Emerald Street farm crew to bring alien invasion to the Kensington Derby Saturday

The Emerald Street Community Farm is ready to race in the Kensington Derby and Arts Festival . The 17th annual derby is gearing up this Saturday to bring locals together for food, art, music and an eclectic bike race through East Kensington ending at the main attraction – the mud pit.

The Emerald Street Community Farm at 1937 E. Dauphin Street has been around nearly as long as the derby. Long-time organizer Elissa Esposito started the farm in 2008 with her friend Patrick Dunn. She then became connected to her now-husband and ESCF co-manager, Nic Esposito, who was already involved with the derby (established 2007). The event is now organized by the East Kensington Neighborhood Association and Fishtown District.

Today, the space allows for residents to learn, play, and harvest throughout the year together. Plots are communal, not individual. No plot is assigned to a person, which eliminates waitlist periods. For example, if someone plants tomato seeds and doesn't come back for a season, the rest of the organizers will still tend to it until it grows. Then, they provide the fruits of that labor to community members in need. The farm runs largely on donations.

Although the derby typically takes place during Mother’s Day weekend, the event is happening in the fall this year due to changes in the funding landscape.

The Emerald Street farm crew got together on Wednesday for a Derby “build day,” where members got their bikes ready for their alien-themed derby appearance. As soon as the clock struck, a small group of kids and organizers came to play, chat, build, harvest berries and greens, and paint their bike sculptures. Smiles could be seen on every individual, no matter the age. 

Kids spray-painted helmets and added props like pool noodles to their bikes to emulate UFOs. They also experimented with cardboard and various shiny materials.

“I'm excited to see people's faces at the derby,” said ESCF organizer and derby competitor Lauren Bruce.    

“Last year, (ESCF organizer) Tony was a squid…the way little kids would be like, ‘a squid!’ And they all wanted to high-five the squid with one of his many arms,” Bruce said. “The kids jump in the pit before the race and get covered head to toe in mud. They love it.” 

There are several categories to win in the derby: a media choice award, most creative, a people’s choice award, and more. Judges tend to make up categories to award people on the spot, Bruce says. Including one year in which a contestant was awarded “best fall in the pit.”  The prize is a $200 Visa gift card, but Brace frankly states the race is “for the glory.” 

This year, the event will keep its focus on local businesses. The derby draws people out to watch the sculptures and shop for food, drinks, art, jewelry, and holiday gifts solely from local stores rather than city-wide vendors, as it had done in the past. Nic Esposito explains how the derby was inspired by a similar event that takes place in Portland. However, he believes the Philadelphia attraction grew and fostered a stronger community within the East Kensington neighborhood.

“It really put East Kensington on the map,” he said. 

The Espositos' son Luca, who will participate in the derby, rushes to boast his love for the area and fond memories of being a city kid with a farm in his backyard. 

“The derby is fun, come as you are,” said Luca. “ You can be in a Halloween costume; no one actually cares at all. There was one guy who dressed up as Santa Claus last year…We'll all like it either way. At the farm, take what you need. We always have plenty of food. We usually have more, and we're always forcing people to take more. Come take what you need.” 

As building continues throughout the autumn Wednesday evening and the sun begins to set, the conversation leads to how people can be skeptical of the stigma surrounding the Kensington area due to the high level of drug use and homelessness. Nic says that people need to see the area for themselves. 

Many of the volunteers at ESCF have children, and they mention that what people criticize is just a facet of human life. Nic sees the farm’s 17-year continuity alongside the derby since 2008 as a reflection of sustained community resilience. 

He said people are always surprised when they hear about the farm’s long history.

“They think that like all this just happened overnight, and it didn't take a long time and a lot of people working hard to build the neighborhood and integrate it with the community…The derby and the community farm are just manifestations of people's innate sense and need for community – the kind of community that gets built here.”

Disclosure: A former Kensington Voice staffer is a member of a non-profit arts ensemble that has partnered with Emerald Street Community Farm.

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