Can U Do the Festival Again
Virtually 3 years after the Former Port Festival was scrapped, a new Portland festival focused on art and music is being planned for June at Thompson's Signal.
Called Resurgam, the one-day result is beingness organized by the nonprofit Maine University of Modern Music, which is working with a variety of community groups and businesses. The complimentary festival will include many of the elements the Old Port Festival was known for during its 46-twelvemonth run, including stages for alive music and performing arts groups, Maine-made craft, food and a parade featuring the towering puppets of Portland's Shoestring Theater.
The new festival, scheduled for June 12, volition focus on showcasing immature people in the arts and highlighting Portland'due south creativity, said Jeff Shaw, executive director and founder of MAMM.
"We understand that we're filling some of the void left by the Old Port Festival, but this is new, and we're non trying to replicate that," said Shaw. "We want this to be a community festival for anybody."
Spectators on Exchange Street watch Shoestring Theater's parade at the last Old Port Festival, in 2019. In June Shoestring Theater volition bring its parade to the new Resurgam festival on Thompson's Bespeak. Photograph by Carl D. Walsh/Staff Lensman
The Old Port Festival was 1 of Portland's signature events, held each June as a boot-off to summer and drawing equally many as 30,000 people in a twenty-four hours. Information technology began in 1973 as a way to attract people to One-time Port businesses. The area was a little worn effectually the edges then and certainly non the nationally-known eating place, retail and tourist destination it is today. Portland Downtown, the nonprofit downtown comeback group that ran the event, announced in March 2022 that the festival would terminate that year because it was no longer needed; people had become well enlightened of all the Old Port offers. Organizers decided their time and free energy would be amend spent on other Old Port events, including Christmas flavor celebrations.
Many in Portland lamented the loss of a festival that kicked off summer, brought together so many people and put a focus on local artists and musicians. Nance Parker, director of Shoestring Theater, said she was glad to hear virtually the new festival, not only because it takes some of the sting out of the Old Port Festival'due south demise, but because afterward more than two years of the COVID pandemic, Portlanders really need it.
"I think this is really exciting. We demand to go dorsum that community feeling of 'Hey Portland, information technology's summertime and nosotros're all here, we've been here all winter, now permit's exit and accept fun together,' " said Parker. "I call up that is actually essential to a metropolis. It's fourth dimension for u.s.a. to start to breathe and live over again."
The festival's name comes from the Portland metropolis motto, adopted in 1832, that means "I shall rise again" in Latin. The metropolis has risen from the ashes, literally, more than once, including later being bombarded by the British Navy in 1775 and after a devastating fire in 1866.
Shaw said he thought Resurgam had special pregnant correct now, as we all look to get back to a more normal life after two years of COVID.
"I recollect that'due south the feeling right at present, that we're rising out of COVID," said Shaw.
Some of the arts and community groups partnering on the new festival include the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, Learning Works, A Company of Girls, the Portland Public Library, Shoestring Theater, Portland Customs Squash, the Children'south Museum & Theatre of Maine, and the arts and music venue Space. Shaw said details of specific performances and activities are notwithstanding being worked out. Partner groups will probable accept a presence at the festival, either promoting their missions or putting on demonstrations or performances.
Concerts featuring national acts are held outdoors at Thompson'southward Point in the summer, on a big grassy space on the Fore River. Much of the Resurgam festival will be held in or near that area. People shopping or attending events at Thompson'southward Point commonly accept to pay for parking there, merely Shaw said he is working on finding parking sponsors to provide as much gratis parking as possible. Shaw is hoping people will also walk, bike or kayak to the waterfront site. Thompson'south Indicate is located about two miles west of the Erstwhile Port.
Nance Parker, director of the Shoestring Theater, organizes the parade before the last Old Port Festival in 2019. Parker and the parade will be part of the new Resurgam festival scheduled for June at Thompson's Point in Portland. Photo by Carl D. Walsh/Staff Photographer
While the Onetime Port Festival required city streets to be closed, Thompson's Point is a privately-endemic xxx-acre arts, entertainment, retail and events complex on the Fore River. Chris Thompson, possessor and developer of Thompson's Indicate, wrote a letter to the Maine Office of Tourism in support of the festival and its organizers.
"Their goal of celebrating music, youth, and the arts is a winning formula for everyone involved, and would be a signature Maine event that would signify the start of a summer of arts, culture, and great experiences for all," Thompson wrote.
Shaw said there will be at to the lowest degree iv stages at the festival, hosting MAMM bands, local adult musicians and performing arts groups. One of the MAMM stages will host musicians who are contempo immigrants to Maine as office of its International Music Connexion programme. Craft will be displayed in a large building at Thompson'south Point, chosen Brick Due south, while music and amusement volition be exterior, Shaw said.
The new festival'due south effect manager volition be Sally Newhall of Sea Glass Events, who held the same position with the Old Port Festival.
The new festival is a "fresh, diverse cultural upshot" that is probable to bring tourists to the urban center and aid the local economy, said Hannah Collins, deputy managing director of the Maine Function of Tourism. The office awarded Resurgam a $x,000 grant to help with marketing the festival, she said.
"Nosotros look for projects that show collaboration within the customs and can heighten the tourism economic system. This has those elements," said Collins.
Some of the festival's sponsors so far include Machias Savings Depository financial institution, Java Past Design, Bissell Brothers Brewing, Country Theatre, Maine Life Real Estate of eXp Realty, Dale Carnegie Training, Nadra Photography and UPP Global, Shaw said. Anyone interested in being involved with the festival, including every bit a vendor, sponsor or host of a performance stage, can visit Resurgamfest.com.
Maine Academy of Modern Music students on the MAMM stage at the 2022 Quondam Port Festival. Photo by Francois Gagne Commercial Photography
MAMM is a fourteen-year-quondam nonprofit system, based in Portland, that runs music programs for children and teens around the country. Information technology served some ii,000 young people before the pandemic and about half that number since, Shaw said. The system provides lessons, helps kids form bands and go gigs, runs summer camps and puts on public performances. The Old Port Festival had been a cardinal showcase for MAMM students and bands, who performed there each twelvemonth on the MAMM stage and participated in the parade.
"When I found out the One-time Port Festival was canceled, I was so sad. It was and then much fun and there were ever big crowds," said Rosa Slack, 14, of Portland, a MAMM pupil who plays several instruments and has performed at the Old Port Festival. "I'm really glad I'thou going to take the opportunity to play (at a festival) again."
Julie Butcher Pezzino, executive director of the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine, said Resurgam volition assist the organisation with its mission of introducing children to the arts. Pezzino said that the museum, which opened its new building at Thompson's Bespeak in June, will likely host a phase with live music at the festival. She'southward as well glad that Resurgam volition requite immature musicians, actors or other performers a take chances to exist seen by a wide audition. That was something vital the Sometime Port Festival had provided, she said.
Jeff Shaw, executive managing director and founder of Maine Academy of Modern Music, stands on Thompson's Signal where the new festival Resurgam will be held in June. The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine tin exist seen on the right. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
Kelsey Halliday Johnson, executive managing director at Space, thinks Resurgam will fill a need the metropolis has right now, a demand for a place where people tin be introduced to the arts without specifically having to purchase a ticket to a concert hall or a museum.
"This fills a pressing demand in the customs. Not everyone walks into an arts venue, so nosotros accept to make sure in that location are outdoor events like this where people tin stumble across the arts, in a way they don't do in everyday life," said Johnson.
Source: https://www.pressherald.com/2022/01/31/a-summer-festival-will-rise-again-in-portland/
Invalid username/countersign.
Delight check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Utilise the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an e-mail with a reset code.