such as Fiestas Patrias) draw crowds that are predominantly of the ethnic group that is the focus of the festival; others draw more of a cross-section of the city.
Festál began in 1996 and as of 2009 includes (all of those have been on hiatus on grounds of COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020):
== Vietnam: Têt Festival ==
The Têt Festival in February is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration welcoming the return of spring. For the Vietnamese community, it is a time to reflect on the last year and prepare for the new. The new year is also the time for clearing debts and setting one's house in order. Kitchens are cleaned and new clothing is given to mark the new year. The festival includes Vietnamese artistic exhibits, music, storytelling, food, and a fashion show.
== African American: Festival Sundiata ==
Festal Sundiata in February is one of the oldest Seattle Center festivals, beginning in 1981. The festival is the most comprehensive African American festival in the city. Named to celebrate the West African Mansa (king of kings) of the Mali Empire, who rescued the Griot - his people's storyteller and tribal historian - Festival Sundiata is a represents diverse cultural traditions. Music and dance at the festival includes jazz, rap, gospel, hip-hop, R&B, and traditional African styles, all performed by northwest, national and international artists. The festival also includes Black Science Fiction Writers, Smokin' Black Chefs, children's activities, and visual art.
== Ireland: The Irish Week Festival ==
Irish Week Festival is centered on St. Patrick's Day in March, the celebration of Ireland's patron saint. The festival is presented by the Seattle Irish Heritage Club. Partly because Seattle and Ireland are very much alike in climate, Seattle and Galway are sister cities. The festival includes a St. Patrick's Day parade from downtown Seattle to Seattle Center. The Irish festival weekend includes traditional Irish step and gig dancing, musical performances, Irish films, and sing-alongs. The Seattle Genealogical Society appears annually to help anyone trace their Irish genealogy. Also featured are free lessons in Gaelic.
== Japan: Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival ==
In April, the Seattle Cherry Blossom festival is held. The largest Japanese cultural event in the Pacific Northwest commemorates the late Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki's gift of 1,000 cherry trees, as part of the United States Bicentennial, to Seattle in 1976. The trees were planted along Lake Washington Boulevard, Seward Park, Seattle Center, The Arboretum, the Seattle Japanese Garden, University of Washington, and the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple.
The cherry tree tradition follows at every year's festival, by bringing cherry tree experts from Japan to Seattle to teach Washingtonians about the proper care and maintenance of cherry trees. The cherry tree experts give instruction during the festival and the week that follows.
The festival's mission is to deepen mutual understanding between the people of Japan and the people of the Northwest; to exchange ideas and friendship; to promote the culture, arts, and technologies of Japan, including achievements of the Japanese-American community.
The festival includes dance and music, colorful costumes, martial arts, and tea ceremonies. For children, the festival offers Japanese games, kite making and kimono dress up.
== Asia-Pacific: Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration ==
May is designated as Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In Seattle, the Asia-Pacific festival celebrates the diversity of China, Philippines, Samoa, Laos, Japan, Pacific Islands and Cambodia. The Asian Pacific Directors Coalition host the festival with cultural arts, entertainment and crafts. The performance showcase includes lion dance, youth drill teams, martial arts, taiko drums and guest artists from out of state.
== West Africa: Spirit of West Africa ==
In May, the Spirit of West Africa Festival presents the traditions of six West African countries through exhibits, live music, dance performances, and storytelling. Live performances by top local and touring artists from Ghana, Senegal, Benin, Nigeria, Gambia and Guinea demonstrate the African roots of hip hop, jazz and rock. In workshops presented by Thione Diop Productions, Festivalgoers can take part in drum and dance workshops, learn how a drum talks, and witness the healing drums of West African drum masters trained since birth to serve their communities.
== China: Chinese Culture and Arts Festival ==
Due to the large Chinese population in Seattle, the Chinese culture and arts festival is one of the best attended festivals. In June, the festival offers a comprehensive look at Chinese Culture through Chinese performing arts, visual arts display and gift/informational booths and interactive activities.
Performances are by artists from the Pacific Northwest and China. Performances have included Chinese Classical dance and Chinese folk dance from Hengda Dance Academy, Chinese music from Seattle Chinese Orchestra, Chinese Wushu from Yijiao Wushu & Taichi Academy, and Chinese music played on Western instruments from Zhenlun Cello studio and Haiying Violin Studio.
== Philippines: Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival ==
In June, the Seattle Philippine culture is celebrated. Pagdiriwang means celebration in Tagalog, as the festival commemorates Philippine independence from Spain in 1898. Performing arts include pageantry, music, dance, dill teams and rock bands. Other cultural activities include food, children's activities, exhibits and martial arts. This festival is noted for its rich colors and fabrics, its largely native turnout, and exceptional culinary arts.
== France: French Fest ==Seattle's French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures is held in March of each year in celebration of the Mois de la Francophonie. The festival is a free, family-friendly event open to the public with the purpose of promoting and raising awareness of Francophone cultures and traditions from around the world to the residents of the Greater Seattle area. During the one-day event, festival-goers will listen to live music, see theater and dance performances, taste international cuisine, learn from informative seminars and demonstrations, play games and enjoy a day full of fun activities.
During its inaugural event on March 24, 2013, French Fest highlighted performances by Te Fare O Tamatoa, Folichon Cajun, the French Immersion School of Washington, Éducation Française Greater Seattle, Théâtre Français de Seattle, Podorythmie, the Alliance Française de Seattle Chior, and Pearl Django.
The festival is produced by France Education Northwest in partnership with the French-American Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest and the French Consular Agency of the State of Washington.
== Iran: Iranian Festival ==
In June, the Iranian Festival serves as the region's premier Iranian cultural event. Musical and dance performance, Rumi poetry, foods and libations, Persian New Year and holiday displays, an art exhibit, and puppet shows provide a glimpse into this rich and diverse culture. This event, previously independent, became be part of Festál as of 2009 and is presented by the Iranian American Community Alliance.
== Arab Middle East: Arab Festival ==
Held in October in 2011, the Arab Festival is of huge importance to Seattle, as Seattle holds one of the largest Arab American communities in the United States. Began in 1999, the festival includes all 22 of the Arab countries, with a souk marketplace, traditional and modern music, an authentic Arab coffeehouse, an Arabic spelling bee and fashion show. Lectures and workshops explore the rich culture and history of the Arab peoples, one of the world's oldest civilizations. Also of new interest is the Arabic rap concert, including the NW group Sons of Hagar, showcasing the political and creative struggle of Arabic youth.
This festival is held every-other year and may move dates based upon Ramadan.
== Brazil: BrasilFest ==
In August, BrasilFest features Brazilian drumbeats and the samba rhythms of Brazilian Folklore Day, August 22. The festival combines traditional and contemporary cultures of Brazil, and is the only U.S. festival to showcase this large an amount of Brazilian performing arts. The music includes both traditional and contemporary pieces, drawn from African and Portuguese roots. The festival also features the unique Brazilian martial art/dance capoeira, costumes, food and contemporary arts.
BrasilFest's Eduardo Mendonca states that being a part of this strengthens the visibility of Brazilian artistic expression. It is an incredible opportunity to be a part of a series of festivals that promotes rituals and celebrations from around the world.
== Tibet: TibetFest ==
In late August, Tibet comes alive once again at Seattle Center. The ancient cultural tradition is preserved and renewed through ritual and tradition by the small Tibetan Community in greater Seattle area. With centuries-old stories, melodies, masks and costumes, modern and ancient combine to form the culture of Tibet. Highlights are a Tibetan bazaar, prayer flags, performers and food.
The Artists use traditional instruments like Dra-nyen, piwang and unique combinations of flutes, horns, drums, bells and cymbals.
== Korea: Korean Cultural and Art Festival ==
The September Korean Festival is one of the most important festivals. Strong ties link trade, culture and family between Korea and Seattle. Every year, the festival falls on Ch'usok, or Harvest Festival Day, one of the great holidays of the year in Korean culture.
