As yet another Fourth of July approaches, a legion of Marblehead Festival of Arts volunteers has spent months preparing for the big event.
Since 1962, the Festival has been supported by about 18,300 volunteers, according to the Festival website. These 18,300 dedicate time and energy that powers the ever-growing event.
“It takes a large number of volunteers to make this work, it’s not just the Festival, but all the parts that have to be put together before the festival even starts,” said Peggy Farrell, who is in charge of the Painting the Town event.
Many volunteers are returning helpers. Barbara Miller, who has been volunteering at the St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Lobster Luncheon for 38 years, enjoys the festive experience.
“The comradery is great among all of the staff, and so is the atmosphere with all the visitors coming through,” Miller said.
Though the mayhem of the Festival behind-the-scenes is well hidden from visitors, a glimpse of the chaos puts into perspective how much planning goes into it.
On a recent sunny afternoon, Lisa Ginivisan opened her door to the Current. Ginivisan is co-chair of the Children’s Festival, an event that will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion Gardens on July 6. Ginivisan organizes the event alongside her daughter, Eliza, who has been helping out since she was 8 years old.
Going straight to her art room, Lisa quickly pulled out a notebook, which she uses to jot down ideas for the Children’s Festival. The notes span back to 2014, when Ginivisan took over the Children’s Festival.
With Ginivisan’s tight budget and large crowd — she’s expecting 400 kids this year — each activity’s budget totals about $1 in materials. Materials sourced from the Magic Hat and upcycled from previous year’s leftovers fuel Ginivisan’s imagination.
“You wouldn’t believe the amount of trial and error that goes into planning children’s projects before we finally roll out the right ones,” she said.
Every year, the Children’s Festival has a theme, which the activities are planned around.
“A theme gives the Festival character and personality,” Ginivisan expressed.
This year’s theme is “Capturing the light.” Lanterns, suncatchers, cloth wreaths and stained glass art are some of the 10 activities planned for the Festival.
“We’re moving out of this post-pandemic anxiety into this renaissance of living. It’s all about resilience.”
Another aspect of the planning process is coordinating volunteers to work on the day of the event.
Eliza Ginivisan, a recent Marblehead High School graduate, organizes the roughly 40 volunteers. This group consists of mostly MHS students, their friends and siblings. Some students have come back from college as returning volunteers, as it’s become a tradition for many.
“Every one of my friends and family has volunteered their time in some capacity,” Eliza told the Current.
The day before the Children’s Festival, the Ginivisan’s entire dining room space will be filled with boxes, as a big part of the preparation is unpackaging all of the materials. Doing this in advance minimizes the trash created at the event and allows the volunteers to use their time meaningfully.
The interactions between the volunteers and kids and parents and children with one another is a radiant aspect of the festival. The face painting station, where everyone seems to flock, is a hub for socializing.
“The kids love it. The interaction with the painters and other kids feels like the most magical part of the day,” Lisa Ginivisan said. “Half of our volunteers end up over there. Kids could have a blue blob on their face and be simply ecstatic about it.”
Aside from the face paint, Ginivisan is most excited about the lantern activity. She has been collecting one-liter plastic bottles for months, with contributions from her coworkers at Witchcraft Heights Elementary School, where she is a pediatric occupational therapist. She also holds a master’s in education in creative arts in learning, which prompted her to contribute her talents to the festival.
“Eliza says I remind her of Pollyanna,” Ginivisan said.
The lanterns are inspired by an arts festival she attended in Asheville, North Carolina, while touring colleges with Eliza. Ginivisan has planned a parade of light to take place after the Children’s Festival, where children and their parents will walk through Crocker Park with their glowing lanterns, illuminating the music festival on July 6 at 8 p.m.
“It’s a way to connect the visual arts with the live music,” Ginivisan said.
To coordinate the parade, Ginivisan talked with Brian Wheeler, who is in charge of the music at Crocker. He even acquired a police escort for the parade.
Also at the Children’s Festival will be North Shore Glass School with a glass cutting demonstration, Music Together and MiraMar Print Lab.
When the Festival is over, Ginivisan said she’s going to sleep in for 12 hours the next day.
“I compare it to planning a wedding: you plan every little detail out, then let go and hope people enjoy it,” she said.
While Ginivisan loves the Children’s Festival, she’s looking for a “protege” to take over her role in the near future.
“I could talk myself into doing this forever,” Ginivisan expressed. “But it’s time for a new leading energy to enter the picture.”
The Marblehead Current is the media sponsor for the Festival of Arts. Check out full coverage at MarbeheadCurrent.org. Marblehead resident Lia Gorbach is the Current’s college summer intern. She is pursuing a journalism and business degree from the University of Maryland.
