Hyjinx: An Old Fashioned Block Party with a Hip New Beat

by Amy Kolb Noyes

Last fall, students from the Peoples Academy Career Academy of the Arts
decided it might be cool to organize a community-wide block party. The
idea started out fairly simply, with a couple of students sharing
memories of block parties they had down in Massachusetts, before moving
to Vermont. As the school year went on, the project grew in scope and
took on a life of its own.
Next week, over six months of brainstorming, grant writing, publicizing
and organizing will result in "Hyjinx," a community arts festival. The
festival begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 21, activities and performances
are planned to continue until about 10:30 p.m.
Chase Wilkinson is one of the students who shared stories of the block
parties from his old neighborhood, and one of less than a dozen Career
Academy students putting Hyjinx together. He explained, in
Massachusetts, they used to block off the roads and have a party in the
street. Because Morrisville's downtown is comprised of major
throughways, the students decided to hold their block party on school
property.
Chase said the goal with Hyjinx is to have something for everyone in the
community. "We're just trying to get the community and the teachers and
students involved in a common effort," he explained.
One of their first tasks was to win the approval of the powers that be.
The students gave presentations pitching Hyjinx to the school board, the
selectboard, the faculty at each of the Morristown schools, school
administrators and to River Arts.
In addition to organizing a community festival, the Career Academy
students have also organized a Bread & Puppet residency at Peoples
Academy next week. The residency will culminate with a free performance
at Hyjinx.
Career Academy students sent a survey out to 120 students enrolled in
the six classes that will be involved in the week-long residency. The
surveys polled students on what overall theme they would like to explore
with Bread & Puppet. The students organized the budget and materials
that will be needed for the residency, and are responsible for the
entire event, according to Career Academy of the Arts advisor Dorinne
Dorfman.
Each Career Academy student is working on a specific Hyjinx task, be it
lining up entertainment, activities, vendors and the like. Ryan Thompson
is working with vendors. She said local businesses from around Lamoille
County, and as far away as Williston, will be setting up tables at Hyjinx.
Family activities will begin at 4 p.m. on May 21. Many of the organized
activities will be geared toward the youngest participants. There will
also be organized games, such as Ultimate Frisbee.
Performances start at 5:15, with the Bread & Puppet show. At 7 p.m., in
the cafeteria, the PA Drama Club will perform "Hard Knock Café." While
the Hyjinx festival is free and open to everyone, advanced tickets must
be purchased for the drama club performance.
At 8:30 p.m. headliners Lambsbread, a popular local reggae band, will be
giving a concert. The show will be free to the public, thanks to the
efforts of Chase Wilkinson and Evan Smith who successfully wrote a
$1,300 grant to bring the band to Morrisville.
In addition to local food vendors, the rebuilt PA bread oven will be
fired up for the occasion. So bring your family and your appetite to
Peoples Academy next Friday, May 21, and see what a determined group of
students can accomplish!