WXPN is sponsoring the Shadfest!

Excellent news in Fishtown Shadfest land!

WXPN Welcomes Fishtown Shadfest! XPN will be sponsoring this year's Shadfest with help programming the music, broadcasting from the festival, and helping to promote the event. This will really help with this year's fest and we are delighted to have WPXN on board. They will be helping curate the music program with their program in partnership with Weathervane Music called "Shaking Through".

'Shaking Through' is a curated series of audio and video recordings featuring our favorite independent artists, their music, and artfully produced video of the recording sessions that went into making that music. Each selected artist has the opportunity to record a new song in a high-end studio with noted engineers and producers. The sessions take place over two days including the recording, mixing and video. The process is shot with cinematic flair in HD video, giving the audience an exciting and intimate window on the artist's process, and giving the artist a powerful showcase for their artistic vision. 'Shaking Through" is a collaborative effort of Weathervane Music and WXPN radio in Philadelphia.

The Strapping Fieldhands will be the Shaking Through Artist at the Shadfest this year, along with local sweethearts- Birdie Busch and Blood Feathers.

SAVE THE DATE! 2010 Shad Fest

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
The 2010 Fishtown Shad Fest will be held Saturday April 24th 2010 in the glorious Penn Treaty Park in historic Fishtown, Philadelphia, PA.
Please save the date April 24th 2010!

If you are interested in getting involved with the fest, please contact Kathryn at 215 427 0350 x120 or email her at kdoherty AT nkcdc.org. We need sponsors, vendors, bands, food, volunteers and more!

Sponsor Information is here

For photos of 2009's fest by all sorts of attendees, check them out on Flickr Here
photo by Tom Eubig

What is Shad?

Shad is a type of fish that once was very common in the Philadelphia region. Fishtown relied on this fish for their economic sustenance in the colonial times and up through the first world war. One year over 4 million fish were caught from the Delaware river, but the fish has not always been that plentiful. Like many fish now, shad is over fished, but in 1806 overfishing of shad was so drastic the state of Pennsylvania had to ban the use of gill nets. The fish can still be had, but not from any local rivers, most Shad commercially available is from the West Coast.

In 1686 William Penn described Shad “Shads are excellent fish and of the Bigness of our Carp: They are so plentiful, that Captain Smyth’s Overseer at the Skulkil, drew 600 and odd at one Draught; 300 is no wonder; 100 familiarly. They are excellent Pickled or Smokt’d, as well as boyld fresh; they are caught by nets only.” (from Kenneth Milano’s website http://www.kennethwmilano.com/)

The Fishtown Shad Fest in 2009 will be a celebration of a fish that was so important to our neighborhood and city’s history and economy.

Events

WHEN: SATURDAY APRIL 24th 11am-6pm
WHERE: At Penn Treaty Park at Delaware and Columbia Sts.

The Shad Fest will have many events through out the day and we really have something for everyone. The fest runs from 11am-6pm with food and arts vendors all day.

We are still working out the day's schedule but to give you a taste we have-

• Local Arts & Crafts Vendors
• Food Vending- Shadfish from Johnny Brenda's Tavern, Cosmic Catering and Festival Foods
  
• Live Local Music featuring "Shaking Through" Artist- The Strapping Field Hands , Birdie Busch and local sweethearts Blood Feathers,
• WXPN will be broadcasting live from the Shadfest
• Kids Activities including a moonbounce
• Environmental and community groups such as PHS, The East Coast Greenway, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the Bicycle Coalition, Fishtown Neighbors Association, Girls Rock Philly, Sustainable 19125 and more!
  
• Environmental and Historic Displays
  
• A Historic Scavenger Hunt ending at the Fest
• A tour of the park's history with Historian Ken Milano
  
• Valet Bike Parking by Neighborhood Bike Works all day long

Blood Feathers www.bloodfeathers.com

















Birdie Busch


















Shaking Through is a production through WXPN and Weathervane Music
The Strapping Fieldhands www.strappingfieldhands.com

Fishtown

From Wikipedia-
Fishtown is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Located immediately northeast of Center City, its borders are somewhat disputed today due to many factors, but are roughly defined by the triangle created by the Delaware River, Frankford Avenue, and York Street. Some newer residents expand the area to Lehigh Avenue, while some older residents shrink the area to Norris Street. It is served by the Market–Frankford Line rapid transit subway/elevated of the SEPTA system.

The name "Fishtown" is derived from the area's former role as the center of the shad fishing industry on the Delaware River. The name comes from the fact that a number of 18th and early 19th century German & German-American families bought up the fishing rights on both sides of the Delaware River from Trenton Falls down to Cape May, New Jersey. Also, in the early 18th century, an English colonist was fabled to have caught the largest shad in the world in the Delaware River.

The apocryphal local legend traces the name of Fishtown to Charles Dickens who purportedly visited the neighborhood in March 1842, but records show this to be false, as it was named Fishtown prior to his visiting.

Today the area is home to artists and musicians in addition to historic blue collar residents- nurses, roofers, metal workers, contractors, etc. The area has seen an influx of new businesses like restaurants, bars, art galleries and other basic services. For a complete list of the neighborhood businesses visit www.nkcdc.org

Vendors

We are ready to start accepting vendor applications for 2010!

The Shadfest has a variety of fine arts and craft vendors as well as environmental advocacy and educational groups that attend the fest. Local Businesses also attend to spread the word about their products or services.

Arts and Business vendors must fill out an application and pay a $50 table fee. Tables are available to be rented from us for an additional $10.
Non-profit groups can apply to be at the fest free of charge, and can also rent a table for $10.

Please download the Arts/crafts vendor application PDF here.
Please download the Non-Profit form here.


QUESTIONS:

If you are an artist or craftsperson, please email Minna
aaparytistudiosATyahoo.com

If you are a business or non-profit organization, please email kathryn to get on the list kdoherty AT nkcdc.org.


Some past arts vendors :

Aaparyti Studio











Grasshopper


Jeff Kilpatrick

Julianna Lose



Outlaw Print Company

and many many more!

Educational and info groups include:

New Jersey Academy of Aquatic Sciences, Indepenance Sea Port Museum , Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, The Nature Conservancy, Pennslvania Environmental Council, Portside Arts Center, Walking Fish Theatre, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Neighborhood Bike Works, East Coast Greenway and more!

Sponsor the 2010 Shadfest!

The Fishtown Shad Fest is now accepting sponsors.

The Shad Fest is not only an educational event about the River, but we want to spread the word on our wonderful local and regional businesses too! There are many ways for your business or organization to be involved in the putting on the fest. Please download the Sponsor information here.

If you have questions about donating In-Kind products or services, please contact Kathryn Doherty-Chapman directly at 215 427 0350 x 120.


2010 Sponsors: