This traveling carnival/arts fest/eco-village is coming to Philly in July

If ecological justice, interfaith exchange and quirky arts performances are your jam, then Carnival de Resistance probably will be, too.

The traveling carnival is, despite its organizers’ Philly roots, making its first stop in Philadelphia in its seven years of existence this July 24 through Aug. 7. The two-week-long event series will include a Center City parade, theatre performances, workshops, community projects and more — all for free.

“The gift of the Carnival de Resistance is that it simultaneously resists patterns of oppression while attempting to incarnate the more just and beautiful world we believe is possible,” said Tevyn East, the fest’s founder and director, who lives in Philly, as do several other organizers and crew members; past fests have been held in Virginia, North Carolina, California and Minnesota.

“We embrace the topsy-turvy legacy and transgressive energy of the carnival tradition, suspending the rules and reversing the roles governing normal life to inspire prophetic imagination for change,” she said. (Whew.)

There will be two established hubs of activity: Arch Street United Methodist Church in Center City and Latinx cultural organization Norris Square Neighborhood Project in North Philly. The former will host the carnival midway, including interactive arts and sideshow events; the former will host an “eco-village” including tours through Las Parcelas community garden and demonstrations at the carnival’s “Fossil-Fuel Free Kitchen.”

There’s a focus on sustainability at Carnival de Resistance. One example of a green-tinged event: the Open Kitchen Sculpture Garden on Aug. 1, which will host “hands on workshops and demonstrations on DIY energy alternatives (e.g. how to make a hand crank laundry machine) [and] gardening and home-steading skills (fermentation & composting),” per a press release.

Local partner orgs include Circle Thrift, Jewish Farm School, Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light, Earth Quaker Action Team, Power Street Theatre Company, Renegade Theater Company, ArtWell and more.