On this day, feasts are prepared, families hold memorial services at ancestral gravesites, and full-moon viewing takes place in the evening. This Korean holiday is considered not only the most generous in spirit, but a day of thanksgiving for a good harvest. As on Lunar New Year's Day, families come home from all across the country to celebrate together.
The festival includes folk songs, traditional and modern dance, martial arts like Tae Kwon Do, films and exhibits that depict a Korean cultural evolution over thousands of years. A highlight is the elaborate student art competition and exhibition. Korean traditional costumes are worn by performers, with rich and elaborate fabrics and designs.
== Hawai`i: Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival ==
In September, the Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, new to Festál in 2009, celebrates the culture of Native Hawai`i. Some of the over 50,000 Hawaiian Islanders who now call Washington their home share their homeland's history through live performances of the hula and mele as well as historical exhibits, films, Hawaiian crafts, keiki (children's) activities and ono (delicious) food. The festival features special demonstrations and educational sessions on traditional arts and crafts. Presented by the Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival Committee.
== Mexico and Latin America: Fiestas Patrias ==
Held in September, Seattle Fiestas Patrias celebrates Mexican independence and the independence of other Latin American countries. In commemoration of Mexico's September 15 independence day, the festival is decked out in Mexican colors.
Entertainment and cultural displays by artists from countries such as Peru, Honduras, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia offer an authentic look at a culture where countries share language, food and sounds, but have very distinct traditions. Favorites of the festival include the mariachi music, salsa dance, and traditional costumes and food.
== Italy: Festa Italiana ==
Started in 1988, Festa Italiana is presented every September, and along with the Irish and Cherry Blossom Festivals, is one of the most highly attended. The festival celebrates traditional Italian culture, as well as mixing in modern Italian performances, art, cars and food. Highlighted every year are traditional Italian folk groups, Italian opera music by sopranos and pop singers, evening wine tasting, and puppet theater.
Italian celebrity chef Nick Stellino prepares Italian dishes for an audience. Annual favorites are the grape stomp and bocce ball tournament - frequented by renowned local players every year. Italian-American musical group the EuroRhythms are also performers.
== Croatia: CroatiaFest ==
In the beginning of October, CroatiaFest brings in internationally acclaimed folk dance ensembles, musicians and visiting arts. Back-to-back performances and participatory music and dance define this annual festival, started in 2003. The 2007 festival theme was Maritime Heritage of Croatians. Many Croatian immigrants had seafaring skills culled on the warm and mild Adriatic, and upon their arrival in the Pacific Northwest, found work in the maritime industries on the Pacific. Career fishermen present a workshop on mending nets, as other Croatians share their life experiences and culture.
== South Asia: Utsav South Asian Performing Arts Festival ==
During the second weekend of October, the Ustav festival showcases the ancient traditions of music and dance of the South Asian subcontinent. South Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Artists perform art forms including the Indian lute and the much loved sitar, with vocalists and yogic dance and drama with rhythms of dancing bells and foot beats.
There are more than 1,652 different languages and dialects spoken in India alone. South Asia as a whole constitutes the largest Muslim population in the world and is the birthplace of some of the world's largest religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.
== Turkey: TurkFest ==
Held in the third weekend of October, TurkFest is a festival of friendship, celebrating the cultural richness and diversity found throughout the vast geographical regions of Turkey, linking cultures east and west, from Hittites and Assyrians to Hellenes, Romans and Byzantines. Traditional folk dancing, a Turkish bazaar, classical and contemporary Turkish music, and a fashion show of the many traditional costumes are festival highlights. Shadow puppetry is presented especially for the children, while Turkish food is always a festival favorite.
== Mexico: Día de Muertos ==
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition rooted in Aztec culture, which celebrates life and the lives of those departed. A holiday that pays tribute to ancestors, the festival is centered on the arts of altar decoration. Candlelight graces altars adorned with vibrantly colored artwork and personal artifacts. Performing artists, both local and visiting, traditional and contemporary, represent countries throughout Latin America. Of special note is the street sandpainting. Traditionally, streets are decorated with sand paintings that are later swept away, symbolizing the fleeting nature of our lives.
== Hmong: Hmong New Year Celebration ==
A festival well attended by both Hmong and non-Hmong people, this is the largest of the Hmong New Year events in the Pacific Northwest. The November event symbolizes the end of the harvest, this is the time when Hmong relax, prepare special foods, and begin courtships. Most Hmong have been in the United States less than 30 years, and Washington's Hmong population is growing.
The festival was originally conceived to raise awareness about the Hmong people, who aided the U.S. in the Vietnam War against the Vietcong. Most of their population was killed as a result, and most survivors emigrated to the U.S.
This festival marks the Lunar New Year of this Southeast Asian highland culture originating in the mountains of China, Laos and Thailand. Hmong people preserved their stories and language through intricate storytelling, embroidery, music and unusual communication techniques. Highlights include traditional ball-tossing, dances, children's activities, a fashion show and a Hmong band. Exhibits include the history of the Hmong settlement in King County, along with traditional embroideries.
== Festivals ==
Naturalization ceremony on U.S. Independence Day
Northwest Folklife Festival, held in May
International District, Seattle, Washington
== Notes ==
== External links ==The official site for Festál at Seattle Center included descriptions of each of these festivals.
Tet Festival Official Site
Irish Festival Site
Chinese Festival Official Site
Bastille Day Official Site
Arab Festival Site
BrasilFest Site
Festa Italiana Official Site
CroatiaFest Official Site
Korean Festival Site
Live Aloha Festival
Turkfest Official Site |
1,635 | 23,986,164 | 0 | Festival Latinoamericano | States | Festival Latinoamericano, or Latin American Festival, is an annual three-day Labor Day weekend festival in downtown Provo, Utah. The festival highlights Utah's Hispanic culture through food, vendors, and performances and is free to the public. Festival Latinoamericano. It is currently in year 22.
== History and Purpose ==
During the first year in 2001, the Festival was held at the Boulders Apartment Complex with about 75 attendants. The inaugural festival was a giant success, and quickly outgrew its South Provo location. The festival has since become a large yearly event in downtown Provo on the Utah County Historic Courthouse grounds on University Avenue and Center Street. In the last six years the festival has maintained an attendance of approximately 30,000 visitors.
The Festival's purpose is to provide a venue for nonprofit organizations and new companies to provide their services to the Hispanic population. The audience at this event is not restricted to the state of Utah; there are visitors from multiple states including California, Wyoming, and Nevada.
The event showcases local performers of Latin dance and music, and also allows attendees to further explore Latin-American cuisine and culture through dozens of various vendors. Other attractions include carnival rides and lucha libre.
There was no festival in 2020.
List of festivals in the United States
Provo, Utah
Centro Hispano
== External links ==
Official Site of Festival Latinoamericano
Official Site of Centro Hispano
== Notes == |
1,636 | 32,949,336 | 0 | Festival Peachtree Latino | States | Festival Peachtree Latino is an ethnic festival held annually Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The festival, which celebrates Hispanic-American culture, is the largest multicultural event in the entire Southeast. The festival features arts and crafts, family activities, sporting events, a parade, dance demonstrations, ethnic foods, and a live music stage featuring international performers from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. In addition, over 250 exhibitors present favorite brands, souvenirs and interactive displays. The festival, which began in 2000, continues to grow in attendance. It is free and open to the public.
This festival went on hiatus in 2020.
== External links ==
Festival Peachtree Latino
Culture of Atlanta
Tourism in Atlanta |
1,637 | 28,377,588 | 0 | Festivals Acadiens et Créoles | States | Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is a three-day festival celebrating the music, crafts, and food of South Louisiana. It is held annually in Lafayette, Louisiana.
== History ==
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles formed from many other local events. The oldest single component of this cooperative is the Louisiana Native and Contemporary Crafts Festival (then named the Louisiana Native Crafts Festival), first presented October 28, 1972. CODOFIL started a Tribute to Cajun Music concert in 1974. In 1977, the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission merged the Tribute to Cajun Music and the Bayou food Festival. Together, these events became known as the Festivals Acadiens.
