Neighborhood Life
A scene from the South Street Parade at Wake Up The Earth 2015

Wanted: Wake Up The Earth Festival Volunteers

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The 45th annual Wake Up the Earth Festival is May 6, and organizer Spontaneous Celebrations want volunteers for several different things. They outlined the volunteer gig in an email:

A few immediate asks:

We need confirmed puppet carriers for the parade! Big and small puppets
We need a megaphone
We need experienced parades to help Marshall

If any of these things are possible for you email wuteparade2023@gmail.com

Closer to the Festival/Day of:

We also need strong help Friday the 5th in the afternoon to set up stages and Saturday the 6th to help with set up 8-11am. If that’s you, email wutefestival@gmail.com
We need stage support to help Zumix from 11-6 day of the festival - perhaps pick a 2 hour shift or more and let us know? Wutefestival@gmail.com
We need people to run the cardboard slides and mini golf kids activities from 12-6 e-mail your available time to spontaneousvolunteering@gmail.com
We need core volunteers to be a trash bandit!

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Arts
The Wake Up The Earth Parade (Egleston Square branch) makes its way to the festival.

Let’s Wake Up the Earth! WUTE Festival and Parades on May 4

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The annual Wake Up the Earth Festival and Parades are one of the best days of the year in Jamaica Plain -- and the festival is this Saturday. This year is the 41st Wake Up the Earth Festival! The festival has a fascinating creation story. It began in 1979 when a group of local neighbors and activists came together to stop the Interstate 95 expansion into Jamaica Plain -- and won their fight! Organized by Spontaneous Celebrations, the parades are boisterous, creative, with bands, stilt walkers, dancing, giant puppets, and of course, dogs in costumes!

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Neighborhood Life
A scene from the South Street Parade at Wake Up The Earth 2015

40th Wake Up the Earth Parade and Festival on Saturday

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The earth has certainly had quite the slumber this winter and while we've had warmer days recently it's time to Wake Up the Earth with the annual parade and festival this Saturday! This year is the 40th Wake Up the Earth Festival! The festival has a fascinating creation story. It began in 1979 when a group of local neighbors and activists came together to stop the Interstate 95 expansion into Jamaica Plain -- and won their fight! Thus the festival is "a celebration of what can be accomplished when people of all traditions, cultures, ages, and beliefs come together to make a difference," according to Spontaneous Celebrations' website.

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Neighborhood Life

Photos: Sorry, Rain! The Wake Up the Earth Festival Shines Bright

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The threat of rain could not stop the 39th Annual Wake Up the Earth Parade and Festival Saturday, May 13. After the festival was postponed for a week due to inclement weather, Jamaica Plain came out in force to the Southwest Corridor near the Stony Brook MBTA station to enjoy theater, speeches, dancing, food, music and more. The spirit of the original Wake Up the Earth Festival from 1979 still lives on. Back then, a group of neighbors celebrated the defeat of a plan to route Interstate 95 right through JP. Much of today's Wake Up the Earth festivities are dedicated to supporting eco-friendly policies and equality for all.

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Neighborhood Life
A scene from the South Street Parade at Wake Up The Earth 2015

Wake Up The Earth Festival and Parade Postponed to May 13

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Update: Jamaica Plain's 39th Annual Wake Up the Earth Parade and Festival, originally scheduled for May 6, will instead take place Saturday, May 13. ~~~~~

Let's Wake Up the Earth! The 39th annual festival and parade, which features live music, games, kids activities, theater performances, delicious food, local nonprofit organizations and a whole lot more, is now set for this Saturday, May 13. The festival features four stages: music and dance performances, popular theater, the youth stage and storytelling for all ages. And if that's not enough there are more than 50 arts and crafts vendors, non-profit organizations and food vendors.

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Neighborhood Life

JP’s North American Indian Center Exhibit Telling Untold Native Women’s Stories & Leading Wake Up the Earth

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The North American Indian Center of Boston has been in Jamaica Plain for 50 years as a resource of Native Americans in the greater Boston area. This week the organization is participating in two big events on Saturday: an exhibition to tell untold native women's stories, and the organization will be leading the Wake Up the Earth Parade and opening ceremony of Wake up the Earth. On Saturday night, NAICOB's Circles of Support Women’s Program will be hosting a fundraiser gala Doors Unhinged: An Exhibition of Untold Native Women's Stories. There will be live performances by Native American musicians and dancers, an auction and an exhibition of doors that share the stories of native women who have experiences domestic violence. Money generated from this event will go to support the Circles of Support Women’s Program and other programming at NAICOB.

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Neighborhood Life
Jose Godoy, left, and Sana Hashnani enjoy the U-shaped bench at Jamaica Pond on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015.

Discuss: What is Your Favorite Thing About Jamaica Plain?

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There are so many great things about Jamaica Plain -- the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Pond, the people, the businesses -- so many things you can't put them all in an opening sentence. And at one of Jamaica Plain's best events, the Wake Up the Earth Festival, Jamaica Plain News asked people to submit what their favorite thing is about Jamaica Plain. Here are just some of the options people wrote down. What do you think? What is your favorite thing about Jamaica Plain?

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The JP Neighborhood Development Corp.'s booth at WUTE 2016. From left: Executive Director Richard Thal, Francia De Jesus, Anna Waldron and Kelly Ransom.
Neighborhood Life

Wake Up the Earth Nonprofit Roundup: How to Get Help or Get Involved

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Dozens of local nonprofits turned out for Wake up the Earth on Saturday to share their messages of caring and activism. Need help? Want to get involved? Here’s how:

The Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine supports Palestinians in their struggle to end the occupation and “raises awareness about Israel’s use of water as a weapon against the people of Palestine.” Sara Driscoll said, “We want the state of Massachusetts to stop aligning with Israel until the occupation ends.” Contact bostonallianceforwaterjustice@gmail.com for more information. The Arborway Committee for Public Transit is advocating to extend the green line to Hyde Square.

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Map and schedule for 2016 Wake Up the Earth
Neighborhood Life

Here’s Your Map for Wake Up The Earth 2016

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The 38th Annual Wake Up The Earth Festival runs noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. Here is a map of the live music, vendors and other events you'll experience. If you'd like to be in one of the parades leading to the festival, meet at 11 a.m. Saturday at any of the following three step-off points (yes, three this year!):

The Egleston YMCA, 3134 Washington St. Curtis Hall Community Center, 20 South St. Dudley Square Plaza, 2400 Washington St.

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