Arts & Green Festival Offers Festive Showcase

You didn't have to be at Memorial Park in Albany Sunday to know that some of kind of lively community gathering was taking place.

If the continual procession of kids, teens and adults walking to the park in the general vicinity wasn't a a giveaway, probably the echoing beat of taiko drums or the spirit-stirring, amplified sound of "Chain of Fools" performed by Albany High School's Rhythm Bound sent notice to the larger neighborhood.

The annual Arts & Green Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. featured music and dancing on the outdoor stage, demonstrations of various crafts (such as how to hold a chicken or repair a bicycle tire) and a small tent city of booths offering food and a chance to meet community organizations.

A highlight was the noon presentation of the Albany Artist of the Year award, given to Albany FilmFest, which held its third film festival in March. The award, determined by the Albany Community Foundation, was presented by foundation Vice President Allan Maris and accepted by FilmFest organizers Naomi Lucks Sigal, Ellen Toomey and Jack Kenny. 

This year's event was the first to offer beer and wine, as well as food trucks, which included one selling ice cream and another snow cones, popular treats on a quite warm and sunny day.

Free compost also was popular, disappearing by lunchtime.

The festival was sponsored by the  the City of Albany, Albany Sustainability Committee, Advanced Home Energy, Bua Luang Thai Cuisine, Carbon Neutral Albany, Transition Albany, and Albany Strollers & Rollers. 

The attached short video offers glimpses of some of the performances (in order of appearance in the video): Rhythm Bound, Ah Lan Dance, Tatsumaki Taiko, Albany Middle School Jazz Band and Ah Lan Dance.

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