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Puppets
and Ladybugs in Washington Market Park
Photos by Carl Glassman
It just keeps getting bigger and better. The fourth annual Spring Popcorn
and Puppet Festival on May 17, organized by Liz Liebeskind for the Washington
Market Park’s board of directors, featured two new bands, four puppet
plays, two giant wandering puppets, including (at left) Baboo (Vinny Lovejoy)
of the Toe Jam Puppet Band, and the Ralph Lee puppets (at right). For the
finale, the Circus Amok Band struck up a tune and the kids marched through
the park in their own puppet pageant. Through it all, Erin Aries lounged
on the lawn with her husband Dominique and two year-old-son Sasha. “It’s
just incredibly magical,” she said.
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Compared to last year, there were only half as
many bugs in attendance at the annual Ladybug Day held Friday
morning, May 16. A mere 19,000 were on hand (and on sleeves,
sidewalks, grass, gardens and just about everywhere else in
Washington Market Park that day). But there were more than enough
aphid-eaters to help protect the park’s greenery, and sufficient
numbers for the 37 classes of children from Downtown nursery
and elementary schools to study with the intense interest of
practiced entomologists.
Every kid, like Layla Ruby, a P.S. 234 kindergartner in photo
at left, got a |
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magnifying glass to observe the critters
close up. Many of the children also decorated the park and themselves
with bug art.
“It is such a nice and fun day,” said Elya Inbar, a P.S.
234 kindergartner, “and it is good for the ladybugs’ health.”
The event was organized by Fraya Berg and Karen Brodsky of the park’s
board of directors.
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