Apr 18, 2011

St George Day - This Saturday

St George Day Festival
Celebrating Our Community, Earth Day and the Arts

When: SaturdayApril 23, noon-8pm
Where: Tompkinsville Park, at the corner of Bay St and Victory Boulevard – just a 10 minute walk (or brief bus ride) from the SI ferry.
Websitewww.stgeorgedaysi.org - see website for schedule and rain location.

Appropriate for all ages; Wheelchair accessible; FREE!
For a video of last year's event, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0l6T-K5sfs

The annual St. George Day festival here on Staten Island is a great way for people to come together and experience culture, diversity, art, and community all while having fun with dragons!

The event features two jam-packed stages of music and dance, children’s stage with storytelling and interactive puppet shows; an artist's area featuring live painting, craft workshops, wall of artwork, and even a children's gallery; a book area with a special stage for literary performances, book vendors, and lessons in book binding; and an Earth Day area where people will have the opportunity to learn about environmental sustainability.

The theme of the festival is building strong and sustainable communities.  To that end, we encourage communal pride by showcasing the artistic talents and cultural diversity of our neighborhood, St George.  We also promote themes of peaceful problem solving and sharing resources as foundations for living together well.  The St George Day festival will promote these ideas through innovative story telling, spectacle and interactive games. 

Highlights of the Day Include:

Ø      giant puppet show with a 35 foot dragon carried by 18 people that re-imagines the mythical story of St George and the dragon into one in which the protagonists resolve their conflict through mutual understanding and learning to share the natural resources in order to live peacefully together. At 2:30pm
Ø      Dragon parade - kids can dress up as dragons or flower fairies at 2pm
Ø      All day scheduled local music and dance performances by dance troops including the Pink Diamond Steppers, Manhattan Tribal Belly Dancers; and musicians such as The Headlocks, Joan Caddell and the Midnight Choir, Viva Maria and PEMG and more.
Ø      Arts and Crafts Exhibits, Sales and Workshops all day with 18 local artists displaying work and crafts people teaching workshops on painting silk scarves, making mandallas, jewelry, bookbinding, masks, puppets, dolls, and more…
Ø      A Community Drum Circle will conclude the day inviting everyone to lend their beat to create a communal rhythm.

EARTH DAY EVENTS:
Ø      Workshops and lectures on composting, nature journaling, plant and animal identification, tree stewardship, recycling and more!
Ø      Materials for the Arts will host a creative endeavor providing everone with everyday materials to make art while promoting environmental awareness and reuse.
Ø      Plan NYC will have Sapling Trees to give away
Ø      An area tree expert will  host Notable Trees of St George nature walks.
Ø      Staten Island Herb Society will promote the use of herbs with tastings and  information on growing your own.
Ø      Free Bike Repair by a local bike master
Ø      GrowNYC’s Stop ‘N Swap where people can bring their unwanted items and others can pick up items they want.
Ø      WeRecycle’s Ewaste Recycling will be collecting unwanted electronics from 12 – 3pm

LIVE READINGS:
Ø      Staten Island OutLoud will organize a showcase of youth poets and writers presenting original works
Ø      SHING (Shoot Hoops Not Guns) will present original works by teens affected by gun violence.
Ø      Poetry SLAM and Open Mic – bring your original works to share and express yourself.  All material should be appropriate for all ages. At 4pm
 
KIDS ACTIVITIES:
Ø      Kids crafts area with projects led by local artists, including: Hiroko Otani, DB Lampman and Janice Patrignani.
Ø      GrowNYC  is setting up a recycling relay race in which trash will be strewn about the street and kids will need to pick it up, run and put it in the appropriate receptacle.
Ø      Hiroko Otani, a local artist and creative educator, will perform a puppet show about sustainable gardening that tells story worms and their relationship with the earth.
Ø      Young performers can get up on stage and be a part of a performance called “Whose Garden is it Anyway” about the interrelatedness of the people, the animals, the plants and the earth that all collaborate to keep our environment green and healthy.   

AND MORE!





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