Momentum continues to build in MACLA’s immediate neighborhood which intersects the artsy SoFA (South First Area) and the predominately immigrant William/Reed Corridor. The community has begun to claim and activate Parque de los Pobladores, an open-air park that was transformed by another ArtPlace grant and functions as a “living room” to the arts organizations on the block. This summer, every Thursday night, Moveable Feast brings together community via their food trucks. At Moveable Feast you’ll see a range of people from young families with kids to downtown tech workers to neighborhood residents enjoying local food.

In support of the event local galleries, museums and institutions have opened their doors and extended hours to accommodate and capitalize on the foot traffic from the highly attended event. The event also hosts live performances which recently included a silent dance party where music played by a DJ was transmitted wirelessly through headphones as attendees danced away. Moveable Feast utilizes food as a way to build community from the ground up and fosters interaction between patrons and the surrounding art and retail communities. It lends vibrancy to a passive space through activation as people eat, congregate, chat and explore their community offerings.

The Moveable Feast supports the idea that a diversity of organizations can work together to reinvigorate a downtown community. An active space becomes a hub for community involvement and participation. Safety increases as a defined community presence grows. As we re-imagine the potential for space to link a diversity of communities and the fluidity of space to engage on multiple levels we make the experience for our community and ourselves a much more diverse one.