Che Baraka, Bertha Walters, Bed-Vyne Wine, Rashid Davis and Arafat Sapey to receive
Tohma Faulkner Awards
The Bed-Stuy Alive! Collective is proud to present the 9th Annual Bed-Stuy Alive! Week celebration, scheduled to take place from Saturday, October 12th to Saturday, October 19th. The highlights will be the Tohma Faulkner Awards ceremonies, Third Annual Food and Family Day, Restoration Rocks and Savor Bed-Stuy.
The Collective includes: Bridge Street Development Corporation, Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, the Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Inc., Community Board 3, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Artists’ Association, Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Gateway Business Improvement District, 500 Men Making a Difference and the Coalition for the Improvement of Bedford-Stuyvesant.
“We are pleased to be a part of this event, which will showcase our great businesses, restaurants, artists and homes,” stated Emilio Dorcely, Executive Director of Bridge Street. The week is designed to promote economic development, neighborhood pride, tourism, the community’s cultural richness and the unique heritage and diversity of the people who live in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
The excitement begins on October 12th with the Gala Kickoff Street Festival, which will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Fulton Street between Marcy and Brooklyn Avenues.
October 12
TOHMA Y. FAULKNER AWARDS
The 10:00 a.m. Opening Ceremony is a special time that is set aside to honor the community’s best with the 5th Annual Tohma Y. Faulkner Community Awards. Honorees this year are: Arts and Culture Trailblazer – Artist Che Baraka, Economic Development Trailblazer – Bertha Walters, Owner of Bertha’s Catering and Restaurant, New Entrepreneur – Bed-Vyne Wine, Outstanding Education – Rashid Davis, Principal of Pathways in Technology Early College High School, Youth Achievement – Arafat Sapey.
THIRD ANNUAL FOOD AND
FAMILY DAY and RESTORATION ROCKS FILL THE DAY
All day, Fulton Street will be filled with a dizzying array of activities for everyone to enjoy. Restoration Rocks takes the stage at 12 noon with a jamming concert that will feature Big Daddy Kane. The lineup also includes: Chrisette Michelle, Maya Azucena with special guest DJ Questlove and actor/singer Leon as host.
The Third Annual Bed-Stuy Food and Family Day will be a part of the festivities for the first time. Sponsored by the Coalition for the Improvement of Bedford-Stuyvesant, the packed lineup of activities will include the popular Super Foodtown Tour with Free Giveaways, cooking workshops and a fun-filled grilling competition. A farmers’ market, health screenings and information from municipal and civic organizations will reflect this year’s theme – Live Healthy, Live Well, Live Green. Adding to the mix will be the delicious flavors of the Savor Bed-Stuy Food Court, the lively Children’s Village, brimming with games, face-painting, a rockwall and fun-time learning experiences. The colorful Bed-Stuy Marketplace will be a shopper’s paradise featuring a bounty of handcrafted wares from local artisans.
October 13
32nd Annual 10K Run, Walk and Ride
Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation will present the 32nd Annual 10K Community Run, Walk and Ride. One of NYC’s premiere 10Ks, the race welcomes people of all ages and fitness levels. Registration begins at 8am with the race starting promptly at 10am. A Kiddie Run, Awards Ceremony and post-race refreshments will follow.
October 14th
Light the Path Night
Members of block and tenant associations, as well as individual residents, will be asked to place a candle in their windows as a sign of encouragement for all of the children as they begin a new school year. “As ‘elders in the village’, we must continue to shine the light on pathways that lead to quality education, viable jobs, good citizenship, caring neighbors and loving families. That is the legacy that has sustained Bedford-Stuyvesant and made it strong”, said Dordy Jourdain, Executive Director of the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA.
Thursday, October 17th
Restaurants will welcome guests for a Taste of Soul adventure.
Friday, Oct. 18
Savor Bed-Stuy
The Savor Bed-Stuy event will have a rich taste of soul, as foodies from all over are invited to dine at old favorites and sample some of the neighborhood’s newest eateries. Also on Friday, October 18th, A Sip of Soul will introduce visitors to a few of Bed-Stuy’s best wine bars that will present special wines from Africa among their offerings. “The Bed-Stuy Gateway Business Improvement District (BID) is proud to support this year’s Bed-Stuy Alive! events through the promotion of many local restaurants and eateries within the BID and the greater Bedford-Stuyvesant community during Savor Bed-Stuy. Savor Bed-Stuy will allow these businesses to showcase cuisine options that many have come to equate with Bedford-Stuyvesant’s rich and diverse culture of available food experiences,” stated Michael Lambert, Executive Director of the Gateway BID. Information about participating businesses can be found on the Web at bed-stuyalive.org.
October 19th
The 9th Annual Studio Strut
The Bedford-Stuyvesant Artists’ Association will present the 9th Annual Studio Strut from 12pm through 6pm. This free, self-guided tour showcases the works of several gifted fine artists in settings throughout the neighborhood. Begin by picking up your map at Zion Gallery, 152 MacDonough Street. For more information visit http://www.besaa.org/.
35th Annual House Tour of Bedford-Stuyvesant
Sponsored by The Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant, the 35th Annual House Tour of Bedford-Stuyvesant will take place from 9am through 5pm, delighting visitors with a look inside some of the community’s historic brownstones. Tickets for the tour can be purchased at Boys and Girls High School, Fulton Street between Schenectady and Albany Avenues. Proceeds from the tour support college scholarships for high school graduates. Visit www.brownstonersofbedstuy.org for more information.
“Bed-Stuy Alive! builds on the work of so many residents from all walks of life who dedicated themselves to the ongoing revitalization of our community. With the Tohma Y. Faulkner Awards, we honor their spirit. We hope folks from all over will come out and take part in the exciting October 12th Kickoff, and come back again and again for the happenings during the week of celebration,” said Brenda Fryson, Chair of Bed-Stuy Alive! 2013.”