Gather New Haven Brings Out The Wellness In Inaugural Community Fest

Yoga. Farm fresh produce. Starter plants for home gardens. Hula hooping. And Bomba.

That was all on the agenda Sunday at the inaugural Gather New Haven Health and Wellness Festival. 

The community festival happened at Goffe Street Park, launching an annual health and wellness-centered tradition in New Haven. 

Dozens of wellness-focused small businesses and local services took over the park’s basketball courts from 11 a.m to 5 p.m to promote physical, mental, emotional, and social health. 

Hundreds of youth and adults were reminded to prioritize self care and were able to pick up goods from local vendors to promote healthful habits and keep the community safe. 

The events’ mantra was: ​“Together we can make our neighborhoods healthier and support the health of the environment.”

Live music rumbled through the park throughout the day, giving the community an energy boost and bringing neighbors together to enjoy the outdoor celebration. 

Gammy Moses, an environmental educator at Common Ground High School, set up at the front of the park pavilion for a Caribbean drum circle with families. 

His daughter and ​“little stage manager” Asyra Moses, 8, sang ​“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from the Encanto children’s movie while Gammy and others played the drums. 

Gammy reminded the community of a broader message to be taken from Encanto: That communities like New Haven are magical because they build up local talent to better the whole. 

“It’s time we as a village be more holistic and aware about health for our body and mind,” he said. 

During his performance Gammy sang about climate change reminding families: ​“Don’t throw trash on the ground, because it might end up in Long Island Sound.”

Asia Melton came to the event accompanied by her three sons Nehemiah, Kayden, and Mason, whose eyes lit up at the sight of the other children playing in the field.

She said the event couldn’t have come at a better time because she’s been looking for counseling resources for her son. 

“I’ve been taking my mental health more serious this year, and I want them to learn to do it while they’re young,” she said. 

Antoinette ​“Tawny” Cameron, owner of Treasure Beads, offered visitors a wellness experience under her vendor tent. 

Surrounded by dozens of handmade waist bead strands, Cameron engaged in a conversation with visitors about healing. 

Through Treasure Beads, Cameron sells custom waist beads that serve as a reminder to empower women to prioritize their personal health. 

“We don’t see enough examples of us prioritizing self care,” she said. ​“And we don’t even have a blueprint because wellness is looked at as a luxury.”

She calls her customers the ​“treasure tribe” to remind them that they are not alone on their journeys towards health and wellness. 

“Self care is more than just bubble baths or getting your nails done. It’s responding to your needs, however that looks,” Cameron said. ​“You can make yourself a priority without dime in pocket.”

​“We talk about having that guilt that starts to over take when you take care of yourself, and I remind them that it’s not wasting time,” she said. ​“Your worth does not change because you decide to rest.” 

Mother of two Queen-Ra El Bey moved to New Haven last month from Oklahoma. She brought her daughters Havana, 8, and Royal, 6, to the Sunday event to learn more about the city, she said. 

She said so far she has been pleasantly surprised with the ​“peaceful culture” of the city and its thriving small businesses.

She described Oklahoma as very segregated. 

While passing through the festival, El Bey picked up waist beads from Treasure Beads, pamphlets full of gardening tips, and healthy recipes for her family’s vegan diet. 

Mother-daughter duo Betsy and Christine Peyreigne set up a tent to display their education rehab birds. 

Christine is the owner of Christines Criters, a raptor rehabilitation and education-based nonprofit in Weston. Her mother Betsy has been helping her run the organization since it started in 2015. 

Christine and Betsy were joined by feathered duo Queso, a American kestrel, and Amelia, a red-tailed hawk. 

They told children who visited their tent about the two birds’ rehab journeys and emphasized the common occurrence of birds being injured by humans in car accidents or with poison. ​“We hope when they hear the birds’ stories they think twice about how they treat nature and echo that message to others,” Christine said. 

Christine said she aims to remind families of the many manmade issues that negatively affect wildlife. 

Food trucks from Alegria Cafe, Mamoun’s Falafel Restaurant, and Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant served healthful, vegan food options to visitors throughout the day. 

Vendors like Candice Dormon, owner of Ekow Body, reminded residents of the importance of self care through hygiene. 

Dormon offered visitors samples of her body butters , which come in scents like birch sandalwood, lavender, and mahogany citrus. 

“Children who begin to take care of themselves become adults who can take care of themselves,” she said. 

Jodene Minnis invited friend Francisco Riveria and his son Benjamin, 5, to the Sunday event.

Minnis, who was raised in New Haven, promoted her work as a healing dancer and supported fellow wellness ventures. 

The trio have been learning together lately about gardening and about nature. They tried out yoga, drumming, and hula hooping at the festival. 

Benjamin also picked up the book Do Not Disturb by Nancy Tafuri from the New Haven Free Public Library table. 

Riveria and Minnis have been discussing hosting a barter and trade event in the future featuring locals who join together to maximize their services through community support. 

“This is important because it shows that the community can come together and help itself,” Rivera said.