Giralda Music & Arts Festival to be held June 28
For an event now in its 32nd year, the Giralda Music and Arts Festival is definitely aiming to be young at heart.
The addition of family-oriented activities in recent years – such as art projects for young people and a variety of music – have made the festival a destination for art and music aficionados of all ages.
This year’s festival will take place this Sunday, June 28, at Giralda Farms, the former Geraldine R. Dodge estate in Madison. Event coordinator Kadie Dempsey hopes that the trend of inclusivity will continue.
“We’ve seen the change,” says Dempsey, director of arts in community for the nonprofit organization Morris Arts. “We’ve added these art components and children’s activities. It’s brought out a lot of young families.”
“We used to see maybe 20 or 30 children,” Dempsey says. “Now we have a couple of hundred young people running around, dancing to the music.”
At the same time, Dempsey acknowledges that the centerpiece of the festival is a performance by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. “It’s become a tradition that people count on,” she says.
This year’s concert, under conductor Gemma New, will include works by Dvorak, Brahms, Ravel, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven. However, the orchestra will also present a pops program with big band and dance music and a salute to Frank Sinatra.
However, the festival will also feature a performance by an all-female African drumming troupe. “They have a great reputation,” says Dempsey. “They’ll add an outdoor festival feel.”
Also contributing to the festive atmosphere will be representatives of Whirled Revolution, a Sussex-based studio that combines hula-hooping with yoga instruction.
The event will also offer the annual art exhibition and sale. Burgeoning artists will have the chance to show their skills at the Montclair Art Museum Art Truck, a mobile art studio that will appear at Giralda for the first time this year.
The festival will also present a poetry-writing activity. “People will have the chance to write poetry on the spot,” Dempsey says. “Rather than just sitting and listening to a writer read his work, people will be able to create something themselves.”
That sense of participation is important to the goal of Morris Arts, according to Dempsey, who has been involved in the Giralda event for 14 years.
“We want to show how the arts can enrich and enliven the community,” she says. “We want to attract younger audiences and add more engaging activities.”
She adds that other aspect of Giralda is the opportunity to enjoy picnics, with prizes awarded for creativity. “We’ve seen people go wild with the themes for their picnics,” she says.
“It’s interesting to see the trend with families in their 20s and 30s,” Dempsey adds. “People are becoming foodies. They want to eat good food and fresh food, and that’s reflected in the picnics they bring.”
(In the event of inclement weather, the picnicking will be curtailed. But all other events, including the concert by the symphony, will take place at the College of St. Elizabeth.)
Dempsey hopes that Giralda Music and Arts Festival will continue to grow while maintaining its rich tradition.
“As an arts organization, Morris Arts feels responsible to providing these types of activities,” says Dempsey. “Our challenge is to preserve our audience while reaching newer and young audiences.”
32nd ANNUAL GIRALDA MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
WHAT: Variety of arts-related activities, including an art show and sale, an appearance by the Montclair Art Museum Art Truck, poetry-writing, a performance by a female African drumming troupe, and a concert by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Picnicking is encouraged, weather permitting. (No BBQ.) Prizes and raffles.
WHEN: 4 p.m., Sunday, June 28. Concert starts at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Giralda Farms, Dodge Drive/Madison Avenue (Rt. 124), Madison. Rain site: Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center, College of St. Elizabeth, 2 Convent Rd., Convent Station
TICKETS: $15, $4 for children ages 4 to 12, free for children under age 4 (advance). $20, $5 for children ages 4 to 12, free for children under age 4 (at gate). No pets allowed. No BBQ.
INFORMATION: 973-285-5115, ext.14 or www.morrisarts.org