The International Festival of Arts & Ideas will start early this year in three neighborhoods, officials announced this week.
The official annual downtown festival begins on June 14. Read all about that here.
In the two weeks leading up to it, the festival will stage “pop-up” half-day mini-versions in the Hill, Dixwell and Fair Haven.
The first, “Celebrate Our Dixwell” takes places on the plaza outside the old Q House at 197 Dixwell Ave. from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 31. It includes steel drumming, the National Drill Squad, a performance by the Wexler Choir, a Venom team football clinic, and a story gathering project.
“Celebrate The Hill” takes place at Robert Clemente Leadership Academy at 360 Columbus Ave. on Sunday, June 1, from 1 to 5 p.m. It will feature zumba classes, a dance contest, a Krikko Obot drawing workshop, a bilingual “StoryWalk,” and discussions on community gardens and block watches.
The final pop-up event, “Celebrate Our Fair Haven,” takes place at Christopher Columbus Family Academy, 255 Blatchley St., on Saturday, June 7, from 2 to 7 p.m. It features a food fair; soccer, volleyball and tennis clinics; and musical performances.
