By Brandon CortesJuly
Geraldine Cruz and Pepe Vega serving ice cream to kids
Danasia Jones and her sister pick up free pizza for their kids.
Destiny Jones spent years working for the Youth & Recreation Department and later as a staff member at the Boys and Girls Club. On Wednesday, she visited Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy in the Hill — not as staff, but as a longtime community member, there to enjoy the city’s latest “Family Fun Day.”
“I’ve been involved in this community for 8 years,” Jones said. “This is a very good opportunity for kids to be here, get to know their community, and enjoy what the city has to offer for them.”
Jones was one of the hundred-plus people to turn out to the latest summer neighborhood fest organized by the city’s Youth & Recreation Department.
Michael Jackson played on loop from the DJ booth as teenagers ran a pickup basketball game nearby and younger kids climbed in and out of a bounce house set up near the entrance.
The free event featured tables from the New Haven Police and Fire Departments, nonprofits including the Boys and Girls Club, and free food — pizza, ice cream, and hot dogs — for families.
Geraldine Cruz, owner of an ice cream truck contracted by the Youth and Recreation Department, handed out treats to kids throughout the afternoon.
City Deputy Director of Youth Services Ronald Huggins said the mobile festival began right after the Covid-19 pandemic and has continued every summer since.
“We’re just extremely excited to take this show on the road,” he said, pointing to free haircuts, a Youth@Work employment table staffed by teens in the summer jobs program, and a truck loaded with roughly 500 gallons of water courtesy of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
He said the “Family Fun Day” tour has four more stops this summer: Clinton Avenue on July 22, Ross Woodward on July 29, Bassett School Park on Aug. 5, and Goffe Street Park on Aug. 12, all from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
For some parents, Wednesday afternoon’s festivities meant more than a free meal and a bounce house.
Thomas Howard, a single father, said he doesn’t get to spend as much time with his kids as he’d like. A friend told him about the event two weeks ago as a low-pressure way to change that.
“It’s really fun to see everybody together, hanging out, getting to know each other,” he said.
Monate Miller, a New Haven native and working mother, brought her daughters for similar reasons. “This is a good opportunity to get the kids out of social media, to get to know their neighbors and to spend quality time during the summer,” she said. Miller added that she’d heard about the event through social media and was struck by the turnout: “Ronnie did a good job at letting people know about this. This place is packed.”
Other families echoed that sense of connection. Danasia Jones came with a group spanning three generations. “I’m here with my siblings, nephews and my daughters,” she said.
Clari Sanchez, who moved to New Haven from the Dominican Republic three years ago, said events like this help her kids connect with American culture. “I’m just bringing the kids here and seeing them have some fun,” she said.
Huggins said that the mix of connections is the whole point. He pointed to New England Donor Services as one of this year’s sponsors, and said the city’s Health Department is co-sponsoring an upcoming stop with a program called Mama’s Love, focused on making sure kids have their vaccinations before heading back to school.
“What we want,” he said, “is to basically take City Hall and bring it outside, mixed in with a little bit of fun.”
Monate Miller (right) and her daughter Skyla Bolden at Wednesday’s “Family Fun Day” event.
“Club Kids” waiting in line to get free ice cream.