The Hill, Newhallville, West Rock/West Hills, Dixwell Fests Set

NEW HAVEN, CT — Four virtual festivals curated by residents of The Hill, Newhallville, West Rock/West Hills, and Dixwell neighborhoods are slated for May and June in partnership with the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.

The festivals were organized by committees of community leaders from each neighborhood.

“As a new resident of New Haven, it’s vital for me to listen to the needs of the community,” Malakhi Eason, festival director of programming and community impact, said. "It has been an incredible honor to learn from my new neighbors as these festivals develop and grow.”

Each festival features local talent and issues vital to their community. From Grammy-nominated musicians to exercise workshops, talkbacks, and demonstrations by local organizations, each Neighborhood Festival showcases the talent and wisdom of its residents.

Dixwell Festival committee member and Festival Board member Diane Brown has seen the Neighborhood Festivals grow.

“Each year the number of participants has grown exponentially. In 2019, our last live festival, we had upwards 1200 participants throughout the day,” Brown said in a news release. "“We are currently planning for what hopes to be a live festival in 2022. The Dixwell neighborhood and beyond are grateful for this partnership and looking forward to future festivals.”

Each festival is made possible by the City of New Haven’s Neighborhood Cultural Vitality Grant Program.

“We are excited to provide support for the Neighborhood Festivals and the ongoing work of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas as its strengthens its relationship with the local community,” New Haven Director of Cultural Affairs Adriane Jefferson said.

“Programs like these are instrumental to advancing cultural equity and making sure that people can engage in the arts and get opportunities, no matter who they are or where they are in the city of New Haven.”

The neighborhood festivals

THE HILL, May 22, 1pm
Hillfest 2021 has an action-packed lineup. The Festival will feature virtual performances by R&B guitarist Manny James, the sensational stylings of Charisa The Violin Diva, and cap it all off with a showcase at the Hill Museum.

NEWHALLVILLE-,May 23, 1pm
Newhallville’s Neighborhood Festival has a smorgasbord of performances, featuring such flavors as the incredible Thabisa, the lyrical stylings of rapper T Ski Valley, a performance by community connectors Ice the Beef, a set by DJ Prime, the musical party known as the Wayne Brown Band and KP on the Set.

WEST ROCK /WEST HILLS, May 29, 1pm
This virtual concert event and town meeting hybrid features a discussion of Ward 30, a glimpse at Solar Youth’s programming in the neighborhood, an address from Committee Chairs Carlton Staggers & Iva Johnson and more, with performances by Corey Staggz & John the Violinist Randolph Duo, local dance and entertainment company MegaHurtz Entertainment, Pastor Burgess, funky ensemble Boogie Chillun, and more!

DIXWELL, June 5 at 12pm
An all-star virtual affair hosted by jazz artist, producer, two-time Grammy nominee and Dixwell favorite Chris “Big Dog” Davis, featuring Grammy-nominated, Soul Train Award-winning soul, jazz and R&B performer Maysa, Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame inductee Phil Perry, and Billboard Chart-topping urban and smooth jazz artist Nick Colionne.

Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center continues to be a longstanding partner in the organization of these festivals.

“The Neighborhood Festivals have become outreach staples for the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, says Michael R. Taylor, CEO. “We are excited to participate in celebrating the arts of the communities we serve. It is through great partnerships like the one with Arts & Ideas that enable us to continue our legacy of meeting our patients right where they are.”

Also supported by the New Alliance Foundation and community members throughout the city, these Festivals will be streamed on the Festival’s Facebook Live, Youtube, and Twitch channels and on the Festival’s Virtual Stage. For more information on the Neighborhood Festivals and their scheduled performances, visit artidea.org/neighborhoodfestivals.

About the International Festival of Arts & Ideas

Imagine New Haven. Imagina un mundo sin fronteras. Imagine music. Imagine theater. Imagine a better world. Imagine yourself--at Festival 2021. Together, we’ll explore the world as it is and how it could be with events ranging from drag to drumming, bike tours to beekeeping, truffle-making to cocktail-tasting. With paddleboard yoga, hair art, fresh takes on Shakespeare, gospel, Grammy winners, and more. With 200+ events--95% of them free--Festival 2021 has something for everyone. Full lineup announced soon. Tickets on sale May 3. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop. Events will be primarily virtual with some in-person programming by reservation only. Learn more at artidea.org.

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is a year-round organization that culminates with an annual celebration of performing arts, lectures, and conversations each summer in New Haven, Connecticut. The Festival convenes leading artists, thought leaders, and innovators from around the world for dynamic public programs to engage, entertain, and inspire a diversity of communities. In 2021, than 95% of Festival programs will be free to the public, including events that feature some of the most influential musical, dance, and theater artists of our time.
The 2021 Festival will take place virtually and in open spaces in downtown New Haven.

The Festival’s programs have an impact throughout the year and include additional performances, educational opportunities, and the annual Visionary Leadership Award. The Festival was established in 1996, by Anne Calabresi, Jean M. Handley, and Roslyn Meyer, who envisioned an annual celebration in New Haven—a city steeped in a rich array of cultural and educational traditions—distinguished from other arts festivals by its fusion of the arts with events centered on sharing ideas.

The Festival is presented with major support from Yale University, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Connecticut Office of the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts with additional support from The City of New Haven, the Avangrid Foundation in partnership with United Illuminating and Southern CT Gas, Connecticut Humanities, a non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and our generous community of individual supporters.