A virtual festival was held in 2020. |
1,638 | 42,982,632 | 0 | Fiesta del Pacifico | States | Fiesta del Pacifico (English: Festival of the Pacific) was a civic festival held in San Diego, California, during the 1950s. The event was staged throughout the city for several weeks in the mid to late summer. It was intended to attract tourists and to highlight San Diego's Spanish and Mexican heritage.
== History ==
In 1955, the San Diego City Council approved a plan for a month-long celebration to take place in the summer of 1956. A private organization run by Wayne Dailard, who had served as manager of the 1935–36 California Pacific International Exposition, put on a 33-day-long event in 1956, with some financial support from the city and county. It was intended to be an annual event, but revenue projections fell short, and tourism industry representatives complained that it was drawing traffic away from the more established attractions. The festival continued for three more years but was shorter and less ambitious each year: July 18 to August 12 in 1956, July 24 to August 10 in 1957, August 29 to September 9 in 1958, and September 4 to 17 in 1959. After 1959, the event was abandoned.
== Description ==
The festival included weeks of varied activities throughout the city, including a beauty pageant, several parades, a series of road races, a rodeo, street parties, and multiple displays of dancing, art, and other cultural activities. The main event was an epic theatrical production entitled The California Story, which had originally been written for the California Centennial celebration in 1950 and had been presented in the Hollywood Bowl. The extravaganza was performed in Balboa Stadium on a stage as long as a city block. It featured 35 scenes and a cast of 1,300 people, including a symphony orchestra and a 150-voice choir. Lucille Norman was the star and lead singer in the 1957 production. It was directed by Vladimir Rosing and conducted by Meredith Willson; both had filled the same role at the Hollywood Bowl. The production dramatized the history of California from the arrival of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1540 through the early 20th century. It was billed as the biggest non-movie spectacle ever produced anywhere. In 1959, the last year of the fiesta, the California Story production was replaced by a 2-hour show called Stars over Pacific.
== Legacy ==
The celebration inspired the most popular and most-performed work by composer Roger Nixon: a piece for symphonic band called Fiesta del Pacifico. It was composed in 1958–59 and first performed in 1960. Nixon explained the name of his composition as follows: Fiesta del Pacifico is held in San Diego and features a play on the history of the area, a parade, a rodeo, and street dances. It is one of several festivals held annually in various communities in California that celebrate the Old Spanish Days of the State, and I chose its name as representative of the spirit of those occasions. |
1,639 | 6,322,766 | 0 | FinnFest USA | States | FinnFest USA is an annual festival, typically held in the summer, in locations throughout the United States of America. Aiming to celebrate Finland, Finnish America, and Finnish culture, the festival is organized by a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a national office maintained by its president, located presently in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The inaugural festival was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1983 with approximately 1,000 people attending. Subsequent festivals have taken place in locations throughout the country, typically hosted by communities with connections to Finnish-American cultural history. Attendance has varied from 2,000 to 7,000, depending on the location. Many attendants, performers and lecturers also include visitors from Finland. Festival events include lectures, classes, concerts, films, theatrical performances, dances, exhibitions and ceremonies. The festivals are financed by registration fees, event tickets, raffles, and many forms of donation and sponsorship.
2020 and 2021 being held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 festival will be in Duluth, Minnesota.
== Past sites ==
1983: Leamington Hotel & Loring Park (Minneapolis)
1984: Fitchburg State University (Fitchburg, Massachusetts)
1985: Finlandia University (Hancock, Michigan)
1986: University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California)
1987: Schoolcraft College (Livonia, Michigan)
1988: University of Delaware (Newark, Delaware)
1989: University of Washington (Seattle)
1990: Finlandia University (Hancock, Michigan)
1991: Bryant Park (Lake Worth Beach, Florida)
1992: University of Minnesota Duluth (Duluth, Minnesota)
1993: California Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks, California)
1994: Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, Illinois)
1995: Lewis & Clark College (Portland, Oregon)
1996: Northern Michigan University (Marquette, Michigan)
1997: All Seasons Arena (Minot, North Dakota)
1998: University of Southern Maine (Gorham, Maine)
1999: University of Washington (Seattle)
2000: Mel Lastman Square (Toronto)
2001: Villanova University (Philadelphia)
2002: University of Minnesota (Minneapolis)
2004: Bryant Park (Lake Worth Beach, Florida)
2005: Northern Michigan University (Marquette, Michigan)
2006: Astoria/Naselle High Schools (Astoria, Oregon/Naselle, Washington)
2007: Kent State University at Ashtabula (Ashtabula, Ohio)
2008: Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (Duluth, Minnesota)
2009: Holland America MS Westerdam (Alaskan Inside Passage cruise)
2010: GFL Memorial Gardens (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
2011: Town and Country Resort Convention Center (San Diego)
2012: DoubleTree - Reid Park (Tucson, Arizona)
2013: Michigan Technological University & Finlandia University (Houghton/Hancock, Michigan)
2014: Hyatt Regency Conference Center (Minneapolis)
2015: Kleinhans Music Hall (Buffalo, New York)
2016: Holland America MS Veendam (Saint Lawrence Seaway cruise)
2017: Hilton Minneapolis, Minnesota Orchestral Hall & American Swedish Institute (Minneapolis)
2018: University of Tampere (Tampere)
2019: Sheraton Detroit Novi (Detroit)
2023: Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (Duluth, Minnesota)
2024: (Duluth, Minnesota)
== External links ==
Official website
FinnFest USA Collection, Immigration History Research Center Archives (University of Minnesota) |
1,640 | 24,016,565 | 0 | Germania Männerchor Volksfest | States | The Germania Maennerchor Volksfest is an annual German heritage festival that takes place each August in Evansville, Indiana, United States.
== History ==
The festival is run by the Germania Maennerchor, which is a social and singing club founded in 1900 by Evansville area immigrants from Germany. The first Volksfest was held in 1934. It was discontinued in 1941 when patriotic feelings stirred by World War II turned public opinion against anything of German culture. It was revived in 1962 as part of Evansville's sesquicentennial celebration.
The August festival lasts over the course of 3 days and consists of German food, drink, dance, and music. Many attendees dress in old world German apparel . The festival also utilizes the historic Germania Mannerchor building which is complete with a Rathskeller, Festhalle. and outdoor beer garden.
The festival went on hiatus in 2020, but was restored the next year.
== External links ==
Official Germania Maennerchor Website
Mt. Angel, Oregon
Leavenworth, Washington
Frankenmuth, Michigan |
1,641 | 42,347,349 | 0 | Giglio Society of East Harlem | States | Giglio Society of East Harlem is a non profit Italian-American society located in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, that sponsors an annual feast honoring their patron saint, Saint Anthony.
== History ==
=== 20th century ===
Southern Italian immigrants predominated East Harlem, or Italian Harlem, especially in the area east of Lexington Avenue between 96th and 116th Streets and east of Madison Avenue between 116th and 125th Streets, with each street featuring people from different regions of Italy. The neighborhood became known as Italian Harlem. The Italian American hub of Manhattan; it was the first part of Manhattan to be referred to as Little Italy.
Many families from the town of Brusciano, Italy migrated to East Harlem bringing with their tradition of the yearly Dance of the Giglio festival in honor of Anthony of Padua. The Giglio (lily in Italian) is an 80-foot-tall, three-ton statue which is carried and danced through the streets of East Harlem by over 100 members of the society.
The first Giglio Feast on 106th street in East Harlem started approximately in 1908. Giocchino Vivolo is credited for being the first Capo Paranza on 106th Street. The Festival on 106th Street grew for many years becoming one of the largest street fairs in America and remained that way until 1955. Then, in 1957, the festival moved a few blocks uptown to 108th Street, where the Dance of the Giglio continued until 1971.
=== 21st century ===
After a 29-year hiatus, the Dance of the Giglio returned to East Harlem in 2000 as a Cooperative Feast with the Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. The feast is now located on Pleasant Avenue between 114th street and 116th street. In 2006, it was decided to hold the Dance of the Giglio Festival separate from the annual Our Lady of Mt Carmel feast. The decision to move the Dancing of the Giglio dates was made in order to relieve the strain on the Giglio community.
