Heartwood Festival is back in Hamline-Midway, bringing neighbors together

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Now that the long winter is behind us, people can finally turn their thoughts to festivals. One of the first, the Hamline Midway Heartwood Festival 2013, will be held Sat., June 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Newell Park, 900 Fairview Ave. N. The festival will begin with a Bike/Walk Parade at 10 a.m. at Hancock Recreation Center. Now that the long winter is behind us, people can finally turn their thoughts to festivals. One of the first, the Hamline Midway Heartwood Festival 2013, will be held Sat., June 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Newell Park, 900 Fairview Ave. N. The festival will begin with a Bike/Walk Parade at 10 a.m. at Hancock Recreation Center.

By DEBORAH BROTZ

Now that the long winter is behind us, people can finally turn their thoughts to festivals. One of the first, the Hamline Midway Heartwood Festival 2013, will be held Sat., June 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Newell Park, 900 Fairview Ave. N.

The festival is being held to bring neighbors together.

“It’s really an opportunity for people in the neighborhood to come together and showcase the highlights of the neighborhood, their talents, and the businesses,” said Kristy Clemons, Heartwood Festival coordinator. “It’s geared for people from the community meeting each other and learning what they have to share.”

The festival celebrates community, sustainability, and art.

“It provides a welcoming event for residents of all ages and backgrounds to come together, to develop a sense of place for local cultures, and to strengthen community bonds showing the wealth of diversity and local talents of residents,” said Clemons. “Also, the festival serves as the annual meeting for the Hamline Midway Coalition. Residents vote for new board members.”

The festival’s focus is sustainability.

“We’ve partnered up with St. Paul Parks and Recreation, Hancock Recreation Center, and Eureka Recycling,” said Clemons. “Eureka is helping us to make this a zero waste event.”

The festival will begin with a Bike/Walk Parade at 10 a.m. at Hancock Recreation Center.

“People will be making masks and boxes for kids to wear to make little box cars for light rail,” said Clemons. “They are artistic and creative ways to represent sustainable transportation.”

Mask making workshops will be held every Thursday beginning May 2 at Hancock Recreation Center from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“People will use boxes to make little cars at the same mask making workshops,” said Clemons. “It’s open to all ages. It’s an opportunity for youth and families to come together to create art for the parade.”

Musical entertainment will feature a mix of music.

There will be Greg Herriges doing solo World music, Pop Wagner doing solo folk music, Afro-Brazilian drumming, Todd Menton doing solo Irish music, Happy Minnesota doing physical theater, O’Shea Irish Dance and Center for Irish Music, Urban Hillbilly Quartet, and Xibaba Brazilian Quintet.

There will also be spoken word with Kevin Yang, Fres Thao and CHAT, and CANVAS Teen Arts doing spoken word/acoustic.

There will be interactive music, too.

“We’ll be having performances, and people will practice to make that music as well,” said Clemons. “A group, Beatrix Jar, will do some interactive electronic music. Mark Granlund will also do interactive storytelling.”

2-Wheel Tour/Open Eye Figure Theatre and In the Swing Sweet Adelines acappella quartet will be roaming the park grounds.

Hancock Recreation Center will be having kid’s activities such as kickball, soccer, and a bike rodeo.

While the Art and Craft Fair is still in the making, there will be photography for sale, including photos printed on handmade greeting cards, framed artwork, and prints. There will also be some jewelry, pottery, fabrics, and handmade bar soap. An author will be selling some books of their writings and short stories. People can take part in an interactive video project. They will create a video to go with the short stories.

There will be a Resource Fair with booths that include businesses, community organizations, churches, and schools. Applications for booths will be taken until Fri., May 17.

While the Coalition is still getting food trucks together, Ginkgo Coffeehouse will be serving smoothies, ice cream, and sandwiches at the festival.

The Bike/Walk Parade will be leaving Hancock Recreation Center at 10:30 a.m.

“It’s a fun way to engage community members around a piece of the festival,” said Clemons. “It’s also a fun way for kids to get involved.”

When the parade gets to the park, there will be an opening ceremony with a ceremonial tree planting at the reNewell Tree Planting. Volunteers will be gathering from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to plant Burr Oak Tree seedlings. Partners include the University of Minnesota, St. Paul Parks and Recreation, and the Hamline Midway Coalition.

Like the reNewell Project, the Slice of Life Photo Exhibit is new to the festival. A digital slide show will be presented and a select number of prints will be on display.

“We’re highlighting the neighborhood through photography,” said Clemons. “It’s a fun way to engage people in the neighborhood showing and sharing things they like about the neighborhood.”

Sponsors of this year’s festival include: Ginkgo Coffeehouse, Groundswell Coffee, Eureka Recycling, Greg’s PC Repair, Renewal by Andersen, Heppner’s Auto Body, Borden Windows, and Celtic Junction. The Coalition received a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council with funds coming through the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment.

Clemons hopes for a large turnout at the festival.

“It’s an opportunity for people in the neighborhood to build relationships with each other as well as businesses and organizations throughout the Hamline Midway community,” said Clemons. “It’s also an opportunity for people to connect with resources and opportunities throughout the Hamline Midway community.”

For more information, go to hamlinemidway.org

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