The Charles W. Dickerson Fife, Drum & Bugle Corps will open the Lincoln Avenue Arts & Culture Fest Sept. 22 as part of ArtsFest, the weekend-long celebration featuring 32 venues in New Rochelle and Pelham. (For a complete calendar of ArtsFest events visitwww.newrochellearts.org.)
The Charles W. Dickerson Fife, Drum & Bugle Corps is a historic marching band that has performed all over the country since its founding in 1929 as a Boy Scout Band of Troop 16 that served the African American community in New Rochelle. The Corps' first appearance was at New Rochelle's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1929 and the Corps has been a hit and popular attraction ever since.
The Corps will get things started on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Prince Street and Lincoln Avenue, by leading a parade to Lincoln Park, where grow!Lincoln Park has organized a festival featuring dance, music, arts, crafts and food. Damon Jackson, a drum facilitator, will host a drum circle for twenty drummers pounding out rhythms on a variety of percussive instruments, and Jeani Miller will conduct a story hour for children ages 6 and up at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
grow!Lincoln Park Community Garden Committee members will be on hand at the garden to guide visitors on a tour of the organic, sustainable urban garden. There will also be grow! T-shirts and refreshments available.
- A marketplace at Lincoln Park (located opposite Bethesda Baptist Church, 71 Lincoln Avenue) will include authors Inga Watkins, Henry May and Linda Tarrant-Reid -- signing their books; food will be provided by Neil's Cafe, Chef El-Amin and D'Chef. The marketplace will also feature vendors like jewelry by Filigree and Lisa Ray, and natural beauty products by Phylicia Henry.
- Kyra Johnson's New Beginnings Dance Company will conduct dance workshops at Bethesda Baptist Church at 71 Lincoln Avenue, where there will also be a film screening on bullying and a photographic exhibit on display.
- St. Catherine A.M.E. Zion Church at 19 Lincoln Avenue has on display the Museum of Arts & Culture’s original exhibit “Reflections of Change,” which documents the landmark 1961 Taylor v. Board of Education of New Rochelle desegregation case, and will also offer a chicken and fish fry for the hungry fest-goer.
- Shiloh Baptist Church, at 185 Lincoln Avenue, will host an afternoon of performing arts, visual arts and culinary arts.
The ArtsFest culture trolley will make stops for the Lincoln Arts & Culture Fest at Memorial Highway and Lincoln Avenue and in front of Bethesda Baptist Church. For more information visit: www.newrochellearts.org or call 914-576-7150.
