The Historic Virginia Key Beach Park (HVKBP) will host the 1st Annual GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance in February to celebrate diversity in music, dance and the arts for 4 days on the grounds of this historic landmark.
Music and art lovers will experience everything from crafts exhibits and live art to music workshops and performances. Visitors will enjoy Bluegrass – Hip Hop – Latin – Roots Rock – Reggae and Zydeco musical performances by talents like international reggae artist Mishka, Bluegrass favorites Willie Watson & the Evil City Stringband, hip hop group ArtOfficial, Afro-Peruvian rapper Immortal Technique, Miami’s Latin bilingual band Locos Por Juana, and 13 year-old R&B sensation, Gibbor Green. For 4 days on 4 stages, with over 50 bands performing, there is sure to be something for everyone. Festival organizer Emma Hewitt states, “Every GrassRoots Festival offers a chance to hear not just the music you know you’ll enjoy, but to discover something new. People walk away having fallen in love with bands and genres they might never have found on their own. No other music festival has offered that type of diversity in Miami before.”
The Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance FEB 9th – 12th, 2012 from Damian Martorana.
The historic significance of the site resonated with the organizers of the GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance, especially during February, Black History Month. HVKBP was established in the 1940’s as Miami-Dade County’s segregated beach, the only place people of color could gather to enjoy beach recreation. Its dance pavilion, carousel, and mini-train made it a popular destination for residents and tourists. After years of disrepair following desegregation, the site has been reclaimed by a group of dedicated local citizens committed to preserving both the park and its legacy of community celebration.
In keeping with the site’s history of celebration and recreation, the GrassRoots Festival creates a multi-cultural event in a family-friendly, all-inclusive environment. For more information about tickets for the Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance call (786) 332-4630 or visit us at http://www.virginiakeygrassroots.org.
