Staten Island St. George Day: “Earth Day and Arts Festival Celebrating Community…and Dragons”

Staten Island St. George Day: “Earth Day and Arts Festival Celebrating Community…and Dragons”

13TH ANNUAL ST. GEORGE DAY FESTIVAL ON STATEN ISLAND’S NORTH SHORE SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2019, 11 AM – 5 PM, RAIN OR SHINE TOMPKINSVILLE PARK- AT VICTORY BOULEVARD AND BAY STREET

“Earth Day and Arts Festival Celebrating Community…and Dragons”

Ad
Empower Your Business with Bespoke Strategies: New Course Equips Professionals with Expertise

If Spring flowers are blooming, and you are seeing art, dragons, people of all ages and live music around Tompkinsville Park, it must be St. George Day! This family-friendly event has become a rite of Spring for Staten Island residents, celebrating Earth Day, the International Day of the Book, and our wonderfully diverse cultural community. Meet your neighbors and make new friends at the 2019 St George Day Festival.

The St. George Day Festival is all grass-roots, people-powered by community volunteers. It is free and coordinated by an ad hoc neighborhood collective called CATPAW (Community Association of Tompkinsville Park Promoting Arts and Whimsy). The annual festival features Music, Dance, Spoken Word, Art Around the Park, DIY “Make It” Zone, Craft Vendors, Earth Day Zone, Book ‘n ‘Zine Zone, Free Bicycle Repair, Face-painting, and more…

The Dragon Parade will dance to the story of St George and the Dragon as told by the Tompkinsville Wizard.

On the music stage you will find high energy hip hop of KDHN, original rock band Pastel, punk out with Jigsaw Youth, folk Americana with Allergic To B’s, incredible master of the electric 6-string Boricua Guitar Power, poetic ambient connections of Renaps and Julia Sane, piano pop stylings of Grove Rune, the acoustic passion of songwriter Aeriel Perez, and the poetic visionary songwriter Matt Gaffney.

Art-Around-The-Park features many local painters and creative artists. Craft artisans selling handmade original works include Sunset Hill Designs by Linda Rossi; Just Lucy; Ditzy Dye’s; Komari Bath & Body; Jewelry & Accessories by Hey, Dollface!; The Vintage Collector Pop-Up; Stereotype Co.; Henna by Ilham; Sunshine by Dominique; Audrey GreenEyes Art; Carol Smith, DearCards project by Connie Perry and more!!

Free “Make-It” activities for all ages will be generously provided by ART LAB; Universal Temple of the Arts; and Janice Patrignani Silken Works. Other fun activities are “Make a Spring Flower” with Everet, Face Painting; and a Chalk Mandala. New this year is a community weaving activity, where all are invited to help create a colorful installation, re-purposing fabrics, and art materials… And nearby, rising like a dragon at the head of the street will be the NYPD Rock Climbing Tower.

The St George NYPL will be heading up the amazing INFO ZONE, where community brochures and initiatives will be on display from many local sources, including special historical offerings from the St George library branch.

Poets and writers of all ages will be sharing on the Spoken Word Stage. The focus will be on bringing the positive vibrations up to where we all belong, with “Love Poems To The Earth”, “Healing The Earth”, and “Moving Forward”. Poets and writers Jessica Kratz, Vincent Vok, Thomas Fucaloro, Tyler Larsen, Melissa West, Douglas Tourette, Angel Martinez, Lingrisel Caraballo will share their gifts, and Susan Fowler will be reading from Gwen Carr’s book about her son Eric Garner. Once again an interactive art installation called Ribbons of Hope and Healing will be present for you to add your prayers.

The EARTH DAY zone includes Free Bike Repair; SI Makerspace, NYC Compost Project, the Lesbian Undergound Clothing Swap, Green Tree Textile Recycling; Seed Swap; Library on Wheels; NYC Urban Park Rangers; S.I. Herb Society; Staten Island CSA, Rabbit’s Garden CSA, GrowNYC Greenmarket; and Plant A Seed with Sadie”.

Look for the “Meet Your Neighbor” Picnic Area, a spot to relax and enjoy a bite to eat. Step up to the Staten Island Neighborhood Food Initiative booth to enjoy a variety of tasty food samples, provided by local delis, restaurants, and chefs- while supplies last! Look for the “SINFI” sign and tent next to the music stage. In the same area, there will also be 4 or 5 food vendors to satisfy hungry festival-attendees.

Each year the Festival welcomes over a thousand visitors and participants, including neighborhood schools, art networks, churches, and community centers of our ethnically and culturally diverse Staten Island. Collectively we nurture a new vision for life on our planet, promoting the themes of community, cooperative problem solving, resource sharing and love for the environment.