Bienvenida celebration welcomes
migrant farm workers in Brockport

There has been lots of preparation already taking place for Bienvenida 2004, from the creation of pinatas by Nativity Church's Youth group to the exchanging of Mexican cake recipes by church women as they prepare to provide desserts for the close to 300 people expected to attend the dinner segment of this year's Bienvenida. The annual welcoming celebration for the hundreds of migrant farm workers who are arriving to start the farming season is Sunday, June 27.

The Bienvenida has been celebrated in Brockport for 28 years, during which the attendance total has grown from about 75 people to well over 500. Nativity Church was the initial sponsor; since 1990 the Brockport Ecumenical Outreach Committee (BEOC) has sponsored it. BEOC members include 11 area churches, as well as agencies and organizations that work with farm workers. Joining in the spirit of celebration, the Village of Brockport and the towns of Sweden, Clarkson and Hamlin declare the day of the Bienvenida as a official "Day of Welcoming."

Events begin with a bilingual Mass at Nativity Church, 152 Main Street, at 2 p.m., with local dignitaries in attendance. Members of the greater Brockport community will add to the service by providing special music and dance. Following the service, a procession down Main Street will end at the First Baptist Church, 124 Main Street, where a traditional Mexican dinner will be held from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. From 5 to 8 p.m., a dance will take place at the SUNY Brockport Tower Fine Arts building on Holley Street. The dancing will be proceeded by a traditional breaking of the pinata by the younger children and a performance by El Corazon Mexican (The Heart of Mexico), a Mexican dance group.

All segments of the event are free and open to the public. Special activities will be offered for children during the dance. For information, or to volunteer, contact Barbara Deming, 637-7504 or Sr. Beverly Baker, 395-2356.