Festival 2010 Opening

The 41st Festival of the Arts opened Friday. I took a long lunch hour and went down for the opening ceremonies. That and to sample some of the food the non-profits sell in the booths.

It started out with a short parade from Rosa Parks Circle to the main stage at Calder Plaza. Leading the group was these signs produced by the folks at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Art.

There was a local group of hoopers, called Audacious Hoops, which were far more talented thanI would have thought at first. There was also a group of artists from the Avenue of the Arts, which is a block of artists on North Division. They were having an art sale event coinciding with the Festival. They showed up for the parade in paper mache masks.

Lastly there was a band called WaZoBia, which does African and Afro-Cuban drumming. I followed the parade to the main stage and watched the ceremonies for a while before I grabbed some lunch and headed back to work. A very good start to the weekend and a good way to spend a lunchtime.