Greens Festival To Celebrate Black History Month

SANTA MONICA, CA – Virginia Avenue Park and Parent Connection Group are celebrating Black History Month with the fourth annual Greens Festival this Saturday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This year's festival theme is "Young, Gifted, and Black" and will feature cooking demos with celebrity chefs, a Black History exhibit, musical performances, book reading, resource booths and more, the press release said.

"The day will start with a performance by Santa Monica Youth Orchestra Singers Ensemble," the City of Santa Monica press release said. "The musical performances will culminate with a special performance by Senegalese musician Amadou Fall performing on the Kora, a 21 stringed instrument of fishing line, wood, Calabash (Gourd) and cow skin, that can best be described as the African Harp."

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in live cooking demonstrations of favorite greens recipes using ingredients from Santa Monica Farmers Market, learn nutrition facts from St. John’s Community Health Program, pick up free seeds and seedlings from the Master Gardeners Program, meet Jimmy Williams from Logan’s Garden and participate in a Greens Scavenger Hunt in the Farmers Market in between performances, the press release said.

Pico Branch Library will host a reading by Calida Garcia Rawles, author of "Same Difference," a book that addresses the "sensitive and sometime divisive issues of beauty and identity," the city said. There will also be a special exhibit of famous and talented African Americans from the past to the present day, and a hands-on workshop where children will be able to create their own self-portraits.

For more information about the Greens Festival, call 310-458-8688 or visit www.smgov.net/vapark.

Photo courtesy of City of Santa Monica