Giorgio: Worcester is Event Full

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Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Paul Giorgio, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

This past Sunday saw the largest Start on the Street ever in Worcester. Crowd estimates ranged up to 50,000 people who crowded Park Ave for the annual arts & music festival. In addition to the craft artists and music, they had a food truck component as well as a food court. The closed off street was swarming with people enjoying the sunny fall day.

A week before, the city saw a Saturday bursting with city wide activity from the Canal Fest on Harding Street, to the College Shuffle on Shrewsbury Street to Gay Pride on the Worcester Common. If you toss in the Canal Diggers Road Race, you ended up with a full day of activities. Some complainers might be prone to say that too much is happening. But can there really ever be too much happening in a city? I don’t believe so and clearly there was something for everyone that day.

Worcester is becoming a real urban draw, where people come in from all over the city and the surrounding towns to enjoy what only a city can provide-excitement and flavor.

The Biggest StArt Ever

This was clearly the biggest Start on the Street ever and kudos go out to event organizer and creator Tina Zlody for doing a great job in bringing all those people to Worcester.

At the same time as Start on the Street, there was a Brazilian Festival in Institute Park, on the other end of Park Ave. A few weeks ago saw the Caribbean Festival take over the park and Park Ave. We are celebrating our ethnic diversity in fun ways. We are also celebrating our rich cultural fabric. Tonight will see the unveiling, if you can call it that of a large mural on the side of the Hanover Theatre.

Yes, Worcester is enjoying a cultural renaissance. We are bringing new people into the city and young people are staying here. The reason is simple, there are now things to do that attract young people and are of interest to them.

Ethnic Celebrations

The Brazilian Festival drew a largely Brazilian crowd, which is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups we have in the city. The Caribbean Festival a few weeks ago drew a mixed crowd from the Island nations of the Caribbean, which differed from the Latin Festival held on the Worcester Common that drew folks from Central America and Puerto Rico.

I am reminded of the old adage, “Build it and they will come.” That is very true about Worcester, where we are building it and they are coming. More young people are staying here after they graduate from college. They are staying because we finally have an active arts scene beside the Worcester Art Museum. We have a variety of galleries such as the Sprinkler Factory on Harlow Street and the Arts Worcester Gallery on Main Street, where young artist can show their work.

The Worcester Craft Center is reenergized because of the highly energized Honee Hess who runs the place. It is no longer a place just for retirees.

Arts & culture as well as funky fun stuff go a long way to make a city vibrant.

Start on the Street clearly does that. Tina Zlody and her team deserve the praise of everyone in Worcester.

Murals Add Color

Earlier, I mentioned the mural at Hanover theatre that is being celebrated this afternoon. That too is great art and a new part of the city fabric. The City Administration has embarked on an ambitious program to do public art. And it is working. You may not like it, but it adds vibrancy to the cityscape. I no longer will think of Worcester as grey in the winter, when I can see splashes of color across our older buildings. Now we need a public sculpture program, so that we just don’t venerate Turtle boy.

Bread and circuses kept the Roman populace happy. Maybe making Worcester a fun and exciting place will keep young people happy. It’s worth a try.

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