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EnvisionFest is Coming Sept. 29!

By Andy Hart

August 30, 2012

EnvisionFest, a new day-long festival in Downtown Hartford will be held on Saturday, September 29.

EnvisionFest, which is an outgrowth of the iQuilt project, includes a series of free performances, tours and activities at several sites in Downtown Hartford. The event will also incorporate two popular existing events to be held on September 29:?the Hartford Parks Bike Tour, which starts and ends at Bushnell Park, and the Pipes in the Valley Celtic Music Festival at Riverfront Plaza.

“What’s exciting about EnvisionFest is that it brings out the best our city has to offer,” said Kristina Newman-Scott, City of Hartford Director of Marketing, Events and Cultural Affairs. “It’s a way to re-explore and re-imagine our city in a wonderful way...personally, as a mother, I’m looking forward to the Hartford Symphony playing “Peter and the Wolf,” because my daughter loves that.”

The Symphony will perform at the Bushnell Park Pavilion at 6:30 pm. The Pavilion will also be the site of Hartford’s attempt to break the world record for the largest Zumba class. The class, under the direction of the Greater Hartford YMCA and with music provided by the Trinity College Samba Ensemble, will start at 12:30 pm. The Hartford Steel Symphony will also perform at the Pavilion.

Main Street will come alive for EnvisionFest with Anne Cubberly's giant puppets; Pop-Up Art Galleries showcasing the work of local artists Balam Soto, Anita Gangi Balkun, James Duval, Jenni Freidman, Gersohn and Rita Valley at the corner of Main and Asylum Streets; one day art installations along Main Street; roving musical performers; and musical groups performing in front of the Old State House.

At the Stilts Building Plaza at the corner of Main and Church Streets, Hartford Stage will perform Break­dancing Shakespeare and Much Ado About Nothing. There will also be performances by Cirque Le Jazz, Sea Tea Improv, Chasing Your Dreams Wearing Sneakers and Capital Community College.

The southeast corner of Gold and Jewel Streets will be devoted to jazz with performances by Goza, the Artists Collective, UMOJA, the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Jazz, Paul Brown, Hall High School Jazz Band and Conga Bop.

On Constitution Plaza (behind the Hartford Club) there will be Hip-hop and spoken word performers, singing from the Lift Every Voice and Sing Gospel Choir and Boubacar Diebate presents the music of Africa and Senegal.

Bushnell Park will host a dance to the music party hosted by Connecticut radio stations as well as numerous games and activities, such as Ultimate Frisbee Demonstrations, Fitness class/exercise by the YMCA, Bocce and lawn games and exhibits by Bike Walk Connecticut and Hartford Bicycle.

This is only a partial list of EnvisionFest events. Look for full listings in a special edition of The Hartford News on September 27.