A Return to Roots:
Takoma Park Folk Festival and
the Takoma Theatre, Together Again

By Jason Beatty McCray

Sara Green, one of the leaders of the Neighborhood Films Association, found herself surrounded by ten blenders full of chick peas, all whirring at once. There were more chick peas soaking in the bath tub. "They were like little rocks," she said.
       "I had never heard of hummus before," said Green. "But we were in charge of food for the Festival, so I learned how to make it."
       This was in September 1978, and Green was one of the many volunteers who made the first Takoma Park Folk Festival. This year, the Folk Festival, celebrating its 25th year, returns to its original location at Takoma Middle School. And in a nice whirl of the wheel, it will once again help the Takoma Theatre.
       In June 1978, Sara sat in the living room of Sam Abbott, a local community organizer and future Takoma Park mayor. "Sam said, 'We know you're working hard, so we're going to have a folk festival to raise money for the Theatre,'" said Green. "Sam got all the musical groups, and they were all good groups, like Celtic Thunder. It was astounding. We were invited to a fait accompli."
       Earlier in 1978, showing repertory films at the Takoma Theatre was little more than an idea. Green and her partners wanted to bring the repertory film experience to Takoma and Takoma Park, and they started by showing old World War II newsreels, Saturday matinees for children, and classic movies in the evenings. "At the time you could rent Robin Hood or The Sting for $25 for a weekend. Some of the really different movies would be $50," said Green.
       The Takoma Theatre operated on a shoestring budget, but Green, Abbott, and others in the community were determined to make it work. "For Sam, it was about reviving communities and people taking control of their lives," said Green. "Sam was an old-fashioned community organizer, and he knew how to do it. The Folk Festival is one of his legacies."
       Supporting the community became one of the hallmarks of the Folk Festival, as Abbott saw to it that the first Festival was much more than a one-time effort. Last year, the Festival raised more than $5,000 for a dozen community groups that work with the youth of Takoma Park and Silver Spring.
In 1978, the $1,000 raised by the Festival helped keep the doors of the Takoma Theatre open for another year. During that time, one of Green's neighbors, a historic preservationist, worked successfully to obtain a historic designation for the building and for the Takoma, D.C., historic district. "If nobody had done anything, it could have been torn down and gone," said Green.
       A portion of the proceeds from this year's Festival will go to the Takoma Theatre Arts Project. "We like the idea of revitalizing a theater that can be used for community programming. It's how the Folk Festival started, and we are absolutely delighted that we will be able to help the Theatre again," said Lenore Robinson, Festival Chair.

Revitalizing the Theater and the Community

The Takoma Theatre Arts Project, the newest focus of revitalization of the space, was conceived by Milton McGinty, who purchased the building in 1983, and local residents. He and Rebecca Smallwood, coordinator of the Takoma Theatre Arts Project, are exploring ways that the theater can bring film and live performances to the neighborhood. "We want a variety of programs to reach a wide audience," said Smallwood.

       The long-term goals of the Takoma Theatre Arts Project include effecting major renovations to the building and its equipment systems to restore it to its original state and to fully modernize its capacities as a performing arts center. The Theatre Project will also have a focus on Takoma Park's youth — and youth are the key beneficiaries of the Folk Festival's annual fundraising.
       The Takoma Theatre Arts Project will design educational programs for youth and create opportunities for area teens to get involved in the productions. "We would like for them to have a productive role in something real," said Smallwood.
       Smallwood has two additional hopes for the Theatre. "One is more practical. I hope it will be an engine to spur revitalization of 4th Street," she said. "The other thing I hope it will do is bring the two halves [of Takoma, DC and Takoma Park, MD] together. I'm hopeful we'll catch up to the revitalization on the Maryland side and that it will be more and more just one community."
       Building community. Showcasing the arts. Supporting youth. These goals spurred the creation of the Takoma Park Folk Festival 25 years ago, and they're still at the heart of Takoma Park's biggest event of the year.