Evening star., 1939-05-07
Barney Neiehborhood
House k, Will Open
Festival May Is
Plans Completed for
, Annual Three-Doy
,ss Festivities

Elaborate plans have been COM
pleted by the Barney Neighborhood
House at 470 N street S.W. for its
9th annual May festival Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, May 1S to 20
Programs for the three days call
for virtually continuous festivities
from 3 pm. to 10 pm. each day.
Climax of the affair will come Sat-
urday afternoon on N street, which
will be closed from Union to Fourth
streets, for the May Day procession
and May pole dances. This feature
annually attracts huge throngs from
all parts of the city.
Miss Margaret Bell Merrill, head
resident of the Neighborhod House,
characterized the celebration as one
(which reflects centuries-old GUS
toms and legends and folk ways
which have their roots in the JOY
of mankind over the return of beauty
and song to the world"
This year." she announced, many
children of the children who danced
and sang for us in bygone years
are appearing in the program. The
proceeds of the festival are used to
maintain classes in arts and crafts
and recreation during the summer
for our social and industrial settle
ment. The admission is Is cents.
Tickets will be sent on request or
may be purchased at the door,"
Invitations Out Tomorrow.
Invitations to the May festival
will be sent out tomorrow, Miss Mer-
rill explained, to the many friends
OF the settlement throughout the
city. The celebration will take place,
rain or shine. In case of rain, the
functions will be moved from the
garden of the settlement to the music
school.
Children from to II years of age
will appear in program which will
take place at 4:30 pm. on Thursday
and Friday in the garden. The
performers will include those from
the nursery, the kindergarten and
other younger groups of the Neigh
borhood House. Songs, poems and
dances will feature this program,
which will include crDwning of the
queen and play of Peter Rabbit.
From 5 pm. to- pm. on all three
days there will be sale of products
of the arts and crafts classes and
supper will be served by the Wom-
ans Club at so cents. Among the
products to be sold are ascot scarfs,
soft, lightweight throws" rag rugs,
finger towels and breakfast sets
made by looms of the settlement.
Other things on sale will include
cakes, pies, doughnuts, ice cream,
soft drinks. fancy articles, grab-bags,
candy, and these products of the
sewing and woodcraft classes: Gay
peasant belts, aprons, "mamies," pot
holders, travelling sets, gingham ele-
plants and donkeys, wooden pins,
Sicilian flower carts, book ends, lap
boards, Chinese checkerboards,
smocks, hats, etc.
Dances to Be Staged.
The evening program, to be pre-
sented each night at 7:45, will in
clude Czecho-Slovak dances, and a
play. THE Queens Holiday" pre-
sented by the girls and boys of the
clubs, the music classes. and the
classes in folk dancing. Music in the
play of maid Marian and her Robin
is adapted from De Koven's opera
robin Hood" Costumes of the
Bohemian dancers were made at the
settlement with the help of Stanya
Koreckova, a member of the house
hold staff of the former Czecho-
Slovak Legation.
The Saturday afternoon festival,
In which nearly 300 boys and girls
will participate, will take place on
N street. The Marine Band will
present concert from 4:30 to S
pm, and the May Day procession
of clubs will start at pm. All ages
and sizes of children in gay costumes
will participate in this festival, cul-
minating inc big Maypole contest.
The winning team in the contest will
appear in the closing program Sat-
urday night in the garden. There
will be seven Maypoles, with is
dancers each, providing colorful
spectacle.
Mrs. George c. Thorpe, president
of the settlement, will be the Of
fetal hostess at the May festival
Mrs. Samuel Herrick, chairman of
the Arts and Crafts Committee, and
Mrs. Howard S. LIE Roy, member
of that committee, are both busily
engaged now in directing much of
the planning.
The shops and crafts departments
Of the settlement are busy places as
gay colored products are being put
into final condition for the sale.
Funds to Be Provided.
Not only is the festival designed
to give expression to the ideals ex-
pressed by Miss Merrill for reflect
ing age-old customs and legends but
to provide funds to support the in
stitution in carrying out its three
fold purpose. This purpose, Miss
Merrill explained, is best expressed
as follows:
"(a) To live in and become part
Of the community as good neighbors
Cd an example, indirect as well as
direct, of good citizenship and of
cleanly, ordered and gracious living;
ca a resource in the time of trou-