The East Harlem Giglio feast is held annually on the second weekend of August on Pleasant Avenue, drawing thousands of visitors, former residents and tourists from around the world. The 3-ton Giglio statue is danced on the shoulders of over 100 faithful on the second Sunday of August.
Italy portal
New York City portal
Feast of San Gennaro
Italian Harlem
List of Italian American neighborhoods
Little Italy
== External links ==
Official website |
1,642 | 14,135,973 | 0 | Glasgow Highland Games | States | The Glasgow Highland Games are a regional Highland games and Scottish heritage celebration held annually in and near Glasgow, Kentucky. The main festival grounds are located at Barren River Lake State Resort Park, about 13 miles (21 km) from Glasgow, while most other events are held in the city proper.
Glasgow is named for Glasgow, Scotland, the country's largest city, and the area was originally settled by Scots-Irish immigrants. The area has long celebrated its Scottish heritage in many ways, most notably with the Scotties athletic teams of Glasgow High School and its Glasgow Scottie Band, which has long marched in full Scottish regalia with bagpipes. But a full-fledged formal celebration of all things Scottish did not take place until 1986, when the first Glasgow Highland Games was held.
Since that time, the event has expanded greatly to include the traditional highland games in professional and amateur competitions, a Ceilidh, bagpipe and highland dancing contests, parades, displays by dozens of Scottish clans, vendors of Scottish merchandise, and much more. The festival grounds has expanded to include two separate competition fields.
The games are held on the weekend following Memorial Day each year, except 2020-21 when they were cancelled due to COVID-19.
Other highland games held each year in Kentucky include the Kentucky Scottish Weekend in Carrollton and the Western Kentucky Highland Festival in Murray.
== External links ==
Glasgow Highland Games web site Archived 2006-12-24 at the Wayback Machine
U.S. SCOTS listing of highland games in Kentucky |
1,643 | 1,783,471 | 0 | Greek festival | States | A Greek festival or Greek Fest is an annual celebration of Greek culture presented by many ethnic Greek American communities and organization in the United States and Canada, particularly Greek Orthodox churches. Typically, these events are intended for attendance by the general public. Attendees can sample Greek music, cuisine, and dance, typically performed in traditional dress. Such events are often fundraisers for Orthodox churches of the Greek Archdiocese. These Greek festivals originate from celebrations in Greece for religious holidays, such as, Greek Orthodox Easter and non-religious holidays, such as, the Festival of Flowers (Protomayia).
Greek foods often served at Greek festivals include Lamb, Greek salad with olives and Feta cheese, Dolmades, Spanakopita, Tiropita, and Greek coffee. Sweets include Baklava, Loukoumades, Diples, Galaktoboureko, Koulorakia, and Kourabiedes.
In a modern context, the term Greek Fest is also used to refer to the celebrations or festivities organized and held by college/university fraternities and sororities (Greek system organizations) in North America.
Athenian festivals, for a list of festivals celebrated in ancient Greece.
== External links ==
http://www.yasas.com/greek/festivals/usa/ |
1,644 | 64,453,930 | 0 | Greek Independence Day Parade (New York City) | States | The Greek Independence Day Parade takes place annually in the United States along Fifth Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The parade is held in annual April in honor of the Anniversary of Greek Declaration of Independence from the Ottoman Empire on March 25, 1821, and the Greek War of Independence. The parade attracts many Greek Americans from the Tri-State area and is the celebration of Greek heritage, Greek culture and Greek achievements in the world.
== History ==In 1938, the first Greek Independence Day Parade was held and has since become a in New York City annual event. The parade runs along 5th Avenue from 64th to 79th Streets and is sponsored by the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York.
In the 2024, parade Honorary Grand Marshals were Dionysios Fredi Beleri the elected Mayor of Himara, southern Albania (a historical region known as Northern Epirus with a native Greek population) and Mayor of Chios Dr. Ioannis M. Malafis. As part of the support, local diaspora Greeks
Beleri was given the honor, he was absence in the parade because he is currently imprisoned by the Albanian authorities.Greeks in New York City
Celebration of the Greek Revolution |
1,645 | 11,295,203 | 0 | Gretna Heritage Festival | States | Gretna Heritage Festival is a culture festival in Gretna, Louisiana. The festival offers food, arts & crafts, rides & games, and music.The festival started in 1994 as a small community event. It has since grown to one of the largest festivals in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Prominent acts have included Travis Tritt, The Beach Boys, Hunter Hayes, Charlie Daniels, Blue Öyster Cult, Joe Diffie, David Allan Coe, Chicago, Brooks & Dunn, Bonerama, Theresa Andersson, and Ricky Van Shelton.
The festival's on hiatus until 2021.
== External links ==Gretna Heritage Festival |
1,646 | 46,666,053 | 0 | Haitian Day Parade | States | The Haitian Day Parade takes place annually along Nostrand Avenue / Toussaint Louverture Boulevard (NY's Little Haiti), Brooklyn, New York City in the month of May during Haitian Heritage Month in honor of the inhabitants of Haiti and all people of Haitian birth or heritage residing in the mainland United States. The parade incorporates its patriotic theme with its musical entertainment, carnival-style floats, vibrant costume colors and cuisine.
Labor Day Carnival
J'ouvert |
1,647 | 19,966,917 | 0 | Haitian Heritage Month | States | Haitian Heritage Month is a celebration in the United States of Haitian heritage and culture. It was first celebrated in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1998.
== History ==
Tele Kreyol, one of the Boston Haitian Access Television programs, celebrated the whole month of May in 1998 with a series of programs on Haitian history, culture, and contributions to the world. The month-long celebration has continued with such activities as parades, flag raisings, and exhibits organized by Haitian-Americans United, Inc. (H.A.U.) in collaboration with several Haitian organizations in the New England area.
The Haitian community of Palm Beach County, Florida, which started its Heritage celebration in 2001, contributed greatly to make the Heritage Month first a statewide celebration, and then, a national one in the United States. South Florida congressman Kendrick B. Meek introduced unsuccessfully a bill in the United States House of Representatives in 2004 and 2006 to recognize the month of May as Haitian-American Heritage Month in the United States. President George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush sent a letter in May 2005 to congratulate the Haitian-American community for the heritage month and organized a celebration at the White House the same year.
Since 1998, several governors, members of state senates and houses of representatives, mayors and city councilors have issued annual citations and proclamations, recognizing the Haitian Heritage Month celebration in their states or cities.
== Celebrations ==
In 2008, the Haitian Heritage Month/Flag Day was celebrated with parades, festivals, schools activities, and flag raising ceremonies in the following cities and counties in the U.S.:
== Description ==
The Haitian Heritage Month celebration is an expansion of the Haitian Flag Day, a major patriotic day celebration in Haiti and the Diaspora. Haitian President Dumarsais Estimé started the Flag Day celebration with parades, cultural and athletic events in many cities in Haiti in the 1930s, when he was minister of education under President Sténio Vincent. Estime wanted to commemorate annually the creation of the Haitian flag on May 18 to encourage the development of patriotic sentiments among Haitian youth.
Beside the Flag Day celebration, the month of May carries a number of significant historical and cultural traditions that Haitians are proud to make aware of and to pass on to future generations. In Haiti, May 1 is celebrated as Labor and Agriculture Day. May 2 used to be Flower Day. The Congress of Arcahaie that united black and mulatto officers to fight together for Haiti's independence is remembered from May 15 through 18. The revolutionary general, Toussaint Louverture, was born on May 20, 1743. Teacher's Day is May 17, University Day May 18, and Mother's Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of May. For Haitian Catholics, May is the month of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Haitian Flag Day is at the center of Haitian Heritage Month on May 18 each year. It was coined as an official commemoration to the fallen soldiers who helped the United States and many other Western colonized countries gain their freedom and independence. The Artist Known as Koolkat whose debut song called Zoe Flag hit the charts in 2019 honored the celebration officially. Koolkat who is from South Florida, the most populated Haitian communities in the U.S., cited in a radio interview how Kodak Black, Wyclef, Pras, and Tony Yayo are only a few of Haitian artists who are making a mark in the entertainment industry. The Models, actors, athletes, writers and innovators of all industries are proud to contribute greatness around the world to continue a legacy of freedom fighters and justice for all. In the song Zoe Flag Koolkat portrays Haitians to be resilient and rich regardless of financial situations by stating They know my style they know my island got a history. When drama comes we overcome it with a victory. The Haitian pride is one that is not understood so artists and other leaders support and contribute towards Haitian Heritage month so that the story may live on.
