Some photos from today’s 31st annual Wake Up the Earth parade and festival, the annual celebration of…well, I don’t know what, but it’s very fun and very JP. Spontaneous Celebrations is the organization behind the festival that dates back to the days of (successfully) opposing the construction of I-95 through Jamaica Plain and Roxbury.
The parade featured stilt-walkers, dragons, twirlers, puppets, marching bands, drummers, and lots of kids in strollers. We followed the parade from the Loring Greenough House all the way down Centre Street to Lamartine Street to the field by Stony Brook Station. We were just one of the many families pushing strollers down the street. It’s fun to be in a parade.
There was lots of music, activity and social activism at the festival. We were particularly fond of the taiko drummers of Odaiko New England. If they didn’t wake up the earth, I don’t know what will!
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- Tulips at Forest Hills (not related to WUTE other than they’re coming out of the Earth)
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- The staging area for the parade.
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- The parade begins with a flurry of flags.
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- A young woman twirls a hula hoop
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- More twirling by the monument
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- A Dixieland jazz band.
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- I don’t know what this man is doing
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- A young drummer marches
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- A skater carries a big flower
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- A young stilt-walker
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- A strolling violinist concentrates.
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- Wake up the Earth!
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- We met this stilt-walker after the parade
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- The Batacuda Belles and their dancer
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- Dragon!
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- A deviled egg
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- Young volunteers participate in a taiko drumming performance
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- Guttural shouts are a key to taiko drumming
We had a blast and will definitely return next year.
Posted by Joy on 6 May 2009 at 11:30 am
Hi! I’m one of the members of Odaiko New England who played at the festival. What an awesome day! It seemed like everyone was having a great time. I really wish we could have seen more of the parade – maybe next year!
Posted by Liam on 6 May 2009 at 5:38 pm
Hi Joy! I love comments like this. We really enjoyed your performance and hope to see you again.