GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Festival of the Arts is about a week away and this year marks a momentous milestone -- the festival's 50th anniversary.
Organizers announced Thursday that it will feature a world premiere performance by the Grand Rapids Ballet during the 50th Year Celebration. The performance will take place Saturday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m. on the Calder stage at Calder Plaza.
The performance will be what is known as a mixed bill -- one program comprised of multiple stand-alone pieces. The works to be performed will include:
- Trey McIntyre’s wildly popular Wild Sweet Love featuring contemporary pop music by Queen, Roberta Flack, The Partridge Family, and more.
- Danielle Rowe’s moving tribute to her grandmother, For Pixie, originally created for Sofranko’s contemporary San Francisco dance company, SFDanceworks
- James Sofranko’s Mozart’s Symphony which will be presented by a professional dance company for the first time at this special performance
The festival will also feature a myriad of food, music, remarks and art to purchase:
- Opening ceremonies with Mayor Bliss on Friday, June 7 on Calder Stage at 7:30 p.m.
- Several local food trucks will be participating in this year’s event and will be located on Monroe Center alongside the GRAM
- Official Festival Beer – Amber of the Arts by Perrin Brewing – is available at several downtown bars and restaurants
- 16 food booths run by area non-profits featuring cultural foods and beverages
- Free kids activities including Paint-In, Glue-In and more
- 50+ art sales tents on Calder Plaza
- 5 main stages and 5 pop-up with music, theatre and dance
- The festival itself is free and one of Michigan longest running art festivals.
Calder Plaza is playing a large role in this year's festival. Back in April, the festival revealed its 2019 poster which paid homage to the iconic Calder Plaza sculpture, or La Grande Vitesse. It was dedicated in the city on June 14, 1969. That dedication inspired the three-day community festival in 1970.
Festival of the Arts starts a week from tomorrow, on Friday, June 7 and runs until June 9 downtown Grand Rapids. Both signed and unsigned versions of the poster will be for sale in the Festival Store and at the GRAM gift shop during the festival.
Visit http://festivalgr.org/ for more information.
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