Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk

Over 2,000 children and teachers from five local public schools in Far Rockaway flooded O’Donohue Park on June 15 to enjoy two performances of City Parks Foundation’s "Puppets in the Park."

The show was performed by the puppeteers of the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre in Central Park, who arrived in a van equipped with assorted marionette puppets and staging for outdoor performances. The production entitled, "The Princess, the Emperor and the Duck" is a musical retelling of three classic Hans Christian Andersen tales.

Partnerships for Parks has been collaborating with community groups in Far Rockaway to increase programming, recreational opportunities and stewardship in the area. The CPF "Puppets in the Park" show was planned in collaboration with the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, a group dedicated to increasing community involvement in Rockaway Beach on the eastern tip of the peninsula. Jeanne Dupont, the group’s leader and founder, was instrumental in reaching out to all local area schools and coordinating performance times to meet everyone’s needs. To meet the demand of the schools that were approached, two back-to-back performances were scheduled.

The response to the June 15^th show was overwhelming with 1,000 people attending each performance. One teacher mentioned that this was the first field trip the school had scheduled all year long, with only one week left in the school year. Additionally, although many of these children live only minutes from O’Donohue Park, this event marked the first time that they had ever visited the beach. The children were ecstatic to spend their recess in the park after the show was over.

The tremendous success of this event marks the beginning of a rebirth and celebration of Far Rockaway’s parks and beaches. It is a remarkable opportunity to increase public programs and park stewardship in this area. Partnerships for Parks will be working in collaboration with the Queens Borough Office and the Administrator for the Rockaways’ Office to make this a reality.

CityParks Kids, a program of City Parks Foundation, will be presenting many more puppet shows, in addition to dance, theater, music and storytelling for kids in parks throughout the five boroughs this summer. For more information check out www.CityParksFoundation.org.