Marco Polo Festival 2014

October 16 – 23, 2014

CONCEPT OVERVIEW & EVENT INFORMATION

As Seen in the NY Daily News, AM new York, and the Atlantic

INTRODUCTION

The annual Marco Polo Festival sponsored by Two

Bridges Neighborhood Council symbolically

celebrates the special relationship between the

Chinese & Italian-American communities of

Manhattan’s Chinatown & Little Italy. The festival

invokes the story of the Silk Road, where the

ancient markets of Europe and Asia met, marking a

new beginning of world commerce and cultural

exchange.

In 2009, Two Bridges sponsored the designation of

the Chinatown & Little Italy Historic District, New

York City’s only National Register Historic District

that recognizes two unique cultural communities.

This single district, encompassing the historic cores

of both Little Italy and Chinatown, acknowledges

the long and ongoing relationship of these two

vibrant and dynamic immigrant neighborhoods.

Now its sixth year, the multi-day Marco Polo

Festival serves as the preeminent New York City

occasion to celebrate the rich heritage of Asian

& Italian history and culture.

Lion Dancers & the Red Mike Festival Band at the Hester Street Stage.

MARCO POLO FESTIVAL | OCTOBER 2014 | PG 1

The audience at the Hester Street Stage

THE CHINATOWN & LITTLE

ITALY HISTORIC DISTRICT

The Chinese and Italian communities have co-

existed and overlapped for nearly a century and a

half within the historic boundaries of Mott and

Mulberry Streets, and the intersecting cross streets.

To illuminate the common heritage and shared

future of two of New York City’s most iconic

immigrant communities, Two Bridges

Neighborhood Council spearheaded the successful

nomination of the Chinatown & Little Italy

Historic District to the National Register of

Historic Places in 2009.

In recognition of its contributions to the

understanding of local history, Two Bridges

received the New York State Historic Preservation

Award for Outstanding National Register

Nomination, and the Historic District Council of

New York City’s Grassroots Preservation Award in

2010.

Marco Polo Day 2010

Mulberry Street ca. 1900

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MARCO POLO FESTIVAL | OCTOBER 2014| PG 2

2014 FESTIVITIES

Each year, the Marco Polo Festival interprets the

story of the encounter between the famed Venetian

merchant-traveler, Marco Polo (1254-1324), and

the innovative Mongolian ruler Kublai Khan (1215-

1294), as a parallel of the historic encounter and

lived experiences of the Chinese & Italian

immigrants on Mott and Mulberry Streets during

America’s most important period of immigrant

history.

MARCO POLO FESTIVAL

OCTOBER 2014

Thursday, October 16th

Silk Road Ambassador Awards

Gala Dinner

Saturday, October 18th

Marco Polo Festival Pageant

& Hester Street Stage

Cultural Performances

Thursday, October 23rd

Marco Polo Festival

History Colloquium


The Red Mike Festival Band takes a bow on the Hester Street Stage.


THE SILK ROAD

AMBASSADOR AWARDS

GALA DINNER

OCTOBER 16, 2014

6:30PM – 9:00PM

Golden Unicorn

18 East Broadway

New York, NY 10002

Tickets Required.

On Thursday, October 16, 2014, Two Bridges will host

the annual SILK ROAD AMBASSADOR AWARDS

GALA DINNER. Each year, nearly 200 guests enjoy an

evening of cultural performances, food, displays and

entertainment.

Gala Dinner2009 - 2013


THE SILK ROAD

AMBASSADOR AWARDS

GALA DINNER

cont.

Gala Attendees with 2010 Marco Polo Ambassador Award Recipients Justin Yu and Annette Criscitelli.

The evening’s festivities also include the bestowing of the

MARCO POLO AMBASSADOR AWARDS, where

exceptional local leaders are honored in recognition of

their outstanding contributions towards and promotion of

harmony, goodwill, and cooperation to the two

communities of Chinatown and Little Italy.

Past honorees include Justin Yu, Chinese Consolidated

Benevolent Association; Annette Criscitelli, Da Nico

Restaurant; Peter Lau; Mannings Pharmacy Corporation;

Nicholas Caiazzo Wilson, Elsner, Moskowitz, Edelman &

Dicker, LLP; Lou Di Palo, Di Palo’s Fine Foods; and the

New York Chinese Opera Society.

Marco Polo committee members honor 2012 Marco Polo Ambassadors: Rosa Casiello, Principal, PS 42; and Jack Eng, Special Advisor, CCBA

2014 CHINATOWN & LITTLE ITALY

SILK ROAD AMBASSADORS

Ho Kew Lee

President

Chinese Chamber of Commerce

of New York

Rev. Raymond Nobiletti, M.M.

Pastor

Transfiguration Church

Rosa Riccio Pietanza

Master Teacher of

Teaching and Learning

NYU Steinhardt

John Kuo Wei Tchen

A/P/A Institute NYU

New York University

MARCO POLO FESTIVAL

HISTORY COLLOQUIUMOctober 23, 2014

7:00PM - 9:00PM

Museum of Chinese in America

215 Centre Street New York, NY

Open to the Public. RSVP required.