Histoire d'Haïti: De l'independance a nos jours by Odette Roy Fombrun
Boston Haitian Reporter, May 2008 – Vol 7 Issue 5
Boston Haitian Reporter, June 2001
== External links ==
http://www.haitianheritagemonth.net
http://www.hauinc.org |
1,648 | 21,442,516 | 0 | Japan Festival | States | The Japanese Festival of Houston, located in Houston, Texas is considered one of the largest Japanese festivals in the United States. Hosted originally by the Japan America Society of Houston (JASH, ヒューストン日米協会 Hyūsuton Nichibei Kyōkai), the festival is now handled by the Japan Festival of Houston Inc. under the Japan-America Society of Houston advisement.
The Japan Festival is located in Hermann Park, typically adjacent to the Japanese Garden near downtown Houston. The event can attract nearly 30,000 visitors in a single weekend. While the festival theme changes from year to year, the premise remains the same to educate the citizens of Houston on the fundamental interests and facts about Japan. Houston's Japan Festival is now one of the largest Japanese cultural festivals in the United States.
== History ==
The Japan Festival was founded by Houston businessman Glen Gondo, the then president of the Japan America Society of Houston (JASH). Gondo had been elected president of JASH in 1992. That same year, the city of Houston unveiled the new Japanese Garden, designed by landscape architect Ken Nakajima, in the city's Hermann Park. Gondo originally conceived the idea of holding a potential Japan Festival in Hermann Park as a way to showcase and publicize the new Japanese Garden. He presented his festival concept to Houston Mayor Bob Lanier and the city government, who granted him permission to hold the event in Hermann Park. The first Japan Festival of Houston was held in 1993. Glen Gondo continued to lead and organize the festival for many years.
In 2009, the festival was awarded the title of Best Festival by the Houston Press.
This festival went on hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and did not return in 2021 or 2022.
The festival returned in May 2023. In addition to commercial, merchandise and food booths, there were demonstrations for sumo wrestling, and on the main stage there were other activities including Taiko drumming, and performances by artists like the Minyo Crusaders. The upcoming 2024 festival is planned for September 7-8, 2024.History of the Japanese in Houston
== External links ==
The Japan-America Society of Houston
Website for the Houston Japanese Festival |
1,649 | 14,369,695 | 0 | Kansas City Irish Fest | States | Kansas City Irish Fest celebrates Celtic pride in Kansas City dedicated to promoting the culture, music, character and history of Ireland and of the Irish people who call Kansas City home. It was voted by visitors as the Best Ethnic Festival in Kansas City in 2011, 2010 and 2009, and the Best Festival in Kansas City in 2008 and 2007.
Founded in 2003 and located in the heart of Kansas City at Crown Center Square, Kansas City Irish Fest hosts more than 90,000 people each Labor Day weekend. The KC Irish Fest annually presents dozens of musicians, dancers, comedians and entertainment from around the world on 8 stages.
The festival was born from the merger of two successful smaller Kansas City neighborhood events, the Brookside and Westport Irish fests. KCIF is almost 100 percent volunteer staffed, and uses the help of nearly 1,500 volunteers annually.
2020 saw a virtual event caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
Music and Dance Performers scheduled for 2019
· The Ashley Davis Band
· Wallis Bird
· Boys of the Priaire
· Kian Byrne
· Byrne and Kelly
· Carswell & Hope
· Céilí at the Crossroads
· Creel
· Dave Curley
· Eddie Delahunt
· Doolin’
· The Driscoll School of Irish Dance
· Barnacle Duggles
· Eddie Edwards
· Enter the Haggis
· Flannigan's Right Hook
· Gaelic Storm
· Shane Hennessy
· The High Kings
· The Irish Aires
· Jump 2 – 3's
· Damian McCarthy
· The Moxie Strings
· One for the Foxes
· The O’Riada Manning Academy of Irish Dance
· Pigeon Kings
· Red Hot Chilli Pipers
· Bob Reeder
· Gerald Trimble and Jambaroque
· Tullamore
== External links ==
http://www.kcirishfest.com |
1,650 | 11,687,761 | 0 | Kentucky Scottish Weekend | States | The Kentucky Scottish Weekend was a regional Highland games event held annually at General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton, Kentucky. The weekend's mission was to celebrate the customs and traditions of Scotland. It was held each year on the second full weekend in May. First held in 1983, the weekend celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2012, its final year. It was the longest running highland game currently being held in Kentucky at the time it ended. It was held in Carrollton due to that location being nearly halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati. A Kentucky non-profit corporation—Kentucky Scottish Weekend, Inc.—held the event. The weekend was sometimes referred to as KSW for short.
The weekend was one of three regional Highland games in Kentucky. The others are the Glasgow Highland Games in Glasgow and the West Kentucky Highland Festival in Murray, founded in 1986 and 1998, respectively.
A variety of vendors usually attended the event. Items sold included Scottish and American food items, Celtic collectibles, kilts, Scottish music, Clan memorabilia, and Scottish heathers.
== Events ==Athletic competitions, including:
Caber tossing
Hammer throw – 22 lb (10.0 kg).
Sheaf toss
Stone throw
Weight throw – 28 and 56 lb (25 kg).
Weight toss – 56 lb (25 kg).
Bagpipe and drumming competitions (the event was recognized by the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association)
Several regional pipe bands regularly competed at the weekend, including Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes and Drums and the Louisville Pipe Band
Bonniest knees contest (where men competed for the best set of knees; judged by females and through touch alone)
Border Collie demonstrations
British car show
Ceilidh on Saturday night
Clan booths
Kirking of the Tartan (non-denominational church service) on Sunday morning
Opening ceremony with massed bands
Parade of Tartans
Pipe band concerts
Scottish folk music concerts
Scottish highland dancing competitions and demonstrations
Wellie toss contest (where women competed to see who can throw a boot the farthest)
== Entertainers ==
Alex Beaton had been the featured performer and emcee at the Kentucky Scottish Weekend since 1989. In later years, other performers included Seven Nations, the Glengarry Bhoys, and Wicked Tinkers.
== Dissolution ==
KSW was dissolved and the remaining funds disbursed to The Scottish Society of Louisville.
== External links ==
Kentucky Scottish Weekend website
General Butler State Resort Park website Archived 9 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
Glasgow Highland Games website Archived 2006-12-24 at the Wayback Machine
West Kentucky Highland Festival website
The Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA) website Archived 20 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine |
1,651 | 12,587,079 | 0 | Liberatum | States | Liberatum is an international cultural diplomacy organisation, multimedia and cultural content company founded by Pablo Ganguli in 2001. It creates and presents multidisciplinary artistic platforms and promotes contemporary arts, film, media, literature and culture worldwide through its own festivals, films, summits and other programming. Liberatum champions human rights, freedom of expression and women in creativity through its platforms across the world.
== History ==
Liberatum was founded by Pablo Ganguli in 2001 while he was living in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
== Global programme ==
Liberatum festivals, shows, content, programmes and summits are hosted in worldwide. They have taken place in Russia, Turkey, Papua New Guinea, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, United Kingdom, France, United States, Brazil, India, Morocco. The festivals encourage new and established artists to perform, discuss and promote their work in front of audiences so that they can debate and interact with their work. The artists are generally from different fields. Liberatum merged the worlds of art, fashion, music, both classical and contemporary encouraging them to collaborate.
