Tonight: A discussion on the East Village in the 1960s

Happening tonight from 7-9 at Howl! Happening — "Cary Abrams: The East Village in the 60s" ...

Panel Discussion with Penny Arcade, Agosto Machado, Ben Morea, and Robert Watlington

Many fondly look back on the 60s as the heyday of the East Village when throngs of youth descended on the neighborhood. Diggers arrived from San Francisco and opened a free store on East Tenth Street, Bill Graham turned a local theater into the Fillmore East, be-ins were held in Tompkins Square Park, and artists and craftsmen offered their wares in local shops.

The arts flourished during the period, as many influential theater, poetry, and dance groups formed which helped reshape American culture — and continue today. St. Mark’s Church became a focal point for poets, political activists, radical community organizing, and dance and theater groups. Ellen Stewart started Café La MaMa, presenting theatrical works in a basement on East Ninth Street. Rock music from the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane to The Group Image bellowed from the Tompkins Square bandshell at free concerts.

While the era has become mythologized over time, this evening Howl! Happening invites a panel of intrepid souls who lived in the East Village during the 1960s to reflect on their experiences.

Check the Howl! Happening website for more details and info on the panelists. The Howl! space is at 6 E. First St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.