2014 History Colloquium Panelists:

• Ernset Lepore, Owner

Ferrara Bakery & Cafe

• Christina Seid, Owner

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory


Last year’s second annual MARCO POLO FESTIVAL

HISTORY COLLOQUIUM, co-sponsored by the

Museum of Chinese in America, ended the festival

celebrations. Over 150 guests came out to hear a dialogue

between Lou Di Palo of Di Palo’s Fine Foods and Jason

Wang of Xi’an Famous Foods. Moderator Erika Lesser

(former Executive Director of Slow Food USA) led both

speakers in an in depth discussion about the lessons

learned from running a family business in the historic

district.

MARCO POLO

FESTIVAL PAGEANT

& HESTER STREET STAGE

CULTURAL

PERFORMANCES

OCTOBER 18, 2014

11:00AM – 3:00PM

Procession begins at

62 Mott Street, New York, NY

Performances take place on the

Hester Street Stage between

Mott & Mulberry Streets

Free & Open to the Public.

Marco Polo Day Pageant, October 2013


PART I:

THE MARCO POLO

FESTIVAL PAGEANT

The Marco Polo street festivities begin with

a breathtaking pageant through the streets

of Chinatown & Little Italy.

In 2010, Two Bridges commissioned the

official puppeteers of the NYC Village

Halloween Parade, Processional Arts

Workshop (PAW), to create the visual

elements that now serve as the centerpiece

of the Marco Polo Festival Pageant.

Large-scale marionettes of Marco Polo

and Kublai Khan, and a monumental

hand-painted 50’ long, silk banner

depicting the “Silk Road”, are paraded

through the streets by local youth,

accompanied by cultural musicians and

others.

In the summer of 2012, PAW worked with

children from our Lower East Side

neighborhood to design and fabricate new

visual elements for the 2012 parade.


PART II:

HESTER STREET STAGE

CULTURAL

PERFORMANCES

Upon the arrival of the pageant

procession at the Hester Street Stage, a

unique mixture of music and cultural

performances commences.

Programming includes traditional

Chinese & Italian Opera, folk dances,

contemporary Chinese & Italian

instrumental performances, acrobatics

and more!


ALFIO

Joy S. ChenNew York Chinese Cultural Center

PAST PERFORMERS INCLUDE:

• Allison Scola (Tarantella)

•ALFIO (Italian-American: Pop & Opera)

• Joy S. Chen (Sword Display/Martial Arts)

• Chinese Freemasons (Lion Dance)

• Corin Lee (Violin)

•New York Chinese Cultural Center (Dance)

• New York Chinese Opera Society (Chinese

Opera)

• Red Mike Festival Band (Italian Folk /

Processional)

• Tre Bella (Italian-American: Pop)

• Ming Ming Wang (Chinese Classical

Guitar)

PART II:

HESTER STREET STAGE

CULTURAL

PERFORMANCES

cont.


Onlookers enjoy the entertainment and festivities on Hester Street.

PROJECT TEAM

Two Bridges Neighborhood Council, Inc., a

501(c)3 nonprofit, has been dedicated to serving the

many neighborhoods of Manhattan's Lower East

Side since 1955. We create equitable housing,

celebrate cultural diversity through neighborhood-

based programs, and work together with local

residents, businesses, entrepreneurs, and leaders to

stimulate and maintain economic vitality.

Two Bridges spearheaded the successful

nomination of the Chinatown & Little Italy

Historic District to the National Register of

Historic Places in 2010, and has produced the

annual Marco Polo Festivities since 2009.

The Marco Polo Committee represents a broad

spectrum of local leadership with a demonstrated

commitment to the social and economic

development of Chinatown & Little Italy.

2014 MARCO POLO FESTIVAL COMMITTEE

Chairs

Rosa Casiello & Justin Yu

Members

Emelise Aleandri

Nicholas Caiazzo

Wellington Chen

Chi Chu

Annette Criscitelli

Lou DiPalo

Jack Eng

Sherman Eng

Alyssa Giorgio

John Fratta

Robert Ianniello

Peter Lau

David Louie

Helen Ng

Paul Ng

Victor Papa

James Wong

MARCO POLO FESTIVAL | OCTOBER 2014 | PG11

SPONSORSHIP &

EXPOSURE VALUE

This year’s Marco Polo Festival is

estimated to attract hundreds of residents,

visitors, and leaders to the Chinatown &

Little Italy Historic District. Below are

some of the ways major donors will

receive credit and thanks for their support:

• Tickets and prime seating at all Marco

Polo Festival Events

• Premiere branding on event collateral,

including website, posters, and banners

• Acknowledgment of partnership and

support in print and social media releases

and ads

• Exclusive volunteer opportunities for

corporate employees & their families

The project team is currently in

discussions with several major city and

national print publications regarding

coverage of the event to increase general

exposure.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities,

please contact:

Elisa Espiritu

Director of Development

Two Bridges Neighborhood Council

[email protected]

(212) 566-2729

Two Bridges Neighborhood Council is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.


mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Marco Polo Festival 2014