The Fourth Annual East Harlem Arts Festival

José M. Serrano

East 106th Street overflowed with beautiful art, delicious food and crowds of people for the Fourth Annual East Harlem Arts Festival, hosted by Senator Serrano and Manhattan Community Board 11.

Music, dance and theatrical performances graced the Third Avenue Stage, where featured groups included Zon del Barrio, The Jazz Museum in Harlem All-Star Quartet and the Mexican music and dance troupe Semilla.

This year’s festival also included a fabulous fashion show by local designer Nicole Romano, whose work has appeared in "Sex in the City" and a variety of magazines. Nearly twenty models donned her clothing on the catwalk.

Among other great offerings, The Nuyorican Universal Theatre Society performed excerpts from the show, "Our Times," a mix of Nuyorican poetry and Afro-Cuban percussion beats. Also, Danny Figueroa, chief of staff to Assemblyman Peter Rivera, wowed the audience with his spoken word.

"East Harlem has so much to offer when it comes to the arts and culture," said Senator Serrano, who is Chair of the Senate Democratic Task Force on the Arts and Cultural Affairs. "This festival is a testament to all the wonderful talent in our community."

Senator Serrano and Robert Rodriguez, who chairs Community Board 11, emphasized that the arts festival would not have been possible without community partners. This year's official sponsors were the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, Boro Medical Center , Mt. Sinai Hospital and Harlem United.