SNN: Community and Diversity at Carnaval 2014

SNN's Carnaval Video Link

Somerville Neighborhood News is a production of Somerville Community Access Television, made by professional journalists, volunteers and staff. The half-hour news show has as its mission to provide a lively, informative newscast focusing on the events, issues and information impacting Somerville residents.

Somerville, MA, June 17, 2014 – The rhythm of drums echoes among the blaring trumpets and flutes. Brightly colored dance troupes swirl and shimmy, while attendants look on. East Broadway in East Somerville could be called a melting pot. It’s June 1st, and the street has been transformed into a block party called Carnaval.

The 5th annual Carnaval at Somerstreets is a part of a larger open streets initiative to bring the community of East Somerville together through food, culture, dance, singing, and games.

“When we heard that the city wanted to have an open streets initiative, I had heard from so many people, ‘When are we going to have a festival?’” Carrie Dancy, executive director of East Somerville Main Streets, which organizes “Carnaval,” told Somerville Neighborhood News (SNN).

On June 1, the block party gathered East Somerville residents, business owners, vendors, and people from outside of the community. Along Broadway, flags on vending carts representing different countries fluttered in the wind and the smells of Brazilian, Ethiopian, and Italian food mingled, just like the people from all over the city and all over the world, who were talking and dancing together.

“We’ve been here for 32 years,” East Somerville resident Betsy Reardon, who is a teacher, told SNN. “East Somerville has always been a vibrant community…and it has changed over the years, I hope it will stay at its core as diverse as it has been over the years.”

The first wave of immigrants to call East Somerville home was primarily from Western Europe. Later, Haitian, Latin American, and Cape Verdean families arrived, and more recently, people from Asia. It is one of the city’s more diverse communities.

Carnaval highlights the importance of East Somerville as a commercial district and an arts community, explained Madelaine Ripley, an East Somerville artist and stilt performer.

“People think of Somerville as Davis Square, as Porter, as these very arty, foodie hubs,” she said from her perch. “People don’t really think of that as an artistic community, but it is. We’re all part of this together, and Carnaval shows that we’re all out here.”