Photos by Stacie Joy
A coalition of community organizations, faith communities and local residents came together yesterday to celebrate Three Kings Day (Los Reyes Magos).
The festivities started with a procession — featuring the Batalá New York percussion ensemble — from the Loisaida Community Center on Ninth Street and Avenue C.
The procession stopped outside the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center on Ninth Street, which included an appearance by longtime neighborhood activist Chino García, co-founder of Charas...
The final destination was St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue at 10th Street ...
... for a production of "Gifts of the Magi," written by local activist Angie Hernández, which tells "a story of the nativity that celebrates Puerto Rican culture and the rich history of Loisaida."
And making a return appearance on this occasion was the crowd-pleasing Chesney the camel...
This event was produced by a team of volunteers from the community with support from St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery, Henry Street Settlement, L.E.S. CommUnity Concerns, the Loisaida Center, Save Our Storefronts, Trinity Lower East Side, JoeyBats Cafe, The March Hare, CONBODY, Exit9, La Sirena and Assemblymember Harvey Epstein's office, among others.
