PortFest 2015 - A Day to Celebrate Port Washington

PortFest 2015 truly was an event that was “rain or shine” and despite an early morning shower, the day was dry and mostly sunny! The enormous volunteer army from HEARTS (Helping Enrich the Arts), which sponsors PortFest, gathered early on May 16th on the Schreiber High School Campus to set-up for Port Washington’s very own Art, Music and Community Festival.

Family oriented interactive exhibits from every public school in Port Washington set-up tents where you could decorate a paper lantern or pair of flip flops, tie dye a t-shirt, or make a beeswax candle.

Community Organizations also had activities, such as Resident’s For a More Beautiful Port Washington’s exhibit where recycled water bottles were turned into beautiful vases filled with flowers. Bikes of the World collected over 50 bicycles to be distributed to deserving children and adults in Africa, Asia and Central America. Port Washington Crisis Relief received many sign-ups for free smoke alarm detection installation.

The real stars of the day were the hundreds of youth that performed on two outdoor stages from all over Port Washington. Featured performances included many of the recipients of the $40,000 in grants that HEARTS awarded in 2015. Some of the performances included the Manorhaven Chorus, the cast of Anything Goes, many jazz ensembles, and the 40+ piece Schreiber Strings Ensemble which spilled off the stage onto the grass. Several bands rocked throughout the afternoon including The Schreiber Battle of the Bands winner Gag Me with a Spoon. Rock Steady, Help on the Way as well as The Bach 2 Rock Staff Band and students from the School of Rock also performed.

Olga Berest and dancers led the entire crowd in a rousing African Drumming and African Jazz performance. Percussion instruments were handed out to young volunteers who joined the African Drumming ensemble on the stage for an impromptu percussion jam. The crowd cheered and joined the dancers in simple jazz choreography lead by Berest instructor Karen Guy.

The new PortFest Café was a huge hit and was filled all day with poets reading original poetry, performances from the cast of The Wiz, and art lovers looking at the walls filled with artwork from the elementary schools. The laid back atmosphere was the perfect place to grab a brew and relax in the shade.

There was a live art demonstration outside the PortFest Art Gallery Tent, as Dominic Commisso created an original art graffiti piece. Children and adults were able to stop by and speak to the artist about his artwork and process. The PortFest Art Gallery Tent was a virtual “local farmer’s market of art”. A tremendous variety of art was displayed ; what a wonderful way of keeping local by buying local art. Please click this link to read all the inspiring bios and inquire about some of the work that is still available for sale.

Thank you Port Washington for a record breaking PortFest 2015. The residents of Port Washington gathered as a community to celebrate the programming in our schools and to affirm that art and music are an important fabric in Port Washington’s culture. It is only through your generous support that we can all rally together to make Port Washington a community that embraces the Arts!

Unable to make it to PortFest?

It’s not too late to make a donation. www.heartspw.org; info@heartspw.com

Check out our Facebook page for hundreds of photos of PortFest 2015 and videos of the performances. www.facebook.com/heartspw

PHOTOS BY MADDY WIENER DRONE SHOT BY LARRY MENAKER