Notable figures who have attended and taken part in Liberatum events include Peter Donohoe, Stephen Frears, Sir Norman Rosenthal, Charles Saumarez Smith, Shekhar Kapur, Valery Gergiev, Thomas Ades, Tilda Swinton, Pharrell Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Michael Nyman, Michael Stipe, Philip Treacy, Sir VS Naipaul, Zaha Hadid, Daphne Guinness, Wole Soyinka, Richard Branson, Annie Lennox, Clare Short, Shabana Azmi, Marianne Faithfull, Shashi Tharoor, Courtney Love, Gore Vidal and Goldie Hawn.
== Film ==
Liberatum and illy made a short film in 2014 called Inspiring Creativity featuring James Franco, Hans Zimmer, Tracey Emin, Joan Smalls about what drives their creativity. They have also made a film with W Hotels about transformation, including the performance artist Dita Von Teese; it was directed by Pablo Ganguli and Tomas Auksas.
Liberatum's other film 'Artistry/Technology' is a documentary on the relationship between creativity and technological advancement. David Hockney and Francis Ford Coppola agreed to be in the film.
Liberatum made a feature-length documentary about the environment and climate change entitled In This Climate featuring Sir David Attenborough, Mark Ruffalo, Noam Chomsky and Cher.
== Style ==
Liberatum has presented a wide range of cultural diplomacy programmes and festivals around the world including multidisciplinary ventures in Turkey such as Istancool and has developed similar ventures in Hong Kong, Marrakech, Moscow and Berlin consisting of merging several artforms and striking performance art elements. The New York Times described Liberatum as a cultural festival known for its hip quotient.
== External links ==
Official website |
1,652 | 1,410,059 | 0 | Mexican fiestas in the United States | States | Many Mexican fiestas are held in the United States every year. Much of the western United States belonged to Mexico at various times and the descendants of those Mexicans carry on many of their traditional celebrations. These celebrations, called fiestas (feasts or festivals), are held on any number of religious or civic holidays. Many communities also plan local celebrations throughout the year. Most are held in the Southwest and in Texas and California (by the history of Las Californias).
Because the descendants of the original Mexicans have been Americans for several generations, many of the fiestas, especially the nonreligious ones, are a mixture of Mexican and American cultures. They may attract participants from across the whole community. The religious fiestas are generally held by the congregation of the local church but in smaller communities may involve most of the citizens.
Most fiestas offer traditional Mexican food, music and dance, and may include traditional sporting events such as a charrería, or rodeo. The participants may dress in traditional Mexican dress, especially if the event is a community wide event.
== Fiestas ==
=== Fiestas Patrias (Mexican holidays) ===
Cinco de Mayo; many places throughout the Southwest — May 5
Dieciséis de Septiembre (Mexican Independence Day); many places throughout the Southwest — September 16
=== Religious fiestas ===
Nuestra Señora de Dolores, Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows - Friday before Good Friday
Semana Santa, Holy Week - Easter week
La Virgen de Guadalupe, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe - December 12
=== Community fiestas ===
Charro Days Fiesta; jointson, Arizona — End of August (Celebrates the founding of Tucson—Presidio de San Agustín del Tucsón—as well as honoring the saint.)
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros; Tucson, Arizona — last weekend in February
The Fiesta in Santa Barbara, California
Fiesta Mexicana in Topeka, Kansas, July, a 5-day festival
Fiesta San Antonio; San Antonio, Texas — mid-April Fiesta Week
Frontier Fiesta; Houston, Texas
Mexican Fiesta — Milwaukee, WI — huge, 3-day summer fiesta along Lake Michigan http://www.mexicanfiesta.org
Charro
Cuisine of Mexico
Fiestas Patrias (Mexico)
List of festivals in the United States
Music of Mexico
Holidays and celebrations in Mexico
Mariachi |
1,653 | 28,566,390 | 0 | Milford Oyster Festival | States | Milford Oyster Festival, sometimes shortened to Oysterfest, is an annual cultural festival held on the third Saturday of August throughout the city of Milford, Connecticut. As a major tourist attraction, billed as the largest one-day festival in the New England region and listed among the top 10 annual events in Connecticut, the Oyster Festival draws over 50,000 attendees each year. It is planned by the non-profit organization Annual Milford Oyster Festival, inc. (AMOF), largely run by volunteers.
The festival hosts a wide variety of activities for all ages, including arts, crafts, music, sports, amusement rides, food, and oyster shucking.
== History ==The first Milford Oyster Festival was held on the Milford Green and Fowler Field on 23 August 1975. Major founders of the oysterfest include Diano Nytko, first chairperson of the Milford Chamber of Commerce, and Robert N. Cooke, for whom the Bob Cooke Skin Cancer Foundation was named.
Since then the oyster festival has become firmly established as an annual Milford tradition, held rain or shine. In the past, the oysterfest was held over two days, but that proved to be too much a burden on the organizers.
While initially established as an oyster festival, the presence of actual oysters gradually faded after some time and were absent for many years outside of the festival's name. In 2005, oysters returned to the festival, provided by the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association. They have been there ever since.
Starting in 2009, Milford began requiring that the non-profit AMOF reimburse the city, which spends $30,000–50,000 to host the festival each year. As a result of this decision, AMOF could no longer allow other local non-profits to sell beer at the event, as it is a major source of income for many of the non-profits. This led Alderman Ben Blake to express concern that the festival may lose its local flavor as nonprofit groups [are driven] out of the Oyster Festival food court.
In 2019 and resuming in 2021, all oysters in the festival are harvested from Milford waters, provided by Briarpatch Enterprises, Inc.
The 2020 festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival will be held as usual in 2021. Although no festival was held in the previous year, which would have been the 46th, the festival committee decided to refer to the 2021 festival the 47th Annual Milford Oyster Festival to recognize the year that didn't occur.
== Musical acts ==
Every festival also includes a headliner band.
=== Headliner by year ===
== Fundraising ==
Many local and regional businesses, non-profits, and governmental groups have sponsored the event, including NBC Universal, TD Bank, and Whole Foods Market.
Money raised by AMOF during the festival has been donated for charitable purposes. In 2010, the major fundraiser of the festival was for Gulf coast fishing communities, whose oyster industries were struggling after being shut down by the BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
== Notable participants ==Jodi Rell, the 72nd governor of Connecticut, attended the 2008 festival.
Linda McMahon, a Republican politician, plunged a firefighter in a dunk tank in the dunk your favorite firefighter festival activity during her 2010 campaign for a seat in the US Senate for Connecticut.
John A. Smith, a world-traveling sailor and writer, wrote, It's kind of sad to hear that none of the oysters at the recent 'Oyster Festival' were from local waters and that most of the oyster boats are now in museums, in his book of travels Little Fish Big Pond while talking about Milford as his home town. (Note: In 2019 & resuming in 2021, all oysters at festival are from Milford waters.)
== Surrounding events ==
On the Friday evening before the oysterfest, there is a surrounding event called Oyster Eve, which includes activities such as dancing, dining, and a 90-minute cruise on an 80-foot-long (24 m) schooner around the Long Island Sound. Around 1,500 people came to downtown Milford for Oyster Eve in 2010.
In 2010, the Daniel Street nightclub began hosting what they dubbed the Inaugural Oyster Festival After Party on the evening after the main events close. This year completes 14 years. There was no 2020 after party.
Norwalk Oyster Festival
Oyster festival
== External links ==
Official website |
1,654 | 4,414,271 | 0 | MIX NYC | States | MIX NYC is a not-for-profit organization based in New York City dedicated to queer experimental film. It is also known as the MIX festival, for its most visible program, the annual week-long New York Queer Experimental Film Festival (NYQEFF), which has featured early works by filmmakers such as Christine Vachon, Todd Haynes, Isaac Julien, Thomas Allen Harris, Barbara Hammer, Juan Carlos Zaldivar, Jonathan Caouette, Jennie Livingston, Gus Van Sant, and Matthew Mishory.
