The Allston DIY Fest has been held for the past three consecutive summers in Ringer Park in Allston, behind the Jackson Mann Community Center. It has quickly become a tradition here in Allston: a family-friendly and multi-cultural music and arts festival that celebrates and reflects our diverse community.
A collective of Allston residents have been planning for the DIY Fest’s fourth year since November 2012. However this year, to our dismay, our permits were denied by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, based on several noise complaints from neighbors. A similar event was also scheduled to be held in Ringer Park this summer and was denied permitting as well. We need resident support in order to go forward.
This year’s festival--should our permits be approved--will be comprised of neighbors, local musicians and artists, Boston Public School students and their families, as well as local organizations and community based charities. If the community can’t use the park, who can--and what is it there for? This is a petition not just for our festival, but for all events in the park.
There is a rich history of cultural and community events in Ringer Park. The park was used, during the days of Kevin White’s administration, for cultural events under the “Summerthing” project, which brought Bo Diddley, The Byrds, and Chuck Berry to Ringer Park. Allston’s moniker is supposedly “Rock City” - even the Boston Fire Department is currently selling shirts using this nickname as a fundraising tool. Let us continue to uphold the traditions of the neighborhood, by providing free, not-for-profit cultural events through legal channels.
