(bright upbeat music)
(birds tweeting)
-: Hi, I'm Siraaj Hasan, and I'd like to welcome you
to this year's virtual annual Lotus and Water Lily Festival.
I'm the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
of 07/02 representing Lotus Square, Mayfair,
and here in my home neighborhood of Eastland Gardens.
I'm excited to share our corner of Washington, DC
here in Ward 7, and kick off this year's festival.
I've been here in the neighborhood for about 13 years.
My grandparents actually built their home in the 1940s.
I can remember several fond memories
of enjoying the park here in the Aquatic Gardens,
walking with my grandfather as well as now,
riding bicycles and bringing my own children
through the neighborhood.
Having a national park here in our backyard
is one of the things that makes this community
and Ward 7 a special place to live.
Come on, let's head over to the park
and you can see it for yourself.
We're now standing
in front of one of the concrete display ponds in the park.
These beautiful plants behind me are Asian lotus.
The theme of this year's Lotus and Water Lily Festival
is Lotus Rising, the Power of Plants and People.
As park neighbors,
I am lucky to witness this growth and rebirth
all year round.
Of course, it's awesome to visit this place
when everything is in bloom during the festival,
but much like our communities,
the park is a special place because of the year-round work,
as well as the folks in the park that dedicate themselves
to make this park a beautiful place.
We hope you will continue to explore
the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens throughout the entire year.
To help me welcome you to the park for this year's festival,
I'd like to introduce you to the Superintendent
of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Tara Morrison.
-: Welcome to the 2021 Lotus and Water Lily Festival.
On the heels of COVID-19 pandemic,
we're doing something a little bit different
with the festival this year.
Starting today, instead of a weekend of festivities,
we'll be doing a combination of both virtual
and smaller in-person programs spaced throughout July
to celebrate this year's blooms.
We're also extending park hours every Friday until 8:00 p.m
to give people additional time to come visit.
A complete listing of festival programs
can be found on the festival landing page.
The theme of this year's festival is Lotus Rising,
the Power of Plants and People.
Lotuses and lilies have been symbolic
in many cultures throughout history.
Their rhizomes lie dormant in the mud
over the fall and winter and in the spring,
the leaves begin pushing up from the muck
and emerging from the surface of the water.
They are followed in the summer by spectacular blooms.
That cycle of something beautiful rising
out of something murky has been aspirational
for many cultures across history,
and it's also an apt metaphor
for what we've been going through over the last 18 months.
During the pandemic, many of us had unexpected downtime
as we hunkered down at home,
which prompted many to be more creative,
learn new skills, read more books
or like me, plant a garden for the first time.
And I suspect that many of us are emerging more appreciative
of simple things we may have taken for granted
like hugging people we care about,
hearing live music or the wonders of nature.
We also know there have been challenges and loss.
As we come out of the last year of both COVID
and our nation facing its history
and continuing inequities,
we look to places like Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
for healing and healthy experiences in nature.
The Water Lily and Lotus Festival
is also a vibrant reminder of the power
of culture and community.
Join us for this celebration
of the diverse people and cultures that make up DC
and come learn about the beauty
of our community's Aquatic Gardens.
Thanks for joining us for this online opening ceremony,
and I hope you can come out for a visit
to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens this July
to take a walk with a friend
and enjoy the beautiful flowers and programs
being featured this month online.
(upbeat music)
(birds chirping)
(water ripples)
-: There is nothing more powerful
than a friend who always has your back.
The park is fortunate to have an active friends group
that advocates for the park and community, raises money
for programs and projects and brings volunteers in to assist
in the ongoing maintenance.
It is my pleasure to introduce you
to the Executive Director of the Friends
of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Tina O'Connell.
(soft music)
-: We're happy to welcome you
to one of the biggest events of the year,
the annual Lotus and Water Lily Festival here
at the beautiful Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
I am Tina O'Connell, Executive Director of Friends
of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
For 14 years and counting,
we have partnered with our friends
at the National Park Service
to help care for and celebrate Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
and to ensure visitors like you
can enjoy the nation's only national park site devoted
to the cultivation and display of aquatic plants,
and it's right here in wonderful Ward 7 of Washington, DC.
This time of the year, the gardens is magical.
The blooming of the lotus flowers and the water lilies
are a special time of renewal, beauty and hope.
Hope, especially, has become a theme over the last year.
As Superintendent Morrison said,
this year's festival theme is Lotus Rising,
the Power of Plants and People.
The Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
has been connecting people to the gardens for 14 years
in an effort to support this national park site.
We raise awareness around this national and local gem,
providing camps for neighborhood children
and enlisting volunteers to literally delve deep
into the small ponds with waders on,
and venture throughout the gardens
to keep the park healthy and beautiful.
One of our newest projects is to offer updated signage
to help welcome visitors like you
to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
-: Now, it's time for some music.
The East of the River Steelband was founded in 1993
by Dr. Gladys Whitworth Bray to bring this unique,
cultural and musical experience
to youth living east of the Anacostia River.
Over the years, the program has provided music training
and arts and cultural education
to hundreds of children and youth
through its Steel Pan and Youth Development programs.
We know you're going to enjoy this.
Give it up for the East of the River Steelband.
(upbeat music)
I hope you enjoy the amazing performance
from East of the River Steelband.
Thanks for joining us for the opening
of the 2021 Lotus and Water Lily Festival.
This is just the beginning of a month of great programming.
So we hope you'll check out
some of our other programs like Meditative Yoga,
a virtual painting and iPhone photography sessions,
Ranger Talks, and a Lotus Tea Program.
All of this will be available to you online.
We also have a few programs in the park
such as scavenger hunts,
a bike ride with the Washington Area Bicycle Association,
paddling with the Anacostia Watershed Society,
and craft activities.
The park is staying open until 8:00 p.m
on Friday evenings in July
to give everyone more hours to visit.
Bring a picnic, take an evening stroll,
sounds like a great date night in the park.
Visit the Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Website
to learn about year-round events
and volunteer opportunities at kenaqgardens.org.
What makes national parks so special
is that they're one of a kind and truly signify a remarkable
and meaningful place.
As a neighbor of the park,
I've known this Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
and this community since I was very young.
I'm proud to have been your host for the annual Lotus
and Water Lily Festival Opening Ceremonies,
and welcome you to the 2021 virtual festival.
I hope you come and experience this hidden gym
of Ward 7 in Washington, DC.
(bright upbeat music)
(upbeat music)