![](\"https:\/\/www.thevillagetrip.com\/festival\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Trippers-relax-in-the-Park-Liz-Thomson.jpg\" "\\"Trippers")
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Our second festival brought with it exciting new partnerships, including NYU<\/strong>, Joe\u2019s Pub<\/strong>, St John\u2019s in the Village<\/strong> and St Mark\u2019s in the Bowery<\/strong>, and new events \u2013 discussion of some of today\u2019s hot-button issues which have always been at the heart of the Village, and creative writing, with best-selling author Adriana Trigiani. Izzy Young, a catalytic figure in the folk music scene and a key figure in the Village\u2019s own free speech movement, was honoured, and Steve Earle offered the best of local history lessons during the course of a magnificent set in Washington Square Park.<\/p>\n As Artist Emeritus, David Amram was everywhere, playing, talking, encouraging, hanging out \u2013 just being David Amram, a man who has seen so much and worked with so many\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cThe possibilities for this festival are limitless and make it feasible for it to become an international event. This is what happened in the summer of 1957 when I was with the New Shakespeare Free Festival in the Park, as their first composer and music director. In spite of all the struggles, sixty-two years later this festival is bigger and better than ever.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Village Trip has the same mission.<\/p>\n \u201cTo uplift, to entertain and to celebrate the arts for all New Yorkers and their families and all people from around the world who come to visit New York City’s special oasis, Greenwich Village.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Many thanks to everyone who was involved in The Village Trip 219 \u2013 sponsors, partners, donors, supporters, and to all those who gave so generously of their time and expertise. Please know how much you are appreciated.<\/p>\n Heartfelt thanks too, of course, to all our wonderful performers. It was an honor to have you.<\/p>\n And thank you to all those who came \u2013 it wouldn\u2019t have been the same without you!<\/p>\n See you next year at The Village Trip 2020. Meanwhile, here’s a look back at 2019.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Village Trip was thrilled this year to have NYU as a partner<\/strong>, and the festival launched on Thursday evening with wine and speeches in the Bobst Library on Washington Square, where guests had a chance to enjoy the exhibition marking fifty years since Stonewell. Susan Abbe Rider, Director of Development in the Libraries Division, made the welcome speech, and introduced Liz Thomson, founder and Executive Producer of The Village Trip. She spoke about the festival and presented Artist Emeritus David Amram with a portrait by Rita Paul, the artist whose work is a signature feature of the nearby Washington Square Hotel, the festival founding partner and home base. David also received a Village Trip tour jacket, the festival\u2019s logo on the back and his title of Artist Emeritus on the front.<\/p>\n The fabled Bitter End<\/strong> on Bleecker Street was again the venue for The Village Trip Hootenanny, this year honouring the late and legendary Izzy Young, who played a formative role in the folk music scene in Greenwich Village. Tom Chapin was the host for an evening of heartfelt music-making featuring Martha Redbone, David Massengill, Diana Jones and David Amram, plus special guest Rory Block. The much-garlanded Blues Music Awards-winner grew up in the Village over her father Allan Block\u2019s Sandal Shop on West 4th Street, a social and musical mecca. Erik Frandsen, whose Village roots also run deep \u2013 he was an old friend of Dave van Ronk, and worked with the\u00a0Coen Brothers\u00a0on\u00a0Inside Llewyn Davis<\/em> \u2013 joined them on stage for a song.<\/p>\n This year the festival introduced two social justice seminars, a strand it plans to develop. The first, sponsored by Grove Atlantic Publishing, which was founded on Grove Street and is still based in the Village, examined subtle censorship and the erosion of first amendment rights. The lively Friday evening discussion took place in the Jefferson Market Library, which was once a courthouse, and was chaired by Grove publisher George Gibson.<\/p>\n Another seminar, in partnership with NYU Library, took place in the University\u2019s Avery Fisher Center, where a panel led by Donna Keren and featuring Merryn Johns, Chris Heywood and Adam Groffman addressed the question \u201cLGBTQ in the media \u2013 better or worse since Stonewall?\u201d<\/p>\n Creative writing was another new element at TVT 2019. The star turn was internationally best-selling author Adriana Trigiani, who led a packed session at the Jefferson Market Library. The audience sat riveted as she told them how her own writing career started, showing them how they too could draw on what\u2019s inside, and what\u2019s around them, to write. There was also a session with Richard Major at St John\u2019s in the Village.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Artist Emeritus David Amram<\/strong> introduced some of his Greenwich Village-inspired chamber music in a Saturday afternoon concert, also at St John\u2019s in the Village. Three distinguished musicians \u2013 violinist Elmira Darvarova<\/strong>, French horn player Howard Wall<\/strong>, and pianist Thomas Weaver<\/strong>, who came up specially from Philadelphia \u2013 performed works including \u201cBlues and Variations for Monk\u201d, \u201cElegy for Violin and Piano\u201d and \u201cBulgarian Wedding\u201d. (Saxophonist Kenneth Radnofsky<\/strong> had been due to play but was sadly felled by illness, from which he is now happily recovered).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bringing It All Back Home to Washington Square took place in Washington Square Park on Saturday afternoon beneath a hot September sun. Guitarist Marc Ribot<\/strong> opening the proceedings, which also showcased The Tall Pines<\/strong> and guests including Mary Lee Kortes<\/strong> and Tammy Faye Starlight<\/strong>. Steve Earle<\/strong> headlined, very much on home turf \u2013 he lives a couple of blocks from the Park. He opened by saying \u201cI\u2019ve waited fourteen years to sing this song in Washington Square Park\u201d, launching into Woody Guthrie\u2019s \u201cThis Land is Your Land\u201d and providing between songs highlights of Greenwich Village history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The New School\u2019s all-star band closed out Saturday with a concert in the University\u2019s 13th Street Performance Space. The line-up featured Edward Neumeister<\/strong> on trombone, Nir Felder<\/strong> on guitar, Andy McKee<\/strong> on bass and Jeff Siegel<\/strong> on drums. Special guest was New York City sax legend Roy Nathanson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This year The Village Trip also presented a number of events with the Poetry Project at St Mark\u2019s in the Bowery<\/strong> and Joe\u2019s Pub at the Public Theater.<\/strong><\/p>\nNYU Launch<\/h2>\n
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The Village Trip Hootenanny<\/h2>\n
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Social Justice Seminars<\/h2>\n
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Creative Writing Seminars<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nA Celebration of Greenwich Village
\nChamber Music Compositions by David Amram<\/h2>\n<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nBringing It All Back Home to Washington Square<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nJazz In The Village<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nThe Village Trip in Partnership<\/h2>\n