Allen Ginsberg reading his poems to the crowd in Washington Square Park in 1966: Photo by Jack Manning / The New York Times

For more than a century, the East Village has been home to poets, jazz musicians, Vaudeville and Yiddish theatre, artists represented by blue chip galleries and those painting in the subways, rock stars, and performance artists. Building on this tradition and inspired by long time East Village resident Allen Ginsberg's epic poem, the HOWL! Festival was founded in 2003. The mission of HOWL! Festival is to honor, develop, create and produce. With an estimated 100,000 visitors last year, the many performances celebrate local cultural icons and lionize, preserve, and advance the art, history, culture, and counterculture unique to the East Village and Lower East Side.  (from www.howlfestival.com)

The most recent Howl Festival took place last weekend June 3 – 5th.  More photos and information on the festival can be found here and here.