Unity in the Community Festival
Unity in the Community Festival to be Held at Memorial Park
On Saturday, October 16, the Unity in the Community October Festival will take place at Memorial Park, 149 W. Penn Street, from 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM. Organized by local residents and business owners Lakeyva Davis and Aunye Stackfield, and community advocate TaWanda Stallworth, the event will highlight unity, minority-owned businesses, food vendors, and activities for families.
Event organizers, Davis and Stackfield, explained how the event came about, “As young mothers and small black business owners, we at Rebellious Roze felt the need to bring our community together in a positive way. We took it upon ourselves to organize the Unity in the Community Pop up shop events, to allow small black business owners and local small businesses a platform to showcase their businesses to the community. Our ultimate goal is to inspire and show our children and neighbors that together in unity we can all make a difference.”
In addition to a variety of food and business merchandise, musical entertainment, free games and several giveaways are currently planned. Attendees will also have a chance to show off their creativity in a Pumpkin Painting Contest. Representatives from Sadler Health Center will also be on hand to provide COVID-19 vaccines, screenings, and other health-related information.
“Having the festival at Memorial Park is itself meaningful. Although the memorial and remnants of the cemetery at the park continue to be a reminder of our past wrongs, an event like this where the community can support these business owners is important, particularly in the midst of a pandemic and economic downturn that has been especially detrimental to communities of color,” said Deputy Mayor Sean Shultz.
Mayor Scott added, “One of the highlights of the Unity in the Community Festival, is the chance to engage with local and regional minority-owned businesses. Small businesses and entrepreneurs have been longtime wealth builders for generations. By supporting more Black-owned companies, you can help create more opportunities for meaningful savings, property ownership, credit building, and generational wealth for black communities.”
At a neighborhood meeting in July, residents asked for more programming to be featured at the park and in the neighborhood. The Unity in the Community Festival is one such event that the organizers hope will bring families from the Carlisle region to the park for a day of unity and family fun.
West Penn Street will be closed at the intersections of North Pitt and North West Streets from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. the day of the event. Convenient parking is available on-street, at the “Cyberspace” building at 219 North Pitt Street (corner of West Penn and Pitt Streets), and at the Carlisle Police Department, 240 Lincoln Street.
Businesses wishing to participate in upcoming events may contact the event organizers at: rebelliousrozefashion@gmail.com
