Hike the Heights 4 - Happy Birthday High Bridge!

On June 7th, 2008, people from the Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood neighborhoods celebrated the 4th annual Hike the Heights. The event was organized by a large number of organizations within the CLIMB coalition.

Since this year marks the 160th anniversary of the construction of the High Bridge, the party had a 'Happy Birthday High Bridge!' theme.

The day began with art activites for kids (sponsored by Creative Arts Workshops for Kids and Kids' Art Network) at four locations (the RING Garden, Sherman Creek, St. Nicholas Park, and Jackie Robinson Park).

After the art activities, families gathered at the four locations and began the walk to the Highbridge water tower in Highbridge Park. The hike took place all along giraffe path, a hiking trail spanning the parks of northern Manhattan. Paper mache giraffes made by kids from Creative Arts Workshops programs were hidden all along the trail. Children were given a sticker for each giraffe they spotted and received a prize at the end for finding ten giraffes.

The hikes culminated in a large community celebration next to the Highbridge water tower. The celebration included food, music, dance performances, field games, a mini-film festival, and water tower tours.

Streetfilms recorded the event, with a focus on the giraffe path. The film can be found here: http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/hike-the-heights/

Expect a film to be released soon on the 'Happy Birthday High Bridge!' celebration.