May - Albany Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce

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Tulips and theaterAlbany’s Washington Park hosts popular Tulip Festival and entertaining Park PlayhouseWashington Park in the City of Albanywill take center stage once again thisMother’s Day weekend when the 63rdAnnual Albany Tulip Festival takes placeMay 6-8.Tulip Festival kicks off a busy springand summer in Washington Park, as ParkPlayhouse, Inc. returns for its 23rdseason, with an entertaining lineup ofmusical theater through July and August.Spring has arrived, and summer isn’ttoo far behind, if Tulip Festival and ParkPlayhouse are on people’s minds.“Tulip Festival has been held inWashington Park since 1950, and we lovethe space,” said Jason Bonafide, publicrelations coordinator for the City of AlbanyOffice of Special Events. “It’s a great wayto get people to use the space, come intoour city and have WashingtonPark be the face of it.”More than 200,000 tulips will be in bloom during Tulip Fest“It’s a great way to get people to use the space, come intoour city and have Washington Park be the face of it.Tulip Festival is Albany’s signaturespring event, featuring annual traditionsrooted in Albany’s rich heritage. Thereare more than 100 artisans selling theirhandmade crafts, a fine arts show, deliciousfood, the KidZone family fun destination,two stages of world-class live entertainmentand thousands of tulips –– more than200,000, to be exact, making Albany theperfect place to celebrate Mother’s Dayweekend, year after year.“For most people, the main attractionis the tulips themselves,” Bonafide said.“Our city gardener, Judy Stacey, andher crew plant more than 200,000 tulipsthroughout the city, which is quite anundertaking. It’s very impressive that thetulips come up at just the right time.”Tulip Festival weekend kicks off atnoon on Friday, May 6 with the traditionalDutch practice of scrubbing the streetsand features a Mayoral Proclamation, theAlbany Police Pipes & Drums, the DutchSettlers Society, the 2011 Tulip Queen”Finalists and a performance of the NationalAnthem by 11-year-old singing sensationAnthony Gargiula.The Tulip Queen Coronation takesplace at noon on Saturday, May 7. “Thistradition goes back to 1949, and theTulip Queen works with the mayor onliteracy projects and does a lot to serve ourcommunity,” Bonafide said.Various musical acts perform on themain stage, the amphitheatre stage and theKidZone stage throughout Tulip Festivalweekend, which will culminate with thepresentation of the 13th Annual Motherof the Year Award at noon on Sunday,May 8. The contest celebrates motherswho are committed to their families andtheir communities while serving as positiverole models and touching the lives of thosearound them.Tulip Festival is a rite of spring forAlbany residents and visitors alike, and theinflux of attendees of all ages makes for afestive, fun-filled affair.8 | acchamber.org | techvalley.org
“It’s great to look forward to,especially after a hard winter,” Bonafidesaid. “We anticipate 80,000 visitors for theweekend, including international visitors.It’s the unofficial start of the warm weatherseason in Albany.”For more information on the 63rdAnnual Albany Tulip Fest, visitwww.albanyevents.org.Opening nightThere’s a rite of summer that occurs inWashington Park, as well, with the openingof Park Playhouse, Inc. each July.“We all take pride in the fact thatwe’ve been able to keep free theater goingfor more than 20 years,” said Owen Smith,producing artistic director. “A programsuch as Park Playhouse contributes to ourregion’s quality of life and demonstratesthat we have a vibrant arts scene.”Its 23rd season begins July 19 with“The Producers,” which runs throughAugust 14. In addition, Park PlayhouseKids will present “Annie,” beginning July26, and Park Playhouse II will present“Thoroughly Modern Mille,” beginningAugust 3.For years, Park Playhouse has beenthought of as free theater in WashingtonPark, which is what the organization wasfounded to do; however, for the past 15years, Park Playhouse also has been a majorforce of arts education in the area.“Not as many people know aboutthat,” Smith said. “Park Playhouse II putson youth productions, as a preshow tothe main stage show. It’s a comprehensiveworkshop program, with courses in acting,audition and improvisation.”2010 Tulip Queen Mishka GilkesSince 2006, Park Playhouse hasoffered Park Playhouse Kids, an afterschoolprogram in each of Albany’s threemiddle schools. “We provide them with a12-week theater program that culminates ina show,” Smith said. “This summer, therewill also be a Park Playhouse Kids Summerprogram for children ages 9-12 throughPark Playhouse II, with three weeks ofrehearsals culminating in a one-week runon the Park Playhouse main stage.”Smith grew up with Park Playhouseand Park Playhouse II and directedseveral productions in recent years beforebecoming its producing artistic director lastyear. “We needed to get new life injectedinto the company and get the word out,” hesaid. “This place had been a big part of mylife, and I was interested in seeing it flourishand succeed.”Last year’s production, “Annie GetYour Gun,” generated a lot of positiveword-of-mouth, and Smith was pleasedwith the response.“The buzz we heard was that audiencemembers were seeing a difference,” hesaid. “Our big focus last year was on theartistic product and putting on the bestpossible show we could. Park Playhousefeels different the minute that audiencemembers walk in, and we’re focused oncreating a positive experience.”Despite increases in attendance andrevenue last year, Park Playhouse saw itsfunding reduced by the City of Albany,along with other major arts organizationsin the area, due to budget constraints.Nevertheless, Park Playhouse continuesto thrive, thanks to the support it stillreceives from the City of Albany and thecommunity.“Mayor Jennings really cares aboutthe arts, and he’s been a great supporter,”Smith said. “We wouldn’t be here ifit weren’t for the business community.People have thought incorrectly that ParkPlayhouse is a city agency, but we’re not.They’re starting to understand the wholestory and that they have a responsibilityto keep Park Playhouse going. There’sa change in the way that companies arespending their corporate dollars, and it’sour job to react to the changing landscape.“We serve 55,000 to 60,000 peoplea year, and we’re trying to continue thetrend of getting our name out there. ParkPlayhouse isn’t just free theater; we’remaking the arts accessible to as manypeople as we can. We’re not necessarilydoing less, we’re doing more.”For more information on ParkPlayhouse, visit www.parkplayhouse.com. •The cast of “Annie Get Your Gun” performs in 2010May 2011 | VISIONS | 9
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May - Albany Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce

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