Courtesy Musketaquid's WebsiteThe annual spring Earth Day celebration, Musketaquid's primary event, includes a morning River Ceremony, the Earth Day Parade through Concord Center, and an Arts and Environment Festival involving many local collaborating organizations. In the months leading up to Earth Day, Musketaquid sponsors many different workshops in which participants can create Earth Floats, puppets, costumes, musical instruments, and more, for the event.
River Ceremony -- Come start Musketaquid Earth Day with a song and a splash. Gather at the Lowell Road landing and on the bridge above at 10 am on Earth Day, as the Earth Floats are set adrift in their annual flotilla accompanied by music from Voices for the Earth. As the Floats make their way downstream and out of our sight, we consider the impact our activities and choices have downstream in our lives. The river reminds us, too, of how we are affected by what happens upstream.
Earth Day Parade -- Following the River Ceremony, giant puppets representing Concord's fauna and flora parade through Concord Center, along with diverse groups of musicians, dancers, masked and costumed children, floats created by local organizations, and more. If you don't have a puppet to carry, don't worry, we have plenty! Or you can make one in our annual puppet workshop.
Arts and Environment Festival -- Art activities for children, entertainment, food, and information tables from local environmental organizations complete Musketaquid's Earth Day at the Emerson Umbrella. Come and network with like-minded community members and celebrate our connection to the Earth!
Schedule -- 9:30 am: Parade participants gather at Lowell Road Bridge; Parade Guides will put people and puppets in parade order. 10:00 am: River Ceremony begins at Lowell Road boat landing10:45 am (approx): Earth Day parade steps off from Lowell Road, through Concord Center 11:30 am (approx): Earth Day Parade arrives at Emerson Umbrella
11:30 am - 2:30 pm: Arts and Environment Festival on the front lawn of the Emerson Umbrella. Information tables, entertainment, food, and art projects for children
Earth Month Exhibit -- Artists of all ages and experience participate in the Musketaquid Earth Month Exhibit, a non-juried show that will run in the Emerson Umbrella Gallery through the Earth Month Celebration, 2011. This show includes craft and fine art in two or three dimensions, as well as prose, poetry, sound, and video, from artists of all ages.
Photo: Mark Dannenhauer
