Before the festival: Pop-Up Celebrations in three city neighborhoods

Three “Pop-Up Celebrations” in the Fair Haven, Hill, and Dixwell neighborhoods will serve as preambles during the weekends leading up to the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, this year taking place June 12–27.
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Three “Pop-Up Celebrations” in the Fair Haven, Hill, and Dixwell neighborhoods will serve as preambles during the weekends leading up to the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, this year taking place June 12–27.

“These Pop-Up Celebrations have grown into something far more wonderful than we could have ever envisioned three years ago,” said Mary Lou Aleskie, the festival’s director. “We created the program out of a desire among our programming partners to build celebrations in these great, historic neighborhoods. The festival is in the business of producing celebrations, and we offered our expertise to them: Now, each neighborhood steering committee enthusiastically makes their own celebration every year, and we provide the glue that connects them to the entire city at the main festival.”

Each Pop-Up Celebration will feature free performances and activities from neighborhood artists and community organizations. Artists from the Pop-Up Celebrations will now share the global stage at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas: Carlos Santiago y Su Momento Musical, who was introduced to the festival at the Fair Haven Pop-Up Celebration two years ago, will be the opening band for  the Grammy-nominated plena and bomba band Plena Libre at 7 p.m. on June 27.

“This is exactly the kind of cross-pollination that we hoped would happen, with artists and neighbors traveling to all aspects of the festival and the city,” said Aleskie.

Details about the Pop-Up Celebrations follow:

Celebrate Our Fair Haven

Saturday, May 30, 2–7 p.m.

Christopher Columbus Family Academy, 255 Blatchley St.

Events will include:

  • Performances from Carlos Santiago y Su Momento Musical, The NYC Bomberos and Raphael Ramos, Elation, The Christopher Columbus Academy Show Choir and Jazz Combo, Fair Haven Middle School HipHop and Guitar programs, and Melanie Burgos (a 2015 Festival Fellowship Program student).
  • Volleyball tournament and free-throw competition, hosted by Pequeñas Ligas
  • Local crafts vendors, presented by Project Storefronts
  • Kids activities hosted by Columbus Family Academy
  • A neighborhood food tour, hosted and by Lee Cruz

Celebrate the Hill

Sunday, May 31, 1–5 p.m.

Trowbridge Square Park, 164 Cedar St.

Events will include:

  • Performances from Manny James, The Gospel Fused Band, The Forresters, N’Finity Muzik, and DJ/emcee Brian Sams
  • Free hamburgers and hot dogs, sponsored by The Hill Management Team
  • Climbing wall and activity truck from the New Haven Department of Parks and Recreation
  • Exhibition of perspective drawings from artist Krikko Obot

Celebrate Our Dixwell

Saturday, June 6, noon-4 p.m.

197 Dixwell Ave. (outdoor plaza at Dixwell Q House)

Events will include:

  • Performances from the New Haven Village Dancers, the Blue Steel Drummers, The Nation Drill Team, N’finity Musik, Wexler Grant Choir, Nu Gamma Psi Steppers and Wexler-Grant School Talent Show competition winners, and emcee Alderwoman Jeanette Harrison
  • Free hamburgers and hot dogs sponsored by the Dixwell Management Team
  • New Haven Venom with football demonstrations and workshops
  • Sport Academy with chess activities
  • Activity truck from the New Haven Department of Parks and Recreation
  • The Vision Showcase from Wexler-Grant School, in collaboration with The Future Project

For more information about the Pop-Up Celebrations, visit http://artidea.org/popup.

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