Sisters, Brothers, and Kin,
Before the pandemic, our East Side Freedom Library team found National Night Out to be a wonderful occasion to bring our community together, share our stories, and celebrate our connection. Last year, of course, there was no gathering, and sixteen months of Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube have made us all the hungrier to see each other in person. We are excited by the prospects of the upcoming celebration, and we have some very special programs planned: theater, music, refreshments, and great conversations!
Renee Vaughan, our favorite nyckelharpist, will be joined by Adam Kiseling for a lively presentation of Nordic music. They captivated attendees at our last National Night Out.
Mixed Precipitation Theater will present their new pickup truck opera, “The Odyssey.” This adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, uses selections from Monteverdi’s 1639 opera, Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland), told with the spirit of a country carnival, mixing of baroque melodies and Dolly Parton tunes.
Actors from Circus Juventas will bring street performance to our event, including fire-swallowing and swashbuckling sword play.
A favorite from our last National Night Out, Marc Anderson will engage young attendees in bucket drumming.
And there will be refreshments, courtesy of our sisters and brothers at United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1189, our neighbors at Moreli’s Market, and our talented grillmeisters, Bernie Hesse, Mike Dreyer, and David Zierott.
We look forward to seeing you all. Given the resurgence of the pandemic and the virulence of the delta variant, we do ask that you wear masks, even outdoors, except when eating, that you maintain social distances, and use our hand sanitizer. Let’s stay safe and well together.
There are, of course, other programs and activities coming up and we hope you will join us online for them!
Love and Solidarity,
Beth Cleary and Peter Rachleff