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!
There are two parades that eventually converge together. Both parades gather at 10:30 am, with one beginning from the JP Monument at 11 am (corner of South Street and Centre Street, across from the Loring-Greenough House), and the other parade leaving from the Egleston Square YMCA (3134 Washington St.).
The two parades end up meeting at the corner of Lamartine and Centre streets in Jackson Square and then march into the festival grounds at approximately 12:30 pm by the Stonybrook MBTA Station after going down Lamartine Street.
The festival is loads of fun for anyone of any age. There are four stages providing live music, dance performances and more. Click here for a full schedule of stage performances.
Saturday is also the first day of the Egleston Square Farmer's Market on New Minton Street; there are vendors selling t-shirts, arts, garden plants (basil, tomatoes, etc.); there are food trucks and other food vendors; mini-golf, basketball; drumming circles; kids activities and more.
Click here for more information about the Wake Up the Earth Festival and Parades.