Preparations have begun for Scarlett Antonia of Antonia Arts’ fourth annual Ozland Festival. The festival will take place on Saturday, August 17, 2024. Antonia Arts is a non-profit organization that fosters growth in the creative and performing arts.
The idea for the festival came to Antonia when she was trying to get into the Parmount Hudson Valley Theater to put on a production of the great American fairy tale, “The Wizard of Oz.” In fact, she did put on the production at The Paramount and sold out every show. After doing some research, Antonia discovered that L.Frank Baum, the author of “Oz”, went to military academy in Peekskill. As Baum and the story of Oz is so strongly connected to Peekskill, Antonia felt that “The Wizard of Oz” needed to be celebrated beyond putting shows on at The Paramount, and that idea is how the Oz Land Festival was born.
This year South Street in the downtown area of Peekskill will be the street that is closed off, and attractions include an outdoor stage with family entertainment, the “Artsmobile”, from ArtsWestchester, and professional actors dressing up and interacting with festival-goers as characters from “The Wizard of Oz!” All the entertainers are required to do something Oz related this year, to ensure that the theme of the festival is in full force. Additionally, there will be artisan vendors, and festival-goers are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Oz characters themselves.
The team Antonia has put together for this year’s festival includes Christine Lifgren, the cartographer who maps out where the vendors are to arrive, be greeted, and set up shop. David Peterman is the stage manager of the event, and Sonia Garber is the event coordinator. Garber has been coordinating the Oz Land festival with Antonia and the team at Antonia Arts since its inception four years ago. Lifgren and Peterman have helped out with the festival for several years now as well. Also on the Oz Land festival committee is Dorothy Posada doing community outreach.
“The performing arts are a metaphor for diverse people coming together and working as a team,” says Antonia.
If you would like to sponsor the Oz Land festival this year, please go to antoniaarts.org.
