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ALL CHILDREN AND PARENTS WELCOME!
The Festival will take place at the Cloister Lawn inside the Park rain or shine,
May 31, 2008, from 12PM to 5PM!!!
- Russian children’s dance and singing groups.
- Magicians, story tellers, clowns, and other.
- Hand crafts and books (Russian & English).
- Mouth-watering Russian foods.
- Games and contests that engage and challenge.
- Fun ways to learn about history & traditions.
DIRECTIONS:
By Train: #1 train to 191st St., exit to Broadway, walk east on 187th St.
Due to constructions taking place in the subway, train “A” will stop at 168th St. You should get out at 168th Street, walk one block to Fort Washington Avenue. At the corner of Fort Washington Ave. and 168th Street take a bus ( M4 or M98) which will bring you to the gate of Fort Tryon Park, Cloisters Museum.
By Bus: M4 or M98 to Fort Tryon Park - Cloisters.
By Bus from Bronx: M100 or BX7 to Bennet Ave. Take elevator at A Train up to Fort Washington Ave.
By Car: GW Bridge to 178th St exit, turn left (North) on Fort Washington Ave. or from Broadway go North to 187th St., turn left (East) to end, go right uo Overlook Terrace, turn right at light on Fort Washington Ave one block. (Limited free parking available.)
BACKGROUND:
The RACH-C “Children’s Festival of Russian Culture” consists of two events. On Saturday May 31, 2008 there is the Children’s Festival Day at the Park. This event, at Fort Tryon Park by the Cloisters Museum, will include performances by US Children’s Folk Ensembles and others, such as the Cossack group “Kazatskoye Razdolye” from far-away Stavropol, Russia.
 On June 6, the following Friday, we will hold the Gala “International Day of the Child” celebration, co-hosted by President Olga Zatsepina, President of RACH-C and Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations. There will be a silent auction to benefit a needy child in Russia selected from a number of cases published by RIA Novosti. Attendance to this elegant event is by invitation and our sponsors and supporters are included on the invitation list as a “Thank You” for their invaluable help. This is the second year of the Children’s Festival and, as it was last year, we expect it to be a fun-filled affair.
The Children’s Festival Day at Fort Tryon Park on the lawn of the Cloister will help RACH-C reach its goals of collecting, preserving and sharing Russian Culture for Russian-Americans and their neighbors, with special attention to families with Russian children adopted by American parents.
RACH-C is an educational and charitable non-profit community development organization serving the "Russian American" community. It strives to preserve the culture, traditions and values that Russian speaking people have brought from their countries of origin, so that these can continue to enrich the American experience.
This day at the park will feature the “Golden Rooster” Children’s Folk Ensemble from Brooklyn, New York; and Children’s Folk Ensemble groups from Philadelphia, Jordanville, NY, and other communities. The main stage show will change constantly from 12:00 PM 5:00 PM. At the small stage, a Puppet Show, a Magic Show, story telling and other performances will be held. Wonderful field games for children will be available. There will be face painting and similar treats to delight them. Russian language cartoons will be shown at the “Small Tent Theater” on site.
Parents' interests will, by all means, be satisfied: there will be Russian culture related souvenir tables where they can purchase memorabilia such as: Matrioska dolls, shawls, Russian Blue China, Children’s Books in Russian and/or about Russia, Jewelry, Ikons etc.
Both children and parents, Russian and non-Russian, will be able to enjoy classic Russian foods and beverages such as Bliny, Cutleta, Kvass, Pelmeni etc.
Over the last few years, the area around Fort Tryon Park has drawn many Russian immigrants to live and work. An estimated 6 to 9 thousand live around the Park. Another 9 to 15 thousand live just over the river in Marble Hill, Riverdale and other Bronx communities. This Russian American community is thriving and reaching out for its place in the sun. Many Russian American’s have moved to suburban areas of New Jersey and upstate New York. This activity will help draw them back to the wonders of “The City” and encourage increased attention to the multitude of delights that Manhattan’s Culturally Diverse entertainment and dining provide.
Fort Tryon Park enjoys many visitors on weekends. Local residents take a walk through it's Heather Garden in this season. Hundreds, often thousands of visitors come to see the Cloisters Museum, the jewel in the park's crown. Families that attend this festival will have the opportunity to take their children for a visit to the museum (with a special Russian language guide) as well as to participate in the festival itself.
The Medieval Festival held each year in Fort Tryon Park regularly draws 40,000 people. We hope with the years to grow the Children’s Festival Day, though more modestly, toward such a greater impact. In addition to the normal walk-in traffic of the Park and Cloisters, we expect that families from New Jersey, upstate New York, Brooklyn and the other boroughs will respond to our advertising in Russian and English media. We hope to attract 1,500 to 2,000 visitors this year.
OUR HONORARY FESTIVAL COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF EMINENT OFFICIALS FROM BOTH THE US AND RUSSIA.
• Hon. Vitaly Churkin, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN.
• Hon. Yuri Ushakov, Ambassador, Russian Federation to USA
• Hon. Sergey Garmonin, Consul General, the Russian Federation, NY
• Dr. Cyril Geacintov, Pres. Russian Nobility Association
• Hon. Charles Rangel, Member of Congress, Chair Ways & Means
• Hon. Scott Stringer, President Borough of Manhattan
• Hon. Eric Schneiderman, Member NYS Senate
• Hon. Adriano Espaillat, Member NYS Assembly
• Hon. Robert Jackson, Member NYC Council
• Hon. Miguel Martinez, Member NYC Council
EXPECTED AUDIENCES:
Local Russian American Community; 460,000 residents of NYS claim Russian roots; 16,000 to 20,000 of those live in the Festival area; most within walking distance of Fort Tryon Park, which straddles Washington Heights and Inwood. Three times as many live directly North in Marble Hill, Riverdale and other Bronx communities just minutes away.
Extended Russian Community: The last Census reports that 38,000 Russian speakers live in New Jersey and 32,000 more live in Pennsylvania. The majority of these 70,00 people live within an hour and a half from NYC. Family members are bi-lingual or English-only-speaking but enjoy participating in these heritage events.
General Public: New York is known for the variety and richness of its ethnic neighborhoods; Chinatown, Little Italy, etc.. Washington Heights and Inwood are in the process of “being discovered” and evolving into a neighborhood of previously overlooked delights, including pockets of Spanish and Russian speakers. This Russian Children’s May Festival will become one of the key attractions, helping prospective visitors remember that right around the corner or just over the bridge, there are wonderful little worlds to explore.
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