On Saturday, Sept. 5, the community of West Philadelphia received quite a treat with music, food, information and a variety of vendors looking to display their products.
The West Philadelphia Coalition of Neighborhood and Businesses presented the 20th Annual Neighborhood to Neighborhood Street Festival which took place between 49th and 52nd sts.and Baltimore Ave.
It was a time of outreach and togetherness. With gun violence continuing and creating an occasional war zone, the neighborhood was in need of a big hug.
The 2009 festival that was brought to the people of West Philadelphia by State Senator Anthony H. Williams, stretched its arms and embraced the community with this wonderful occasion.
Festival-goers were offered HIV rapid testing, face painting, Philadelphia Zoo on Wheels and also five hours worth of karaoke and line dancing. If you stopped for a moment by the karaoke station, you might have heard someone attempting to belt out Lauryn Hill’s song, “Ex Factor.”
Throughout the day, the main stage on the corner of 50th and Baltimore exposed people to a variety of sounds. The free event kicked off with performers like, Heaven Bound Gospel Singers, Moses Swaray and an appearance from the Calvary Baptist Church Praise Team. This year, a well-known talent would take the stage and give a grand performance.
I stopped a man who had a V.I.P. badge with Robin Thicke’s face on it. It was then that I knew he would definitely be there.
At 7 p.m. sharp, Thicke ran out of his trailer, ready to go. M.C. Al Butler announced the singer at which point the packed crowd screamed. Wearing a bomber jacket, a cool scarf as an accessory, with dark sunglasses to match, Thicke brought the “Magic.”
Just when the sun began to set, so did the mood. The crowd appeared to be mesmerized by the smooth vocals from the man of the hour. With his white microphone, he danced and threw items that he had touched out into the crowd as he sang favorites like, “Sweetest Love,” “Lost Without You,” and “Oh Shooter.” He even did an acapella version of “Come and Talk To Me” by R&B group Jodeci. Of his cover Thicke said, “This song made me want to sing.”
Thicke was genuinely an amazing performer. As he wrapped up his performance with Michael Jackson’s song “Rock With You,” I made it my business to stand by the metal fence where Robin Thicke had emerged from his trailer earlier.
After he left the stage he gave a quick wave to people waiting by the trailer. I thought to myself, ‘Is that it?’ Like a true stalker I asked a security guard on the other side of the fence, ‘Is he coming back out?’ He quickly replied, “Yes, he is changing his clothes.” The crowd around me cheered with delight, and a little boy about four years old began to chant “Robin Thicke. Robin Thicke,” in the sweetest voice.
His small chant must have worked because around 8:15 p.m., the singer returned to greet his fans.
It was a day that had been filled with smiles, songs and summer, from one corner to the next. For one day, a neighborhood was able to come together and not necessarily sing “Kumbaya,” but come to the realization that we don’t have to be divided, but we can be joined by something as small and simple as a smile, a song, and a bright September day.
You can contact Elishia Peterson at elishiapeterson@yahoo.com
