This weekend, Aug. 20 and 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Walnut Street Dock, there will be a flotilla journey and performances on the Schuylkill River as part of The Miss Rockaway Armada’s “Let Me Tell You About a Dream I Had.”

The Miss Rockaway Armada is a collective of artists and performers from around the country that come together to create an innovative, new art installation based on the ideas of sustainable resources and recycled materials. The unconventional exhibit is entitled “Let Me Tell You About a Dream I Had” and consists of multiple large elements, which will float down the Schuylkill River and parade around the city before being deconstructed into an exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Alliance (PAA) at 251 S. 18th St. on Rittenhouse Square.

Most recently, Rockaway participated in “Heartland” at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. This group exhibition included performances, debates, lectures, a photo exhibit and publications based on the art and music of the Midwestern United States. Then it took to the river with canoes and rafts for a one-day performance in Eindhoven.

The Miss Rockaway crew did work at other locations around the country, including Minneapolis, Minn. In Minneapolis, it utilized the Mississippi for a similar flotilla of rafts in order to create forms sustainable transportation, as well as raised awareness for artistic and environmental issues. Every so often, it stopped its trek to disembark for performances in some of the cities it passed.

In Philly, there is only one city to visit, however. After the river journey, the floating components will be disassembled into installations, which will travel to University City and Kensington. These installations will be accompanied by musical and theatrical performances prior to its new temporary home at the Philadelphia Art Alliance.

Part vehicle, part performance and part art installation, The Miss Rockaway Armada is bound to rock its way (or at least folk music its way) around the city of Philadelphia starting this weekend on Aug. 20. It carries a hopeful message of sustainability and artistic dialogue and is sure to bring a lot of fun along with it as well.

The Miss Rockaway Armada will start its voyage this weekend at Walnut Street Dock. Check out its website for all the event details: http://rockawayatpaa.com/.