== History ==
=== 1987 - 1991 ===
MIX was founded in 1987 by Sarah Schulman and Jim Hubbard. The festival was created because newly emerging Gay Film Festivals were not including formally inventive work, and the then vibrant experimental film venues marginalized gay and lesbian work. They were aided by curators Jack Waters and Peter Cramer from Naked Eye Cinema and Ela Troyano who programmed The New York Film Festival Downtown. The first festival featured the world premiere of Su Friedrich's Damned If You Don't, Juan Carlos Zaldivar's Palingenesis and from then on the festival became a showcase for new works by established makers, archival masters like Barbara Rubin's Christmas on Earth, and new emerging artists. Quickly, in concert with the emerging AIDS Activist and Queer Activist movement of the day- The New York Lesbian & Gay Experimental Film Festival (NYLGEFF) became a mass cultural event in the LGBT underground. Friday nights were guaranteed sold-out Lesbian Date Nights and a counter-culture of new interest in filmmaking and video production emerged around the festival community. MIX soon became very influential on other programming venues, often contributing significant work to The Whitney Biennial, Berlin International Film Festival and other important screens. MIX exhibited first films by major lesbian, gay and bisexual filmmakers including Todd Haynes' college thesis film, Assassins: A Film Concerning Rimbaud, (which got him his first review, ever), Maria Maggenti's Name Day, the first screening of Paris Is Burning, when it was still on a dual system, Christine Vachon's first film, and many others. Hubbard and Schulman prioritized artists' fees, paying all makers equally regardless of the length of their work, since in experimental film, labor intensivity was not determined by length. They included the first focus on films by and about black gay men in any film Festival. Schulman and Hubbard worked long and hard to get press review coverage for gay experimental work, often holding individual press screenings at the critic's convenience. They hand wheat-pasted posters on buildings around the city, and leafleted areas where gay people hung out, like the piers and bars. MIX received no funding and managed to break even on enthusiastic box office support. They showed gay experimental film from other countries and brought films by hand to venues around the US, Brazil, Europe and Japan. The festival has shown the work of filmmakers such as Barbara Hammer, Nisha Ganatra, Teri Rice, Jonathan Caouette, Juan Carlos Zaldivar and Isaac Julien among hundreds more.
As makers began to die of AIDS, Jim became active in film preservation, beginning with the film Avocada by the late Bill Vehr of the Ridiculous Theatrical Company. Eventually, he preserved over 2,000 hours of AIDS Film and Video, now available for free viewing at the New York Public Library. During Sarah and Jim's tenure, no one was ever turned away from MIX due to inability to pay. The festival also included Transsexual work from the very first year, with Marguerite Paris's film All Women Are Equal. They found ways of getting works by makers like Chantal Akerman who did not show in gay festivals. Among many fabulous moments in the festival's history was MIX's screening of Andy Warhol's Blow Job which was attended by Kitty Carlisle Hart in a gown with a tuxedo'd escort.
=== 1992 - 1999 ===
Hubbard & Schulman ran the festival together as a community event from 1987-1991. After the 1991 festival, Schulman wanted to devote more time to her writing. The 1992 festival was organized by Hubbard and filmmakers Marguerite Paris and Jerry Tartaglia. That year also introduced shows programmed by guest curators, who brought new perspectives to the line-up. Notable shows included Our Fanzine Friends, which drew upon the hot trend of queer zines, featuring work by Glenn Belverio and Bruce LaBruce; and Fire, featuring work from the African diaspora. This last program featured work by Dawn Suggs, Shari Frilot, Thomas Allen Harris and others.
In 1993, Frilot and Karim Ainouz were the co-directors, and introduced many changes, including the name MIX, the production of a catalog (instead of handing our program notes), a new venue (The Kitchen instead of Anthology Film Archives) and a commitment to multicultural presentations and installation work. A stunning program that year was called The 1000 Dreams of Desire, curated by Jim Lyons. It was a special show featuring Teri Rice's The Kindling Point and Les Affaires, at the Ann Street Bookstore in Lower Manhattan, where the peep booths were reprogrammed with experimental video, and 16mm film was projected in a separate room.
MIX returned to Anthology in 1994, and combined with DCTV's Lookout Lesbian & Gay Video Festival because DCTV's building was under renovation. Ainouz scaled back his involvement, and Frilot became the definitive voice of MIX, making the organization a home for emerging filmmakers and makers of color. This was signaled by 1994's opening feature, Brincando El Charco, and even more powerfully when 1995's opening and closing events were films by makers of color These films, Vintage: Families of Value by Thomas Allen Harris, and Frilot's own documentary Black Nations/Queer Nations, brought new audiences to MIX. They started satellite festivals such as MIX Brasil (1993) and MIX Mexico (1996).
1996 was the festival's 10th anniversary, and in honor of this milestone MIX presented queer work from the African diaspora at the Victoria Theater in Harlem, in addition to its downtown programs at NYU's Cantor Film Center and the Knitting Factory.
Frilot headed MIX through 1996. Her other legacy was a commitment to installation work and the nascent digital realm. Installations were on view in 1993, on the upper floor of the Kitchen. But in 1994, Shu Lea Cheang and Beth Stryker curated Cyberqueer, in the basement galleries of Anthology. Although installations were presented in subsequent years, they never matched these early efforts until new MIX NYC staff began devoting substantial space and resources to installations in 2006. Frilot went on to become a curator at the Sundance Film Festival.
Rajendra Roy was in charge in 1997, when the festival moved to Cinema Village, which was then a single-screen theater on E. 12th Street. In 1997 Ernesto Foronda and Maïa Cybelle Carpenter were programming coordinators for the festival. Carpenter stayed on until 1999, also curating additional programs in the years to follow. Roy brought on Anie Stanley as artistic director in 1998, and as a team they propelled MIX to greater visibility, with more corporate sponsorship, but with less emphasis on the identity politics of the early 1990s. 1998 also saw a sidebar of 8 mm films curated by Stephen Kent Jusick, featuring work by both contemporary makers and old masters, such as Jack Smith, The Story of the Red Rose by Juan Carlos Zaldivar and Andy Warhol's Polavision home movies. Roy is now the Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film at the Museum of Modern Art.
=== 2000 - 2006 ===
Roy & Stanley stepped down after the 2000 festival, making way for Ioannis Mookas, who took the title of Executive Director. The organization, whose offices had been in the financial district, suffered after 9/11, and Mookas left after overseeing two festivals.
MIX NYC as an organization took a new direction in 2003, when it initiated the ACT UP Oral History Project, run by Hubbard and Schulman (www.actuporalhistory.org), and funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation. This new effort gave the organization another aspect, different from being just a film festival.
Larry Shea and Stephen Winter took the helm of the festival in 2003. Jonathan Caouette's Tarnation was shepherded into being under Winter's supervision, and its premiere as the festival centerpiece was the beginning of its illustrious path to Cannes, the New York Film Festival and a distribution deal with Wellspring in 2004. Shea and Winter also reimagined the 1000 Dreams of Desire program from 1993, re-staging it, with differences, at the same Ann Street location as the original. This time, in addition to the video booths and screening room on the upper floors, the basement was also cleared out, and set up with DJs, ambient 16mm & 8mm film projections, and a dance floor.
A large-scale installation called Cake, about garment workers, by Mary Ellen Strom & Ann Carlson, debuted at South Street Seaport as the festival centerpiece. MIX expanded beyond the concept of the annual festival more in late 2004, with the introduction of MIXtv, which aired weekly on Manhattan Neighborhood Network.
Yet MIX was unable to capitalize on the success of Tarnation, and financial troubles led Shea to move the festival from November to April 2005, skipping 2004 entirely. The opening night happening was held at the Gershwin Hotel, while regular screenings were at Anthology Film Archives. Jim Morrison created silk-screened T-shirts for the festival, the first time MIX had shirts since 1996. MIX began a community screening program, which took work to various neighborhoods and communities, beginning with the Bronx in February 2005.
Larry Shea left MIX after the 2005 festival to devote more time to his video art, and a new team was appointed in the fall, including Andre Hereford, Szu Burgess, Kate Huh and Stephen Kent Jusick. Moving MIX back to its traditional November timeslot was the first decision of the new staff.
