At the beginning of October, TTF hosted our second annual free Tacony Creek Park Music & Arts Fall Festival in partnership with Olney Culture Lab of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia. Community groups, friends, and family gathered inside Grover Washington Jr. Middle School instead of outside at the park due to the rain. One hundred twenty adults and kids stopped by the school to join the festivities.
Participants enjoyed many activities and learned about lots of resources. The highlights of the afternoon were the moving musical performances by Malik Henry & NuERA Band and DJ June Lopez, along with touching dance performances by Choreographer Tania Ramos Oton’s dance ensemble and Olive Dance Theatre.
We brought our Creekmobile, a traveling educational cart that teaches children how stormwater runoff affects their neighborhoods. It includes a fishing game, a fun way to show youth what belongs in our creeks (fish), and what doesn’t (trash)! Former AWE Fellow and TTF Milestones Legacy Award winner, MyKyah Vessels, led the Creekmobile station.
Jay Coreano, a.k.a. “Art God,” and dedicated TTF partner and local artist, hosted the arts & crafts table along with his family, where children could paint a variety of sizes of real pumpkins, a mini wooden pumpkin or leaf, or make a button!
We even had cider and donuts!
Esperanza provided information on housing, Immigration Legal Services, Schooling for Kindergarten–College, music, BenePhilly, the Piccoli Rebuild Project, and flyers about their tree giveaway in partnership with TreePhilly.
TreePhilly’s table included walk-in registration for trees along with having a variety of shade, flowering, and fruit trees as part of their Fall yard tree giveaway. They also provided tree delivery.
Latino Outdoors (Philadelphia chapter) taught attendees about flower pressing with handmade presses, and festival-goers could make their own terrarium!
Readby4th offered free books for children, along with a game for children 10 and under to win a prize, and Read to Succeed brought books and a tactile letter game!
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia gave information about Mini Urban Riding Basics along with giving out coloring pages and activity books.
Equally Informed Philly gave out community newsletters (that included a coloring page that brings awareness to air quality), created with the help of community organizers.
Olney Free Library provided information about the library, library card applications, programs, and giveaways!
Circuit Trails Coalition brought along their classic jumbo-size Jenga and provided information and literature about the Circuit, along with swag to giveaway!
A representative from Congressman Brendan Boyle’s office provided constituent services information and resources about federal environmental programs.
The Philadelphia Streets Department program, SWEEP, attended and gave away free recycling bins to Philly residents!
North 5th Street Revitalization Project ran an Olney T-shirt tie-dying station! The kids loved this creative activity.
Penn State University Extenstion Master Watershed Stewards educated festival-goers about watersheds with a Riparian Buffer Model, and gave information on how to join their Master Watershed Steward program.
Last but not least, Four Star Pharmacy II/Family Rite Pharmacy provided free immunization services for Flu shots and Covid-19 vaccinations! Thank you, Philly Counts for providing this service.
Thank you to all attendees, the organizations who tabled, our total of 120 volunteers, staff, and Olney Culture Lab for collaborating with TTF in making this such a successful event.
Photos here.
The Fall Festival was sponsored by William Penn Foundation, Office of Councilwoman Cherelle Parker, and The Alliance for Watershed Education.