come to the park every Friday to serve as docents. They
spend their time presenting to students and visitors, and
they also come to meet the young girls at the Trust’s free
summer camp for underprivileged youth as well. “Part of
our mission is to really inspire the next generation, so they
understand the importance of the kinds of changes that
were made during this period,” Mather-Thrift said. “And
one way to do that is to get older women and younger
women engaged in coming to an event like this.” The
festival usually kicks off by honoring any original Rosies in
attendance, so don’t be late!
If by now you’re thinking about that time that
Richmond broke the Guinness World Record for
the most people dressed as Rosie the Riveter in one
place, this is the festival that did it! The record has
been bouncing between them and some friendly
competitors in Michigan who currently hold the title,
however this year, breaking world records is not part
of the plan.
You can still come dressed as Rosie if you like,
but the Trust is also encouraging attendees to
think outside the box in order to depict a fuller
representation of the war effort. For example, you
could come dressed in authentic ’40’s attire, come as a
non-Rosie home front worker, find a creative parent/
child costume, or really use your imagination and
come dressed as your favorite interpretation of home
front history! “So, you can come dressed as a Victory
Garden, or a recycling effort, or a rationing effort,”
Mather-Thrift suggested. “Any piece of history that
you’d like to replicate—in a
costume!”
During past events many
local businesses provide
special deals and discounts
if you come in wearing
something that identifies
you as part of the Rosie
Rally, so there’s even more
incentive to dress up! All
details about what businesses
are participating, as well as
details about transportation
shuttles from BART or
Tideline’s commuter ferries
can be found on their
website. For the latest
news join their e-mailing
list at rosietheriveter.org.
The Rosie Rally Home
Front Festival is held at the
Craneway Pavilion, 1414
Harbour Way S, Richmond,
on August 11, 2018 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit their
website or call (510) 507-2276.
This year vendors are all encouraged to provide
interactive exhibits. Some may be construction related,
others may focus on gardening, but all that matters are that
admission is FREE, and everyone has a great time. “People
have so much fun and they really feel empowered and
strong in learning this history of what these women did,”
Mather-Thrift said. “You see that ‘We can do it!’ image
for women really expressed on this day, and I think that’s
really important.”