Anke Djé, Anke Bé, with Master Percussionist Sidy Maiga
Anke djé, anke bé translates to "everyone gather together in peace". The phrase is in the language of the Bambara people of Mali, West Africa. That is where Master Percussionist Sidy Maiga hails from and also the origins of his preferred percussion instrument, the djembe drum. The djembe (or jembe) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands. Sidy, with a few other professional percussionists, will bring thirty (30) of these drums to several sites for a participatory community experience during the 20mi2 destination weekend. Advance (free) registration is recommended for those who want to “reserve a drum”. If you have your own hand percussion, bring it!
Open Sail #3 on Azorean Whaleboats
Azorean Maritime Heritage Society (AMHS) will host open sail opportunities on their authentic Azorean whaleboats, free of charge! AMHS keeps our authentic Azorean Whaleboats docked in Clark’s Cove at the New Bedford Community Boating Center for the summer season. These boats are 40 feet long, made entirely of wood, and carry a boat steerer (coxswain) with 6 rowers. Advance registration is required.
New Mural Completion & Artists’s Talk
20mi2 commissioned artists Gregory Pennisten and David Guadalupe to reimagine and design a mural for the facade of the Dennison Memorial Community Center. The mural is scheduled to be completed on Saturday, June 11. A community celebration of this project is planned from 4-7pm, featuring an artists’ talk and photo opportunity.
Fine Arts Club Social & Anniversary Celebration
The New Bedford Light is a free, nonprofit digital news outlet dedicated to community-based coverage of important local issues. In addition to in-depth and fact-based journalism, their mission is to provide a broad platform for diverse community voices. Their coverage also highlights the region’s rich creative and cultural landscape. They launched in June 2021 and look forward to celebrating their 1st birthday on Saturday, June 11 during the city’s 20mi2 celebration.
From 3:30-5:00pm, The New Bedford Light will host their first in-person Fine Arts Club meeting at Dough Company in the Kilburn Mill. The Fine Arts Club is a marketplace for art buyers, enthusiasts, and artists to meet.
Immediately following the Fine Arts Club, join The New Bedford Light cohort for birthday cake and a Q&A session with their editor, Barbara Roessner, at their 2nd floor Kilburn office from 5:00-6:00pm.
Open Sail #2 on Azorean Whaleboats
Azorean Maritime Heritage Society (AMHS) will host open sail opportunities on their authentic Azorean whaleboats, free of charge! AMHS keeps our authentic Azorean Whaleboats docked in Clark’s Cove at the Community Boating Center for the summer season. These boats are 40 feet long, made entirely of wood, and carry a boat steerer (coxswain) with 6 rowers. Advance registration is required.
Youth Workshop
Dennison Memorial Community Center, in partnership with 20mi2, will host local artists for art projects with Dennison Community youth.
Seed Bomb Workshop
Give back to nature with a free Seed Bombing Workshop at Victory Park hosted by Sílvia Belo Oliveira.
Seed bombs are little clay-covered mounds of seeds and potting soil. They are used to reseed native plants to neglected patches of land in need of a bit of TLC. This workshop will use Northeast Native Pollinator-friendly Wildflower seeds.
This will be a make-and-take workshop where participants can later throw the seed bombs around their respective neighborhoods to make them more beautiful and provide host plants for pollinating creatures!
Books, Bookmarks & Cake!
The Howland-Green branch of the New Bedford Free Public Library will host an all-day (9am-5pm) outdoor book sale.
From 1:00-3:00pm, the New Bedford Arts & Cultural Emporium (NBACE) will be there offering a Free Bookmark Making Workshop using dried flowers, quotes, fancy papers, and tassels.
From 3:30-5:00pm, as a wrap-up celebration for 20mi2, they’ll have cake and other snacks.
Community Boat, a Community Art Canvas
The Community Boating Center is presenting an opportunity to participate in a community art project. This is your blank canvas. Stop by and contribute your artistic talents or words of wisdom, around the theme of commUNITY.
Cycle 20mi2 in 02744
Gather at Dennison Memorial Community Center at 1 PM on your bicycle with helmets on for the Cycle 20mi2 group ride to around this scenic waterfront neighborhood, led by the New Bedford Starchasers, a Division of SCUL. The loop will take you around the Clark’s Cove, with planned stops along the way (approx. 3 hrs), and end back at Dennison Memorial Community Center. Advance registration is required to participate in this guided ride (free of charge).
Bicycle Showoff Parade & Fun Contest
Dennison Memorial Community Center is the kick-off location for Cycle 20mi2 in the 02744 neighborhoods. Gather here early for a community celebration with DJ music, and help us celebrate the creative bicycle styling that the Dennison youth create during workshops prior to the weekend events (sponsored by 20mi2). We will award prizes for fan favorites!
