GLENDALE GEARS UP FOR “DOWNTOWN GLENDALE ARTS AND CULTURE FEST”
The event will bring together the worlds of music, art, culture, and the community ahead of Super Bowl LVII
Glendale, Ariz. – The city of Glendale is celebrating the arts in a big way on February 4, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance, Local First Arizona, and the city of Glendale are collaborating to bring over 100 artists, musicians, and interactive arts experiences to the community. A week before the Big Game (Super Bowl LVII) kicks-off in Glendale, the heart of downtown will welcome the community to connect and celebrate through arts and culture.
Preparations are underway for the outdoor fest, which will feature Arizona’s strong arts and culture offerings. Murphy Park will serve as the backdrop for the event with live music performances, an artisan market, local wine and beer garden, live painting, art installations, and food vendors for visitors and residents to experience and enjoy.
“Our goal is to provide a quality family-friendly event that highlights Downtown Glendale and our diverse communities to Arizona residents and visitors alike,” said Glendale Arts & Culture Program Manager, Mojgan Vahabzadeh. “We strive to grow partnerships that help strengthen the relationship between people and their public spaces through engaging arts experiences.”
The Downtown Glendale Arts & Culture Fest will go beyond the park's boundaries and encourage participation from the diverse businesses that make up this walkable shopping district. Attendees will experience pop-up performances at local businesses, consisting of live painting, acoustic music performances, artist demonstrations, and performance art. Local First Arizona will partner with downtown businesses to launch a passport program that will encourage visits and engagements with area merchants the day of the event and beyond.
Already confirmed as featured performers are VESSEL and Flam Chen. The atmospheric theater performance by VESSEL will surprise and delight audiences transforming the street into a stage. Performers playfully weave in and out of audiences and public space creating a visual kaleidoscope. The performance will be from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Audiences will be delighted by a spectacular showcase featuring Flam Chen at 7:00 p.m. in Murphy Park’s E. Lowell Rogers Amphitheatre. The collaborative performance will incorporate elaborate costuming, tightly woven choreography, puppetry, stilt-walking, music, and other circus and fire arts. Full schedule of events, activations, and performances will be available in January 2023.
"SAACA is honored to collaborate in this event that will provide opportunities for local artists and entrepreneurs to promote and sell their work," Executive Director Kate Marquez said. "SAACA is elated to partner with Local First Arizona and the city of Glendale on this exciting event designed to blend creative placemaking with local business engagement at the center of a community experience."
Applications are now available online for artisans, food vendors, and exhibitors interested in participating in the event and can be accessed online at https://www.downtownglendalefest.com/
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About the City of Glendale
As the sixth largest city in Arizona, with a population of nearly 255,000, Glendale is a premiere destination to live, work and play. Glendale features premium entertainment and shopping opportunities and a growing list of signature companies who all call our city home. The city is also home to Luke Air Force Base and major defense contractors including Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Magellan Aerospace and Honeywell. Other major employers include Red Bull, Humana, Ball, Bechtel and Nestlé. From major, international manufacturers, Fortune 100 firms and luxury auto dealers to locally owned small shops and restaurants, Glendale provides the ideal location for businesses to arrive and thrive. Employers will also find access to robust and qualified talent pipelines, with six postsecondary educational institutions. State Farm Stadium and Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale’s Sports and Entertainment District host hometown team the Arizona Cardinals, as well as mega events such as the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four. Camelback-Ranch Glendale is the spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. For more information about Glendale, please visit growglendale.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
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 200,000 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.