By Gazette Staff
On Saturday, May 2, Jamaica Plain will once again host its most iconic spring ritual: the 48th Annual Wake Up the Earth Festival. While thousands of residents now gather for the music, puppets, and food, the event remains a vital lesson for neighborhood youth in the power of grassroots activism.
The festival was born in 1979 as a victory celebration after a strong community movement, led by the South-West Corridor Coalition, successfully halted plans to extend Interstate 95 through the heart of Jamaica Plain and Roxbury. Instead of an eight-lane highway, the neighborhood reclaimed the land for the green spaces we enjoy today, including the Southwest Corridor Park.
This year’s celebration begins with two separate youth-led parades. The Curtis Hall parade will depart from Centre Street at 10:30 AM, while the Egleston Square parade leaves Robert Lawson Park at 11:00 AM. Both processions converge at the Stony Brook T station area, transforming the park into a massive stage for Afro-Latin music, puppet pageants, and local vendors from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. For families wanting to get involved early, Spontaneous Celebrations (45 Danforth St.) is hosting a “Festival Setup Night” for volunteers on May 1 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM to help prepare banners and logistics.