Throughout the month of June, Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education and Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr will host the 10th annual South Bronx Culture Trail Festival. The festival lasts from June 1 to June 30. Events will be held in multiple locations throughout the Hunts Point and Longwood neighborhoods of the Bronx, with virtual events broadcasted and streamed on social media by BronxNet Community Television.
The festival’s theme revolves around healing as we are coming off a year more difficult than anyone could possibly imagine. Latin jazz ensemble BronX BandA, featuring Arturo O’Farrill, will perform alongside Members of the New York Philharmonic with additional performances throughout the month highlighting the musical influences of BronX BandA. Multiple outdoor concerts will celebrate exceptional local artists including Amazonas Strings, Annette A. Aguilar & StringBeans, Chris Washburne and the SYOTOS Band, Fort Apache Tribute Band, Kayla Faccilongo & Markus Kaitila, MPT Trio + Sean Conly, Soul Inscribed, and The SuperSlicks. The sounds of jazz, Caribbean folk, opera, rocksteady, reggae, hip hop soul, and Latin American music will fill public spaces allowing community members to encounter joyful music in their daily lives.
To fill out the month-long festival, each Wednesday in June from 7 to 8:30 PM the Casita Maria Book Club will meet on Zoom to discuss When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago. On Fridays from 10 AM to 1 PM, free produce will be distributed at Farmers Market Fridays at 924 Kelly St. in partnership with Kelly Street Garden.
Specific performance dates and locations will be released one week before each event on Casita Maria’s website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to maintain COVID-19 safety protocols. Masks and social distancing are required. Advanced registration requested.
About Casita Maria:
Since 1934, Casita Maria has served as a cultural and community anchor for thousands of South Bronx and East Harlem young people and their families. As New York City’s first and oldest Latino-serving charitable organization, Casita Maria showcases and champions the community’s artistic and cultural legacy, channelling the power of this unique heritage to educate, inspire, and encourage young people to become exceptional artists, scholars, and leaders. Dedicated to enriching the lives of youth and families in the community, Casita Maria offers shared cultural, art, and educational experiences including free after school programs and a public art gallery. Casita Maria builds an active South Bronx community by showcasing the beauty, life, and creativity embedded in every block.
Festival Partners:
41st Precinct, 52 People for Progress, Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, Bronx Community Board 2, BronxNet Community Television, Dancing Classrooms, Hunts Point Alliance for Children, Kelly Street Garden, New York Philharmonic, New York CityParks, and the Southern Boulevard Business Improvement District.
Rain location:
Casita Maria Auditorium, 928 Simpson Street, Bronx, NY 10459