23 June, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Globeville- The Denver Foundation has partnered with the Globeville Community and Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Cathedral to sponsor the third annual "Old Globeville Days". Held on the weekend of 22 and 23 July, in conjunction with the 108th annual neighborhood ethnic food festival, the event will feature ethnic food, culture and two days of musical entertainment in Argo Park. From 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, the neighborhood stage will be occupied by a free concert a cross section of what the organizers consider to be "The best available ethnic talent in town".

Performances on Saturday will be provided by The "Greek Dance Group" of Saints Peter and Paul Church in Boulder, the internationally famous "Planina Singers" and their instrumental component, "The Barbellfish Band".

There will be music with an authentic African flavor by the "Black Hands Down Ensemble", followed immediately by the "Hora Romanesca" who are widely recognized for their skill in rendering the variety of folk dances native to old Romania.

After the Orthodox Vesper Service, sung at 6:30 p.m. by the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral Choir, the remainder of the evening will be filled with the sounds of the music and tapping of heels of the Greater Denver "Mexican Folk Dancing Group".

Sunday will feature the international programs by the cosmopolitan groups "Continental Drift" and "The One World Dancers" with the mid-afternoon being reserved for a program of American songs and show tunes interpreted by the very popular "Northland Chorale" and Denver's best "Contemporary Serbian Music Group".

In all, there will be ten performing groups, representing most of the cultures and ethnic groups which have added their part to the creation and ongoing life of the renascent Historic Globeville Community.

As in the past two years, The "FOOD FESTIVAL" will feature roast lamb, western barbecue, Mexican Cuisine, Delicious Russian dishes from Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Steppes and Far Eastern Siberia. Of course, there will be the famous Pelmeni (delicious meat stuffed dumplings) and Sarmali (Romanian Cabbage Rolls) which people have been known to drive a hundred and fifty miles to taste and carry home with them, as well as delicious Romanian chicken stew and other Serbian and Greek treats.

Guests may visit booths featuring all kinds of ethnic baked goods and deserts, imported gifts and crafts, books, devotional items, and hand painted icons.

The historic Holy Transfiguration Cathedral is just entering the major phase of a Colorado Historical Society project to preserve and restore its historic landmark Church.

"Over the past twenty or so years", says Archpriest Joseph Hirsch, the Dean of the Cathedral Church and of the Orthodox Rocky Mountain Deanery, "We have lived a couple of little miracles, as, both a practically defunct congregation and a decaying and demoralized neighborhood have come back to life" Hirsch says that, "In the early 1980s, Globeville was an abused and ignored part of Denver, a place to dump undesirable zoning uses that no one else wanted. We were a 'Poverty' neighborhood scheduled by the urban planners for gradual dismantling." As The Transfiguration Congregation made a bold decision to eschew the temptation to relocate and, instead, to reinvest in improvements to its Globeville property, Fr. Joseph observes that, "Both the Parish and the neighborhood began to awaken, as out of slumber and to acquire a new sense of vision, of purpose and of self respect."

"In 1988," he continues, "We celebrated the centennial of Globeville and the 90th Anniversary of the Church by acquiring new sidewalks and historical light fixtures and the "Under grounding" of overhead lines for the neighborhood and by writing our own Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan which. With a little tweaking, this plan was pretty much accepted, as is by the City Planning Department and adopted by the Denver City Council. Since then, the neighbors have successfully acquired paved alleys, preserved highway access, acquired many desirable amenities and blocked many abusive and polluting developments.

Some of the Community members who have volunteered to provide advice, sponsorship, labor and direction to the event as it grows into a Neighborhood wide celebration, are Robert and Margaret Escamilla, who played the pivotal role in the Neighborhood's successful legal struggle for environmental justice from the ASARCO Corporation. Al Montoya, who is an important community organizer, Dave Oletski; a proud descendent of the 120 year old Polish pioneer family which settled the part of North Globeville known as "Polish Valley" and Gabriel Hayman, an iconographer of African American descent who is among the finest American practitioners of his art.

Mr. Hayman will provide demonstrations of the ancient techniques of Byzantine Iconography, will explain their sacred symbols and messages and will have both hand painted icons and mounted prints for sale.

"As we, at Holy Transfiguration, work with the Colorado Historical Society and the Sacred Landmarks Initiative to preserve our ancient Shrine from the ravages of 108 years of water, wind and weather," Fr. Joseph remarks, "We are proud to have our event transformed into an occasion for the entire Globeville Community to gather together with our friends and neighbors from the entire Front Range to celebrate the noble history of a neighborhood which has been justly labeled 'The port of entry into Colorado for six generations of pilgrims to America from every corner of the Globe." He adds that, "It is hoped that this celebration will become a fixture in Denver's summer schedule on a par with the Annual Greek Festival, The Dragon Boat Festival and other Neighborhood and ethnic celebrations with a general appeal."