Downtown Glendale Arts And Culture Fest Offers Immersive Experience February 4 At Murphy Park
Flam Chen, Snoodmen Art Collective, and Vessel amongst the artists performing at Glendale's rich arts and culture prior to Super Bowl LVII
The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance, Local First Arizona, and the city of Glendale are collaborating to bring this memorable and immersive cultural experience to the community. The city of Glendale will host the celebration of arts and culture on February 4, 2023, from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Interactive arts will take center stage at the Downtown Glendale Arts & Culture Fest, which will feature over 70 art experiences which include cultural stage showcases, an artisan marketplace, live painting, interactive murals, food trucks and an evening performance featuring fire artists Flam Chen.
MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES
The E. Lowell Rogers amphitheater will be transformed with exciting cultural music, drumming, dance, and circus arts throughout the day. Schedule of events below:
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Glendale Community College Student Music Showcase
1 – 2 p.m. | Traveler (World Music)
2:30 – 3 p.m. | 9 Dragons Lion Dance and Kung Fu Martial Arts
3:30 – 4 p.m. | Kawambe-Omowale (African Drum and Dance)
4:30 – 5 p.m. | Arizona Mariachi Music Academy (Mariachi Music)
5:15 – 6 p.m. | Ken Koshio (Taiko Drumming)
6 – 8 p.m. | Flam Chen (Circus and Fire Arts, DJ Dance Party)
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT – FLAM CHEN
A spectacular showcase evening performance will take place by Flam Chen at 6:30 p.m. debuting a new original experience, “Dance On Water - A Journey of Refuge, Restoration, and Renaissance”. The collaborative performance will feature elaborate costuming, tightly woven choreography, puppetry, fire arts, stilt-walking, music and other circus and fire arts.
Flam Chen creates a dazzling public spectacle, merging daredevil acrobatics and a mastery of air and fire arts. Their remarkable performances explore narratives which range from the fantastic to the satirical, with skills honed over 20 years of innovation in circus arts. Additionally, performances
create a sense of immersion, wrapping the audience in hypnotic visions from dozens of original shows in the troupe’s repertoire. Flam Chen has performed for such luminaries as director Tim Burton and Spiderman/Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee. Chen also hosts and produces international performance artists and collaborates on many projects throughout the year.
ARTISAN MARKETPLACE
The event will feature an artist and vendor market with some of the finest local artisans in fashion, food, home goods, and visual arts. Stroll through Murphy Park and find your next great handmade gift or treasure from one of the 50+ vendors and local makers featured at the festival. A complete list of artisans and vendors can be found online at downtownglendalefest.com
INTERACTIVE ARTS
The festival will give attendees the unique opportunity to engage up close and personal with artists and interactive art installations. Activities and experiences will take place throughout Murphy Park and inside participating businesses located in Downtown Glendale. Highlights include a community chalk art zone, a live paint-by-the-numbers mural with Snoodcity Artist Collective, inflatable art installations, youth painting activities, VESSEL Spectrum Performing Arts, and a musical instrument petting zoo with Sankofa Island Magic.
Featured Live Painting Artists
Eli Farias (Southwestern Pop Art)
Inseong Kim (Flora and Fauna)
Gina Ribaudo (Celebrity Portraits)
Laura Thurbon (Abstract)
Brie Bartz (Mixed Media)
Featured Music Performances
Come Back Buddy (Retro Rock and Roll)
Igor Glenn (Jazz Cowboy)
Carolyn Camp (Old-Time Fiddle)Rachelle Romeo (Saxophone)
FOOD VENDORS & BEER GARDEN
Event organizers are teaming up with Hensley to provide a variety of local beers, wine and canned cocktails for
enjoyment throughout the duration of the event near the event stage A diverse round-up of food trucks will line the streets of Murphy Park, serving up everything from lobster rolls to Hawaiian honey desserts.
- East Coast Joe's – Crab Rolls, crab fries, hushpuppies and clam chowder
- Bros Seafood – Fish and chips, fish sandwiches
- Pizza Re Di Roma – Wood-Fired pizza
- Hummus Xpress- Hummus and Mediterranean foods
- Hawaiian Honey Cones - Hokkaido style vanilla ice cream in a handmade honey cone
- Gus's Gyros - Greek and festival food specialties, funnel cake
- Taqueria El Sol – Tortas, Burritos, Quesadillas
DOWNTOWN BUSINESS PASSPORT
The city of Glendale is partnering with Local First Arizona to produce a downtown business passport highlighting the many small wonders that make the downtown experience so unique. The guide will be made available at the festival and will feature locally-owned restaurants, retail shops, area attractions, and experiences. Details and participants in the exclusive event passport will be announced the week of the event. Applications are still available online for artisans, food vendors, and exhibitors interested in participating in the event and can be accessed online at www.downtownglendalefest.com/
Contacts:
City of Glendale- Lori German, Office of Economic Development
Email: [email protected] P: 623-930-2986
Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance- Kate Marquez
Email: [email protected] P:520-240-2766
About the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance
The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation, preservation and advancement of the Arts. SAACA strengthens the bonds between people, place and purpose through collaborative, arts-driven experiences. SAACA (formerly the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council) was created to develop cultivated programming that spotlights local creatives and celebrates unique culture, while providing direct opportunities for artists to make and sell their work. To date, SAACA has created over 500,000 arts-driven experiences, from innovative community festivals and cultural celebrations to creative sector development, and accessible arts enrichment programs. SAACA continues to grow in footprint and in impact while working to pursue the mission of strengthening the bonds between people, place and purpose.
About Local First Arizona
Founded in 2003, Local First Arizona (LFA) is a community and economic development organization working to strengthen local economies. LFA's areas of focus include developing entrepreneurship, rural and urban community development, racial equity, environmental action, and food access. LFA is the largest local business coalition in the U.S. and advocates for independently owned businesses of all sizes by assisting local owners with technical assistance designed to help them compete and collaborate, which ultimately strengthens Arizona's economy and builds hometown pride. Visit localfirstaz.com for more information and a directory of more than 3,000 locally owned businesses.