The 10th Annual New Rochelle ArtsFest kicks off this Friday, October 4th, with an amazing range of events continuing through Saturday and Sunday.
Studio tours, live performances, gallery displays, and kids’ activities — plus food and drink — at literally dozens of venues. It’s way too much to list in a brief post, so be sure to check out the full schedule at newrochellearts.org.
Thank you to the New Rochelle Council on the Arts for its sponsorship and to all the participating artists and organizers. We are fortunate to live in a community with so much cultural vitality.
Like a lot of other little kids, as a toddler, our son Jeremy was pretty much obsessed with trucks. He would page through picture books endlessly, identifying each vehicle: “roller, scraper, grader, fire truck, ambulance, backhoe.” On and on, in a kind of devotional litany to big machinery.
So, I expect this event on September 28th will be of great interest to many of New Rochelle’s youngest residents (and their parents!) Come to Hudson Park from 1pm to 3pm to “Touch a Truck” and also meet some of our city’s great First Responders.
Mayor Noam Bramson cuts the ribbon for the 2019 New Rochelle Street Fair
This was the kind of weekend that made me grateful to live in New Rochelle, with terrific events that brought me to every corner of town and that showcase our city’s diversity:
• A backpack giveaway at the Mascaro Boys and Girls Club in the West End. Hundreds of kids and their families, dozens of volunteers, and even a visit from the New Rochelle High School varsity soccer team, whose members were treated like celebrities by the younger children. Feeney Park was filled with life.
• The New Rochelle downtown Farmers Market on Library Green, the entire park lined with festive stalls doing a brisk business in tasty treats. Pickles and soppressata for me.
• The annual Onam celebration at Albert Leonard Middle School, sponsored by the Westchester Malayalee Association. Onam is a harvest festival with roots in the Indian State of Kerala, from which many New Rochelle residents trace their ancestry. It’s an honor to participate each year in the ceremonial procession and observance.
• The New Rochelle Street Fair by City Hall, a rousing success that brought out thousands from just about every neighborhood of the city to enjoy fun, games, drink, and an international assortment of foods. I heard lots of positive feedback on the new location.
I am glad to live in a community that gives each of us a chance to experience the richness of the world’s traditions close to home. New Rochelle is a great city.
New Rochelle is once again teaming up with Volunteer New York to sponsor local service activities in commemoration of 9/11. Please visit www.volunteernewyork.org/newrochelle or call 914-948-4452 to learn about great volunteer projects on September 7th, 8th, and 11th. With a wide range of service opportunities, we can all do our part to build a stronger community.
Come enjoy food, games, music, and lots more fun at the annual New Rochelle Street Fair on September 8th, from 11am to 5pm. (Please note that this year’s Fair will be held at City Hall, because of utility work underway on Main Street.)
Here’s a great opportunity to discover the edible goodies growing wild in local forests and often literally in our backyards. On August 18th at 11:45am, you can join a foraging expedition in New Rochelle’s Nature Study Woods to learn about — and taste — summer herbs like lamb’s quarters, asiatic dayflower, and garlic mustard, fruits like blackberries and elderberries, and a wide variety of mushrooms.
To sign up, call (914) 727-2552 at least 24 hours in advance. The suggested donation is $20 per adult and $10 per child. You can learn more about the organizer, “Wildman” Steve Brill, at www.wildmanstevebrill.com.
I’ve been on foraging tours myself with the kids, and they are a ton of fun, plus a great education.
