 The Whittier Alliance Neighborhood Organization is organizing the inaugural Eat Street Food, Music, & Arts Festival, the ultimate celebration of the Whittier neighborhood. The festival will take place Saturday, September 15, 2018, from 1-9pm, on Nicollet Avenue between 25th - 27th Streets. Live music, performances, international fare, and activities from the neighborhood’s many arts and cultural organizations will collectively reflect and celebrate who and what Whittier is at its heart.
This free, family-friendly event will give festival-goers of all ages the chance to experience Eat Street in a unique way, with artisans and makers, food trucks, local organizations, visual artists, and Whittier restaurant favorites all lining the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street. A stage on the north end of Nicollet Avenue & 25th Street will host a variety of musical acts, spanning genres from Salsa, New Orleans-style Brass, R&B, to Indie, as well as a fashion show curated by Eat Street’s own B. Resale. The lineup includes Malamanya, McNasty Brass Band, Madison McFerrin, with local artist HALEY headlining the event. Between stage sets, an array of multi-cultural dance and music performances will take place throughout the street. The Kids’ Fun Zone on the south side of Nicollet Avenue & 27th Street will feature Whittier arts organizations leading activities that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. In all, the Eat Street Food, Music, & Arts Festival will offer something for everyone as an event that showcases some of the many things that make the Whittier neighborhood special. At a time when area road construction and bridge closures are negatively impacting many in Whittier’s small business community, the Whittier Alliance has great hope that this event will bring much needed exposure and new patrons to neighborhood businesses, many of which are owned by immigrants and people of color. This event is funded in part by the City of Minneapolis' Great Streets Program, and all proceeds will directly benefit Whittier Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in their efforts to produce this Festival annually. For more event details including vendor, sponsorship, and volunteer opportunities, visit EatStreetFest.com, Eat Street Food, Music, & Arts Festival, or contact the Whittier Alliance.  This year, we're partnering with Whittier Recreation Center to show Cool Runnings at Washburn Fair Oaks Park on July 25th!
We'll also have 2017 Whittier BIG IDEAS Grant recipient Trailhead Games running their Clean Energy Future Game for you all &Minneapolis Institute of Art's Mobile Mia facilitating arts activities. Join us starting at 7 pm for fun with community partners at Washburn Fair Oaks. Film starts at 15 minutes after sunset, Bring a lawn chair or blanket and come early to grab a good spot! "Cool Running" - Four Jamaican bobsleighers dream of competing in the Winter Olympics, despite never having seen snow. With the help of a disgraced former champion desperate to redeem himself, the Jamaicans set out to become worthy of Olympic selection, and go all out for glory. Thank you to everyone that stopped by to say hi and chat with us at Open Streets Lyndale on Sunday; we had a lot of fun!
We also want to give a HUGE thank you to local Aztec dance group Elohuatyotl Mitotiani & Minneapolis Institute of Art's Mobile Mia for partnering with us to provide some great entertainment. And we can't forget to shout out Our Streets Minneapolis for continuing to run such amazing local events! See you all next year!  The first official Housing Issues Committee Meeting will be June 18th, 6-8pm in Children's Theatre Company's Target Lobby (2nd Floor). Participants will help write a job description for the Housing Issues Chair, establish meeting structure and schedule, and vote to elect the Chair. We hope to see you all there!
RSVP on Facebook! This past weekend, we wrapped up the Whittier Works Together Community Building Event. The 3-day series started with Thursday's Conversations on Community Safety, lead into Friday's Summer Kickoff Party, and culminated in 3 different skills building workshops. The event was a great success, filled with thoughtful conversation, delicious food, meeting neighbors, playing games & doing art activities, and learning how to work together to make our Whittier community better! If you came to the events and want to help us continue these conversations -- or even if you weren't able to make it but still want to help out -- send us an email at info@whittieralliance.org. Thank you everyone that contributed to make this a successful event:
Partners: Children's Theatre Company Domestic Abuse Project Krav Maga Minneapolis Minneapolis Institute of Arts Minneapolis College of Art & Design Minneapolis Police Department NuWay Sexual Violence Center Simpson Housing Services St. Stephen's Moderators & Panelists: Jason Sole Bethany Johnson Missy Weir Anne Lehman Lisa Bender Inspector Kathy Waite Kristen Houlton Sukura Tina Andrews Workshop Facilitators: Krav Maga Minneapolis Sexual Violence Center Simpson Housing Services In-Kind Donations: Bob's Java Hut MCAD Simpson Housing Services Good Grocer St. Stephen's  The Whittier Alliance is pleased to announce the second cycle of the Whittier BIG IDEAS grant. The BIG IDEAS grant will provide funding of up to $4,000 for a period of up to one year to support a project or program that engages and strengthens the Whittier neighborhood in Minneapolis.
Any individual, business, student group, non-profit organization, or community group that proposes to do good work and have meaningful impact in the Whittier neighborhood is eligible to receive funding for their BIG IDEA. Grant funds will be available in their entirety at the beginning of the project. Last year, the Whittier community voted to award the 2017 BIG IDEAS grant to Trailhead Games. Trailhead creates and runs interactive role-playing games for summer camps and educational settings. They are currently in the process of engaging schools in the area that serve a high population of Whittier kids through their Clean Energy Future Game -- a hands-on learning opportunity that highlights the connectivity between our energy system, its current environmental impacts, and the importance of reducing our carbon footprint. In only their first run of the game, Trailhead has already received positive feedback: “The afternoon group (5th and 6th [grade]) staff and students were just raving about how great it was. Thank you so much for bringing us this incredible opportunity,” said one of the point people for Jefferson Elementary School. See here for more info, application materials & frequently asked questions. Contact us with additional questions!  Whittier, you created a Housing Issues Committee! A big thank you to everyone that came and contributed to our Visioning Sessions, served on the planning committee, helped facilitate, spread the word, door knocked, synthesized data, brought food, and shared your voice. This committee could not have been possible without all of you! The first official Committee Meeting will be June 18th, 6-8pm at a location to be determined. Participants will help write a job description for the Housing Issues Chair, establish meeting structure and schedule, and vote to elect the Chair. We hope to see you all there! In case you missed it, check out the notes below: 
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Upcoming Meetings//EventsEat Street Food, Music, & Arts Festival
Saturday, September 15, 1-9pm
On Nicollet Avenue, between 25th - 27th Streets 
Housing IssuesMonday, August 20
Black Forest Inn Banquet Room (1 E 26th St.) 6:30--8:00 pm Community IssuesMonday, September 10
Business Association
Wednesday, September 12
Glam Doll Donuts (2605 Nicollet Ave) 3:00--4:30 pm
Environmental Sustainability
No August Meeting
Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 26th 6:00--7:30 pm |
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