| Come celebrate art, culture and community with us during a music festival that is FREE and for ALL AGES! Honoring the cultures that have made Miami their home, this inaugural concert features performances by artists from Haiti and Cuba who have played a key part in shaping this city’s rich musical heritage.
On Saturday, February 18, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department, in partnership with Miami-Dade County District 2 Commissioner Marleine Bastien, Miami Light Project and Community Arts and Culture (CAC), will host “A Great Day in Oak Grove Park”. This free event, celebrating Miami-Dade Parks’ new cultural programs, is open to the public and will be held at the Father Jean Juste Community Center in Oak Grove Park.
There will be a stunning array of musical artists curated by Miami Light Project in partnership with Community Arts and Culture. Special guests include headliner and internationally acclaimed Haitian songstress Emeline Michel, master drummer Sanba Zao, Inez Barlatier and her family band, Jude Papaloko, Cortadito, Spam Allstars band, and many more. There will also be food truck vendors selling festival favorites.
“I applaud our Parks Department for bringing this extraordinary arts and culture programming to this beautiful park, and for their collaborative partnership with Commissioner Bastien, Miami Light Project and Community Arts and Culture on this amazing celebration,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “A Great Day in Oak Grove Park is another example of how parks play an integral role in connecting arts and culture to our vibrant community and how we can all benefit by shining a light on our amazing and diverse talent in Miami-Dade.”
This new Parks program is a cultural initiative benefiting the Oak Grove Park community and celebrating the park for its role in bringing arts and culture programming to the people it serves. The project will include educational community engagement programs focused on dance, music, theater, film, spoken word, poetry, visual arts, and the presentation of a music festival.
“Investment in parks and in local arts and culture is vital to the well-being of residents, and is instrumental to their social engagement with neighbors. The value this brings is integral to making neighborhood living in District 2 stronger and more dynamic,” said Commissioner Bastien. “I highly encourage everyone to come out on February 18 and bring their families to experience A Great Day in Oak Grove Park with family-friendly activities and the very best in Haitian culture and entertainment. I am proud to be part of it.”
As part of Oak Grove Parks’ new cultural initiative, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Carl Juste will create a photo documentation of the community in their regular visits to the park, which he plans to develop into a permanent photo exhibition at the center. In addition, internationally renowned artist Edouard Duval-Carrié will create a commemorative poster for the event. Inez Barlatier and other master artists will provide storytelling classes and workshops in multiple disciplines. The community will also enjoy a special cinema series developed with O Cinema.
“Miami-Dade Parks is proud to partner with Miami-Dade County Commission District 2 and with the Miami Light Project to bring this new arts and cultural program to Oak Grove Park,” said Miami-Dade County Parks Director Maria I Nardi. “Parks are critical infrastructure when it comes to enhancing the strength of a community, and one of the ways we do this is by providing residents with equitable access to public spaces for cultural expression, where they can share, grow and learn in beautiful park surroundings.”
“Miami Light Project is thrilled to develop this unprecedented community-based artistic program for Oak Grove Park. In partnership with many extraordinary artists, and like-minded collegial cultural organizations, we seek to transform the ways in which the community interacts with, and experiences Oak Grove Park. Our goal is to celebrate the community and its rich cultural heritage through the presentation of world class dance, music, theater, cinema, photography, and visual art,” said Beth Boone, Artistic and Executive Director of Miami Light Project.
For more details about the A Great Day at Oak Grove Park February 18 event, visit OakGroveFest.com .
For more information on Oak Grove Park, visit https://www.miamidade.gov/parks/oak-grove.asp and call 305-944-8670. |
