Peace March Festival In Ann Arbor
The Michigan Peace March will be marching into Ann Arbor on Friday, July 31. To honor and thank them for their enormous effort toward a world free of nuclear weapons, local organizations and businesses are hosting the "Michigan Peace March Festival" on Saturday, August 1 (a nonmarch day) in West Park. If it rains, the Festival will be at Mack School.
The afternoon will kick off at the Miller entrance of the park with the Peace Garden Dedication at noon (initiated by Greenpeace). The Festival begins at 2 pm, featuring a light lunch and entertainment for the entire afternoon. The Festival is not a benefit, or an educational event, but a wonderful opportunity for the peace and justice community to celebrate and have fun together. By dancing and having fun we might provide not only the Peace Marchers with the momentum to finish their 700 miles, but ourselves with the momentum to continue working for peace and social justice. The Peace Marchers feel that Ann Arbor provides a great place to broaden their agenda from nuclear arms control to a larger one of peace and social justice. For this reason the Festival is being sponsored by a large base of community organizations that represents a broad political agenda.
The entertainment includes Collective Vision, a band that now originates from Cleveland but formed while on the Great Peace March last summer. The band has performed to widely varied audiences, from 15,000 at Lincoln Memorial to MTV. Collective Vision have shared the stage with favorites such as Holly Near, Peter Yarrow, Pete Seeger and Graham Nash. The band has just returned from the International Peace March from Leningrad to Moscow and should have many interesting stories to share.
Also performing are The Layabouts, an eight member band whose spirit and music reflect the ethnic backgrounds of its members. They are regulars on the Detroit circuit and were voted Detroit's Best Rock Band for 1986 by the Metro Times. Their "world beat" sound includes Latin, ska. reggae, and Zulú jive.
Dick Siegel will also be playing and needs very little introduction! The Festival may also be honored with one or two national celebritíes, but we can't say yet - keep watching! There will be a potluck to feed the marchers and the performers at St. Andrews, 306 N. Division, starting at 6 pm. We ask that everyone bring a dish for six to pass. Come and join us for a full day of fun with the Michigan Peace March! For more info. on marching, or helping cali Cynthia at 747-7539 or Kim at 663-1870. Also see CALENDAR for extensive Peace March happenings!