In May 2006, MIX began the Naked Eye Celebrity Camera benefit, auctioning off disposable cameras exposed by artists and celebrities including Laurie Anderson, Gus Van Sant, B.D. Wong, Alec Soth and over 100 others. The 2006 festival, the 19th, was held at the new 3LD Art & Technology Center in Lower Manhattan, and featured two screening rooms as well as window installations and an installations lounge including a collectively interactive exhibition of nude Polaroids entitled Blind Trust by Juan Carlos Zaldivar.
=== 2007 - 2024 ===
The 2007 festival began with a name change, to the New York Queer Experimental Film Festival, after a few years of requests from the public to a name more inclusive than Lesbian and Gay and embracing of contemporary terminology. The festival was held in an empty storefront in SoHo, and marked a shift away from traditional theater venues. Installations covered the space, and led back to the makeshift screening room. Additional installations were in the mezzanine, overlooking the whole space. Many shows were packed, including the Butt magazine show, and Homoccult and other Esoterotica, guest curated by Daniel McKernan and Richie Rennt. Another highlight was a screening of a rare 16mm print shot by Women's Liberation Cinema (Kate Millett and Susan Kleckner, among others) of the 1971 gay pride march in New York. For this screening Sharon Hayes performed a live audio accompaniment. Hayes continued working with this material, and the film and recorded audio were included in Hayes's show at the Whitney Museum in 2012.
In 2008 MIX took over a former Liz Claiborne department store in the South Street Seaport, filling every nook and cranny with installations, decorations and performances. The festival took place in October, earlier than its traditional mid-November dates, because the space, donated free of charge by the landlord, was only available at that time. This year MIX NYC initiated a program of artist-designed T-shirts celebrating the festival, each available in a limited edition.
The 2009 festival took place in Chelsea for the first time since 1993, this time in an 7,000-square-foot (650 m2) empty storefront of a newly constructed condo building. Ceiling to floor glass windows gave MIX unprecedented street visibility, including projections by Lori Hiris and Kadet Kuhne. Installations were prominent again, most notably a large geodesic dome that was Wildflowers of Manitoba, by Luis Jacob and Noam Gonick. A live actor inhabited the dome, silently lying there, listening to records, lighting incense and ruminating, while 3 projections illuminated some of the panels with scenes of a same-sex love and commitment. The closing night feature Maggots & Men, by Carey Cronenwett, was sold out, as were several other shows. The festival suffered some noise complaints from condo residents above, who felt that festival-goers were too loud.
The 2010 festival was held at Theater for the New City, back in the East Village. Using three theater spaces in the TNC complex, MIX emphasized an immersive environment with a string art design in the venue by Diego Montoya. One smaller theater contained a performative installation by Daniel Pillis. Another theater was turned into an installation lounge, anchored by Blaise Garber-Paul's Queer Fruit Tree, which grew and changed throughout the week, and under which visitors could sit on astroturf, or on conical black cushions. The closing night film was Bruce LaBruce's L.A. Zombie, which sold out, and a second screening was added.
In 2011 MIX took over a disused theater on Bleecker Street. The festival trailer, made on 16mm film by Gina Carducci, was projected on a continuous loop onto the building across the street, above the subway entrance. The venue design told a story of sorts. The lobby was dark with back-lit curtains that gave the impression of being in outer space. From there visitors could enter the screening room, or venture through lush psychedelic forest, and down steps to a subterranean space cave made of pink paper mache and pointy pink pillows. This downstairs space was a lounge, had a second stage used for performances, and contained most of the installations, including work by Adriana Varella, Szu Burgess, Coco Rico and others. The Occupy Wall Street movement was going on at the same time, and the NYPD raided Zuccotti Park just before the festival opened. As a result, MIX made the decision to open the venue as a sanctuary for queer Occupiers.
The 25th MIX Festival took place in a two-story 20,000 sf former nut roasting factory in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn, the first time the festival had been held outside Manhattan. The first floor was a wide-open space that contained all of the many installations, as well as a small performance stage and many lounging areas. An interior design of spandex explosions filled the space, often running from ceiling to floor. The second floor, accessible only by a steep staircase, held the screening room, as well as 2 restrooms and administrative space. The closing night film was She Said Boom, about the Toronto band Fifth Column, with band member Caroline Azar in attendance.
After the success of the festival in Brooklyn, the festival returned to Gowanus in 2013, taking over a 25,000 ft warehouse, which gave over about 15,000 sf to installation work, and 3600 sf screening room. The festival's visual theme was body parts, and a giant inflatable lung, which breathed slightly, greeted festival-goers as they entered. There were other inflatables, including Rachel Shannon's Breastival Vestibules, and other plastics that resembled veins. Jonathan Caouette returned to the festival with a new film that he finished hours before the screening at MIX NYC.
In 2015, the festival was held at a former clothing factory in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The event including members of XFR Collective, an archiving group which offered to digitize attendees' home videos and other film for free.
== Spin offs ==
1993 also marked the founding of MIX Brasil in Sao Paolo, the first MIX branch in another country. Although the branch received support from the New York organizers, its leadership was Brazilian. MIX Mexico was founded in 1996 by Arturo Castelan. MIX Milan and MIX Copenhagen were founded in 2008 and 2011 respectively.
LGBT culture in New York City
== External links ==
NYU's Fales Library Guide to the MIX Collection
MIX NYC |
1,655 | 21,520,809 | 0 | New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival | States | The New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival (NYSJFF), also known as the Sephardic Film Festival, is an annual New York City film festival sponsored by the American Sephardi Federation. It was founded in 1990. The 20th Anniversary Edition of the festival was from March 30 to April 6, 2017.
The festival showcases films about Jewish communities of the Mediterranean and Asia, including Morocco, Yemen, Ethiopia, Kurdistan, Iran/Persia and India, as well as the Sephardi descendants of the Jews expelled from Spain.
The films are part of a movement towards popular narrative movies and more personal documentaries taking advantage of the freedom given by improvements in video cameras and associated digital hardware to pursue a more personal on-screen vision of what it means to be Jewish.
The 2020 festival was held from February 23 to March 2, 2020.
New York Film Festival
New York Jewish Film Festival
== External links ==
Official website |
1,656 | 6,304,968 | 0 | Nordic Fest | States | Nordic Fest is a weekend festival held annually in Decorah, Iowa to commemorate the traditional customs and culture of Scandinavian countries, especially Norway. The event always occurs over the last weekend in July and often draws estimated crowds of 50,000 to 75,000.
Started in 1967, Nordic Fest grew from Luther College Women's Club annual celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day known as Syttende Mai. American Norwegians are exceptionally loyal to their heritage, which explains the size and scope of Nordic Fest. Every year, the residents of Decorah, Iowa, put on a jubilee of Old World heritage that brings people to the picturesque hills of northeast Iowa and serves as a kind of homecoming for Scandinavian Americans from many states.
From the start, the entire community has been engaged in Nordic Fest through such efforts as the Decorah Nordic Dancers. Chosen dancers start in third grade and perform at Nordic Fest and other events through their high school graduation, representing 10 years’ commitment. Nordic Fest features traditional foods, antique show, arts and crafts, musical entertainment and Norse storytelling. Demonstrations include knife making, rosemaling, weaving and wood carving, together with other Norwegian folk art. There is a river run and grand parade with marchers in bunads, a traditional Norwegian folk costume. The festival concludes with a street dance and beverage garden with a band. Bands have included the Backhome Boys, the El Caminos, Gaelstorm and Three Beers til Dubuque. There is also a spectacular fireworks display that takes place over the river.
Much on the Nordic Fest activities centers on Luther College and the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. Norwegian immigrants to Decorah decided early on they wanted to preserve the old ways; in 1861, they established Luther College, and in 1877, they started a museum, Vesterheim, today a village of pioneer buildings that keeps traditions alive with year-round workshops and celebrations. The dorms of Luther College accommodate many of the visitors to Nordic Fest. Vesterheim provides viewing of Scandinavian art in the Hauge Gallery of the Westby-Torgerson Education Center.
There was no festival in 2020 as officials cited the COVID-19 pandemic as grounds for cancellation.
== External links ==
Nordic Fest Official Website, Decorah Iowa
Vesterheim Festivals
Iowa Museum Association
Luther College |
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