Staff Report
Published: 3/8/2020 5:04:32 PM
WORCESTER — Ahead of the fateful Ides of March come miniature chariot races, tasty kabobs, art odysseys, trivia contests and a Project Roman Runway featuring toga haute couture.
The Worcester Art Museum, in collaboration with young Ancient Rome enthusiasts from two local schools, greet spring with an all-day Festa Roma on Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Latin Club students from Abby Kelly Foster Charter School and Doherty High School join with the Education and Experience Department at the Worcester Art Museum to plan a spectacular day for the community. To connect daily life in Ancient Rome with the Museum’s Roman, Greek and arms and armor collections, all are invited to take part in the lively activities — free with the price of admission. The full list of Festa Roma activities is available at worcesterart.org.
“There are very active Latin Clubs in the region,” says Aileen Novick, manager of Education and Public Programs at the Worcester Art Museum, in a prepared statement. “A lot of people don’t know about this time period, though many students in our region have a keen interest. The kids are so good at making really fun things from what they study. And they have helped create exciting activities to highlight daily life in Ancient Rome.”
Here are the activities that day.
Prinect Roman Runway: All are invited to come to Festa Roma clad in toga attire and, also, to participate in Project Roman Runway, an event led by students from Abby Kelly Foster Charter School.
Demonstrations by the regional Roman Legion: The Roman Legion III Cyrenaica will welcome visitors in the Renaissance Court, where they demonstrate how items from Ancient Rome such as wax writing tablets, historic attire, and weaving and cooking tools are used. All are invited to experiment with these tools.
Roman military drill and maneuvers: The Roman Legion III Cyrenaica conduct Roman military maneuvers. The maneuvers take place in the Courtyard, weather permitting, or in the Conference Room.
Gladiators demonstrate their skills: The Abby Kelly Foster Charter students lead a series of authentic gladiator moves and battle techniques.
Certamen or all: Students from Doherty Memorial High School and Abby Kelly Foster Charter School host a quiz-bowl-style game. Usually certamen is conducted by students of Latin, Greek and classical civilizations but during Festa Roma, the quizzes focus on trivia and everyone is invited to test their wits.
Museum-wide art odysseys: In this Ancient Times Quest, families explore the Museum’s galleries in search of Roman or Roman-influenced art. Prizes are awarded to those who successfully complete their quest.
Story time for young history buffs: Youngsters have opportunities to experience ancient cultures during fun story hours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Roman-style art making: Families are welcome to make Roman coins, flower mosaics and miniature chariots at art stations between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Special gallery tour: At 1 p.m., docent Marilyn Butler leads an anecdote-filled tour — From Ancient Goddess to Christian Saints — throughout the galleries. At 2 p.m., docent Mark Mancevice leads a Zip Tour of Roman hairstyles. All are welcome to join in and ask questions.
Grub Guru savory treats: The popular food truck, Grub Guru, plans to serve a Mediterranean-inspired array of delicious treats including lemon chicken skewers with tzatziki, gyros, falafel, baba ganouj and homemade baklavas. The Museum Café will be closed, but the dining room will be open.
The Worcester Art Museum, located at 55 Salisbury St. in Worcester, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and the third Thursday of every month from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $18 for adults, $8 for children 4-17, $14 for seniors 65+ and for college students with ID. Admission is free for museum members and children under age four. On the first Sunday of each month, admission is free for everyone. Museum parking is free. For more information, visit worcesterart.org.
