Longmont celebrates AAPI culture as Summer on the Streets returns – Boulder Daily Camera

In most cities in America, if you were to walk downtown on a hot summer weekend and saw the term SOS written on various blackboards and flyers all over town, you would probably be very worried.

However, if you are a visitor to Longmont this weekend, have no fear that the locals and craftsmen will instead send out a secret distress signal, they are celebrating the first weekend of Summer on the Streets, aka S.O.S.

Summer on the Streets is a series of mini-festivals, set to take place the second weekend of each month from May through August, hosted by Firehouse Art Center.

The idea for the festival began during the pandemic, proposed as a way to ease the economic pressure felt by both local artists and downtown businesses after months of restrictions and closures, hence the SOS acronym.

We wanted to revitalize the community, support the local economy and connect creatives (artists, musicians, artisans and performers) to their audiences, said Elaine Waterman, Executive Director of the Firehouse Art Center.

On May 13, the first SOS of the season will bring together an array of local artists, food vendors and musicians on 4th and Main Street. The festival will feature live music, dance performances, food trucks and activities for adults, children and pedestrians.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so the inaugural Summer on the Streets festival will honor all artists, food vendors, and AAPI artists participating in the festival.

Cultural fare will be available at local Asian American restaurant Rising Tiger known for its delicious brunch at the Longmont Farmers Market and Indian food brought to you by local Nepalese cultural events group Nepali Jatra, which will also feature performances by Nepali dancers Samriddhi Singh , Rehanna Karki, Erika Shrestha and Shreya Sharma.

Attendees can join in the fun craft with Waterman, who is Filipino, for a tote bag printing activity using the sun and stars from the Philippine flag.

In addition to the AAPI celebration, the festival will also feature the Firehouse Songwriters, a group of musicians (Helen Peterson, Antonio Lopez and Tim Merkel) who will perform live at the Firehouse Art Center. There will also be ceramists, painters, knitters, soap makers and a variety of different art demonstrations.

For ceramist Julie Threatte, Saturday will be her artisanal debut at Summer on the Streets.

Threatte, a former professional violist, started ceramics a few months ago in December and joined the Firehouse Art Center as a member artist.

I love the fire station so much,” Threatte said. “I’ve lived in Longmont for seven years, and it wasn’t until I became a ceramist that I even discovered the Fire Station. They do so much for Longmont.

The Firehouse Art Center serves as a gallery, studio and classroom space for professional artists and budding designers. Along with Summer on the Streets, Firehouse is responsible for several Longmont festivals and art installations throughout the city, including Artwalk Longmont.

As a novice in the world of art, Threatte has certainly evolved into the world of ceramics. For one thing, she’s now the master of the oven at Firehouse, and her mastery of the craft has earned her a booth at Summer on the Streets nearly every month this summer (except July).

I went too far with ceramics,” Threatte said with a laugh. “My booth has just expanded to two tables because all my stuff doesn’t fit on one.

The Threattes stand will showcase a range of mugs, bowls, teapots, as well as ceramic earrings and other jewelry.

Ceramics is much more fun than music, because if you play out of tune or the wrong note in classical music, it’s objectively out of tune,” Threatte said. “But with visual arts, it’s all good, and you can just delve into some aesthetically unpleasant things and they’re still delicious.”

In addition to learning about art vendors, attendees at this year’s festivals can take part in hands-on activities, including the increasingly popular sport of ax throwing on a moving truck, various art demonstrations, and opportunities to artistic creation.

Waterman said she was thrilled to see the community come out and flourish for this summer festival season.

I really like it when people stick around all the time soaking up the atmosphere, hanging out with friends and family, dancing to the music, enjoying the food and feeling like part of the community,” Waterman said.