LAKEPORT >> The Fourth Annual Hands Around Clear Lake will take place at Library Park all day on Sunday.
The event will begin with a sunrise ceremony to bless the water, and will include an afternoon of free activities, workshops, speeches, potluck and live music until 10 p.m. The event is free-of-charge and open to the public.
Hands Around Clear Lake is a “Healing Ceremony, Tribal Gathering and Resilience Festival” held annually on the shores of Clear Lake. The purpose of the event is to unite the Lake County community, honor the waters, share healing intentions and celebrate life, according to Nils Palsson, event emcee.
“The ”tribe” in ”tribal gathering” refers to all of us, this growing and eclectic community of people learning to live together on this land, around this ancient lake. Placing our common healing intention on the water, event organizers believe, is the first step in effecting a healing transformation of the water and our community,” Palsson stated.
The sunrise ceremony, a blessing of the water led by indigenous elders and other spiritual and community leaders, will be held at Library Park at 7 a.m., and will be broadcast live on Lake County Community Radio, KPFZ 88.1FM.
In addition to the annual sunrise ceremony, Hands Around Clear Lake will feature an all-day Resilience Festival, which includes how-to demonstrations, speeches by leaders and live music. Performers include Without a Net, Maggie”s Farmers, reggae collective Righteous Vibrations, plus the nationally touring band The Human Revolution. Music will begin in the afternoon and continue until 10 p.m.
Resilience means strength, the ability to bounce back from challenging situations, Palsson stated. The festival is planned as a celebration of all the work being done by groups and individuals to build Lake County. This portion of the gathering will be focused on creating real solutions to the issues facing the community.
Starting at noon, a series of free “Re-Skilling” workshops will feature neighbors teaching one another skills such as natural building and organic gardening.
At 2 p.m., there will be an “Open Space” meeting in which action groups work together on matters such as food security, human rights and improving the health of Clear Lake.
“Between musical acts, this event will feature engaging speeches and activities led by citizen-leaders from all around the lake, including regional political candidates,” Palsson stated. This includes Bruno Sabatier, Jeri Spittler, John Brosnan and Jim Steele, as well as author and mindfulness teacher JoAnn Saccato, “Peace Dance” leader Barbara Christwitz, Guerrilla Radio host and human rights activist Conrad Kiczenski and Time Bank organizer Terry Daniels.
There will also be a “People”s Mic” component to the ceremony, encouraging event attendees to share their own impromptu speeches, poems, announcements and other brief shares with the community.
Sunday is the International Day of Peace. Hands Around Clear Lake is one of many actions taking place worldwide in support of peace, justice, and environmental sustainability, Palsson stated. That same day, the largest-ever “People”s Climate March” will take place in New York, Washington, Oakland and all around the country, as activists join together to create solutions to global warming, peak oil and environmental degradation. Hands Around Clear Lake will join this global wave of peace and solidarity with a 4 p.m. “Peace Program,” co-facilitated by community organizer and therapist Taira St. John.
The program will include a drum circle to heal Clear Lake, led by Jason K. Norris of Lakeport”s new music-education nonprofit, House of Living Rhythm. Attendees are encouraged to bring drums and other instruments, as well as a dish for the potluck.
A silent auction benefits local nonprofits ,including Transition Lake County, Thrive Lake County, The Time Bank of Lake County, Lake County Community Co-Op, KPFZ 88.1 FM, the Lucy Moore Foundation, Lake County TV8, the House of Living Rhythm and the newly-formed Cobb Mountain Community Radio.
There is still time for merchants to contribute goods and services to the silent auction, Palsson stated.
More information can be found at www.handsaroundclearlake.com and on the Hands Around Clear Lake page on Facebook. Volunteers are needed, and contributions to the silent auction are encouraged.
