- Rootstock is an annual youth music and performance event.
- The festival will host the 7th Annual Youth Entrepreneurs Market (YEM) and its Spring Workshop Series.
- This year’s Rootstock and YEM Market events are made possible in part with funding from the New York State Arts Council and Tompkins County.
Ithaca’s own New Roots Charter School and the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival are teaming up once again to present Rootstock, an annual youth music and performance event.
With more than 15 artists performing from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at Ithaca Commons’ Barney Milton Pavilion, there’s a little something for everyone, whether it’s music or new jewelry.
Expect student vendors selling food, jewelry, and all kinds of arts and crafts as the festival hosts the 7th Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Market (YEM) and its Spring Workshop Series .
Rootstock’s more than 25 youth vendors (all in grades 4-12) all participate in a series of entrepreneurship workshops, mentored by local business and nonprofit leaders, and engage with the community throughout the year. They are launching their own business ideas in the market and other markets. .
“Ithaca is fortunate to have so many festivals that bring the community together,” Michael Mazza, director of community engagement at New Roots Charter School and co-founder of YEM, said Monday. “Rootstock’s unique commitment to focusing on the next generation of creative youth through music, dance, art and entrepreneurship is an inspiration to our region’s wealth of festivals.”
About YEM and its community support
Mazza and entrepreneur Ethan Ash co-founded YEM in 2016 and launched it in 2017 in partnership with charter schools.
YEM takes advantage of the abundance of local business owners with inspiring stories to tell, allowing them to mentor students interested in starting their own businesses one day.
RELATED: How the youth market started and what to expect this weekend
According to the group, “The market is a culmination of business planning woven into a series of workshops where students present their ideas to the community,” and “YEM’s mission is to foster hands-on learning, community and… “Focuses on inspiring entrepreneurship through connections that help students realize the power of their ideas and their voices.” ”
GrassRoots shares a similar mission, bringing together local music artists and acts to celebrate music and makers from across the Finger Lakes region over the past 30 years.
This year’s Rootstock and YEM Market events are made possible in part through funding from the New York State Arts Council and Tompkins County, administered by Community Arts Partnership. Joint Youth Committee (JYC). Park Foundation. Grassroots music and dance festival. and New Roots Charter School.
