By Brad Pass
The East Phillips Community held its First Annual SummerFest Sunday, June 22nd in the extraordinary East Phillips Park. The festival honored the diversity of the community with foods and entertainment from many of the cultures who call East Phillips home and the festival celebrated the 5 ½ year struggle, against all odds, to raise the money and redesign what used to be called “Cockroach Park” into the vibrant community center and park home for the community that it is today with its wonderful soccer fields, basketball courts and baseball diamond. The East Phillips Improvement Coalition (EPIC) and Minneapolis Park and Recreation sponsored the Festival.Â
The mantra of success for this community as stated by neighborhood advisor Arthur Himmelman many years ago was and still is:
“If you want to go Fast, go alone.
If you want to go Far, go together”
The community choice has always been to go Far Together.
The community came out in huge numbers to celebrate the vast distance it has traversed (far) since those days of “Cockroach Park.” Once again, many organizations and individuals from this community came together to create a fantastic SummerFest.Â
Entertainers included Inti Samay, Bhalta, Kusisisa, The Little Thundebirds, Holy Rosary Youth, Willie Murphy (who named an album “CockRoach Park”), and Chinelos. They provide 7 hours of non-stop music and dance from Minneapolis Park”'s Showmobile.
Fabulous food was provided by Holy Rosary, Taco Taxi and Mariana Robles.
The Minneapolis Police brought their huge Bomb Squad truck and their mounted patrol with three beautiful horses galloping across the park. Many neighborhood service organizations provided the attendees with information on their programs and mission. The Minneapolis Park Board provided two large inflatable slides and bouncers for the kids.
This was truly a community effort ”“ Even the weather cooperated ”“ Thanks to all for a Remarkable Sunday. We”'re looking forward to many more!
The Second Annual East Phillips Summer Fest is already being planned for June 21st 2015!
