Jisu Sheen photo
Amber Perez making her masterpiece.
A basketball flew across a pop-up court Sunday afternoon, just grazing the net. It was an unusual sight — not because it was a miss, but because the game was happening right in the middle of Church Street, between Chapel and Elm Streets in Downtown New Haven.
Spectators sat on benches on the blacktop and the stone steps of the district courthouse behind the players. No one had to worry about cars in the typically busy street; from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., the block was sectioned off as pedestrian-only. It was the second edition of the city’s “Open Streets” festival series, making its debut this summer.
Beyond the basketball, there were larger-than-life board games like Connect 4 and Jenga, art stations with paint and chalk, a face painting table, and enough bouncy houses to constitute a mini bouncy village.
Seven-year-old Amber Perez, who came with her mom, her big sister, and her sister’s boyfriend, chose “the big one,” a sprawling bouncy house with challenges throughout. First, Perez had to crawl between floppy pillars under a bouncy roof, navigating around the superhero-painted faces of the kids around her. Then she had to climb up a ramp using balloon footholds before sliding down to safety and putting her shoes back on.
So, how was it?
“Good,” Perez said, giggling. It was an inflatable obstacle course; what else was there to say?
Festival-goers didn’t need to step off the block to get something to eat. Three food trucks lined up near the CVS on the corner of Chapel and Church Streets.
Mexican food fans could hit up the Genesis food truck for burritos, quesadillas, aguas frescas, and virgin piña coladas. For Jamaican food like jerk chicken, oxtail and patties, there was the Cool Runnings food truck. And for fried dough lovers, there was a stand simply titled “THE BEST FRIED DOUGH.”
Cita Park, the beer garden on the corner of Orange and Chapel, showed up to the party in their beverage truck, selling non-alcoholic fizzies for the family-friendly fun.
On a festival stage by the two pop-up basketball nets, singers, dancers, and instrumentalists switched off. Kenneth Jefferson played a smooth saxophone over music from the DJ booth.
A few tables away, Perez paused from her painting at the art station so she could look for a cup of paint in her favorite color: pink. She was making a rainbow, “because I love rainbows.” Big sis Kengli Perez found a cup of hot pink for her.
Kengli Perez, faithful art assistant to her little sis.
Irvin Rivas, Kengli’s boyfriend, dipped his brush in a cup of green. He filled in a solid green shape. Was it a green apple? Shrek?
After adding a head and arms, the reference became clearer. Rivas was making The Incredible Hulk, though one who was smiling instead of angry. Perhaps he was inspired by the little Marvel heroes running around the festival, their masks painted on in delightful, bold hues.
“I don’t know how I got glitter on my hands,” Amber said, showing Kengli a sparkly palm. Kengli laughed. It was the Open Streets Festival; who knew if the glitter was from the arts station, the face painting booth, or the other kids in the bouncy house?
Soon, the street would reopen and the stretch of pavement would belong to vehicles again. But in this moment, Amber could sit on a chair in the middle of Church Street, catching the hazy end-of-July sun in her shimmering fingers.
Rivas and his Hulk; the smile was just the first half of a roaring mouth, it turned out.