By The Beach Mini Market
BuyBlack NB is hosting a Mini Market to showcase a curated selection of local Black-owned businesses offering a variety of goods and services. Shop while enjoying the ocean breeze, live music and other performances and community.
Open Sail #1 on Azorean Whaleboats
Azorean Maritime Heritage Society (AMHS) will host open sail opportunities on their authentic Azorean whaleboats, free of charge! AMHS keeps our authentic Azorean Whaleboats docked in Clark’s Cove at the Community Boating Center for the summer season. These boats are 40 feet long, made entirely of wood, and carry a boat steerer (coxswain) with 6 rowers. Advance registration is required.
Hip Hop Pop-up
3rd EyE Unlimited and the Communal Space host spoken word, music, dance and art activities under the Pavilion overlooking the water at Clarke’s Cove.
Open Row #3 on Azorean Whaleboats
Azorean Maritime Heritage Society (AMHS) will host open row opportunities on their authentic Azorean whaleboats, free of charge! AMHS keeps our authentic Azorean Whaleboats docked in Clark’s Cove at the Community Boating Center for the summer season. These boats are 40 feet long, made entirely of wood, and carry a boat steerer (coxswain) with 6 rowers. Advance registration is required.
Dennison Dribble
Dennison Memorial Community Center will host the Dennison Dribble at their indoor courts in the city’s South End.
Open Row #2 on Azorean Whaleboats
Azorean Maritime Heritage Society (AMHS) will host open row opportunities on their authentic Azorean whaleboats, free of charge! AMHS keeps our authentic Azorean Whaleboats docked in Clark’s Cove at the Community Boating Center for the summer season. These boats are 40 feet long, made entirely of wood, and carry a boat steerer (coxswain) with 6 rowers. Advance registration is required.
Open Row #1 on Azorean Whaleboats
Azorean Maritime Heritage Society (AMHS) will host open row opportunities on their authentic Azorean whaleboats, free of charge! AMHS keeps our authentic Azorean Whaleboats docked in Clark’s Cove at the Community Boating Center for the summer season. These boats are 40 feet long, made entirely of wood, and carry a boat steerer (coxswain) with 6 rowers. Advance registration is required.
Landscape Painting with Artist Fitzcarmel LaMarre
Open to youth from the Dennison community, participants will be led step-by-step as they paint a 16” x 20” colorful landscape with professional artist Fitzcarmel LaMarre, a 20mi2 sponsored event.
Fitzcarmel is a creative educational developer and program director, a home school workshop educator, muralist, portrait artist, graphic designer, and a former public school art teacher. He is currently working on his graphic novel NEW DEADFORD, an inclusive community project including creative workshops for at-risk, underserved youth at the New Bedford Housing Authority’s Blue Meadow Property and Our Sisters’ School.
20mi2 Nature: Convergence at Victory Park
Meet us at Victory Park in New Bedford’s south end for a family-friendly afternoon of exploring the natural world around us!
In this photo: Christian Smith, Founder of the New Bedford Wildflower Project
Between 3:00pm – 4:30pm, join local, amateur naturalists, staff from Mass Audubon, the steward of the Little Free Library, and staff and volunteers from Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) for a series of activities focused on plants and animals and how they depend on us to help them thrive. Learn about pollinators and the native plants that support our urban ecosystem, pick up a book about nature or a seed packet to take home, look for birds that call the south end home, and learn about beekeeping and growing your own food!
Program leaders will be at stations throughout the Victory Park and Poor Farm property facilitating your experience.
Two years ago, with the goal of attracting more bees and butterflies to the south end, Christian Smith, who calls the south end home, created a pollinator garden (the New Bedford Wildflower Project) with support from Mary Rapoza, Director of the City of New Bedford’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Beaches, and with the help of dozens of volunteers. Join Christian and learn how to identify native plants and how they benefit pollinators and our urban ecosystem.
Jennifer Smith and Keri Cox, city residents, will lead a short, guided bird walk through the path leading from the pollinator garden to Y.O.U.’s Children’s Garden. Bird guides will be available to aid program participants with bird identification and binoculars are recommended.
Bernadette Souza and her team at Y.O.U. will be at various stations throughout the site:
Suzanne Trimble will talk about the new Bee Hives recently installed along the path between the pollinator garden and the Children’s Garden.
Bob Nichols will be at the Victory Park Children's Garden on the corner of Lighthouse Lane and Freedom Blvd. and Carrie Hawthorn from Mass Audubon will talk about the pond and the Osprey nest at Clegg Field.
Sandi Montour, Steward of the Little Free Library at Victory Park, welcomes you for a nature and gardening focused experience. Bring a nature or gardening book or seeds to share. Grab a book or free seed packet to go.