Phoenix’s Grand Avenue arts district is hosting an all-day festival on Saturday in hopes of inspiring a following to join a movement that is making cultural history downtown.
The Grand Avenue Festival is a dynamic collection of music, poetry, food, art, comedy, fashion and various other offshoots of the arts, all within easy access on Grand Avenue in Downtown Phoenix.
Michelle Ponce of The Grand Avenue Merchants’ Association said she is excited for the festival’s third year and the opportunity that it will present to the students in Phoenix.
“This is a great opportunity for students because it’s free, but you also get to be a part of cultural history,” she said.
Ponce and the association are urging that students contribute to the arts in Phoenix.
The area is considerably new in its cultural impact, unlike other cities with a lot of pre-established history, Ponce said. This makes each participant a member of the growth and innovation.
It is Ponce’s hope that the event will also strengthen business on the avenue.
The festival’s events are dedicated to the arts and performance surrounding re-use and sustainable measures.
Many of the existing businesses on Grand Avenue are historically preserved buildings. The owners wanted to promote salvaging used items by recycling them creatively for the public, Ponce said.
Babsomatic, a self proclaimed “hijinx coordinator,” is a regular volunteer for small businesses in Phoenix and is the coordinator for one the festival’s most popular events, the Untrashed Recycled Rubbish Fashion Show. The fashion “extravaganza” showcases men, women and children of Phoenix who have designed clothing out of reused items.
ASU design students on the West campus have been transforming trash into garments as an assignment for the fashion show. They will be showcasing the final products on Saturday.
“It’s a great way to show people that you don’t have to accept the norm,” Babsomatic said. “You can make your own rules, and you don’t have to be a part of the consumer circle.”
Among other forms of entertainment, the Bragg’s Pie Factory, near McKinley Street and 13th Avenue, houses over a dozen art galleries that will feature artwork and activities. Festival-goers will also have the chance to interact with local artists.
The Trunk Space on Grand Avenue is featuring a free art show during the day with works by Mark Mothersbough, a founding member of the band DEVO. At 7:30 p.m. the Trunk Space is hosting a live music event with folkist Joey Kendall from Texas and local acts Hello the Mind Control and Fortune Cookie for $6.
Tours of Grand Avenue’s most historically acclaimed buildings begin at 8 a.m., and live music begins as early as 10 a.m. with entertainment lasting until 11 p.m.
Contact the reporter at brittany.morris@asu.edu
