Labor Day Weekend Festivals
The Labor day weekend – 3rd to 6th of September 2010 - is exceeding in Festivals of arts all over the U.S. From painting to film festivals and from drama to music festivals, all of them are trying to bring art in the life of the public. These festivals can be considered a way of entertaining yourself during the weekend or a way of discovering new forms of art that you have never considered as such. No matter how you perceive them, they are your possibility of escaping the daily routine and enter a world of fantasy and imagination.
For this article I have chosen to mention just three of the numerous festivals that are going to take part in different locations. The first of them is the AnimeFest that begins on the 3rd of September and ends on the 6th same month and that is going to be held in Dallas, Texas, at the Hyatt Regency hotel. The admission is based on a pre-paid membership card and on single day memberships available at the festival and children under 16 need to be accompanied by an adult in order to be able t take part in the activities. The festival features Japanese guests, voice actors, comic artists, 24hr video theaters, J-Pop, gaming, arcade, autograph sessions and film/video premiers. Moreover, there will be bazaars and workshops, as well as art auctions available. The AnimeFest is both for you and your child and among the hows and videos you can see there you can also buy your self the great Anime shirt that you have always wanted from the dealer room.
The second festival that is to take place the same weekend, but which starts one day later, on September 4th, is the Ohio Renaissance Festival, which might be considered more of a historical than an art festival. However, you shall see why I considered it worth mentioning here. The Ohio Renaissance Festival takes place in Harveysburg, Ohio, USA and recreates the atmosphere of a 16th century village. Because it recreates that Age, you are going to taste, properly and figuratively – the epoch in what concerns handmade crafts and food. At the festival you are going to see handmade objects and jewelry, that might be gifted to your dear ones. You will see how master artisans create amazing jewelry, glass goods or hand-blown in traditional fashion. At the same time you are going to taste the art of war and chivalry with the numerous plays and knight challenge. The Mudde Show, which is going to entertain you during the day of the festival, usually presents literary classics with a Comedic twist, which will make past get more vibrant in the present.
The third festival that got my attention for the weekend beginning 4th September and ending 6th September is in California, in Woodside and got its name from the precise place where it is held: the Kings Mountain Art Festival from Kings Mountain Community Center and Firehouse.
The festival feature works of art from paintings and sculptures to kids’ toys that range from the most affordable as price to the most inaccessible to quite everyone. The festival is one of the top five fine craft fairs in California and it is a non profit festival, the beneficiary of this event being the Fire Brigade. There are artisans coming from all parts of US. It is a must that the artisans present original crafts in all categories of this juried festival: ceramics, glass, paintings, jewelry, leather, photography, sculpture, textile, toys, wood and miscellaneous. If you wonder what does a juried festival mean, then you should know that the festival has only 135 places available and thus only 135 juried artists can exhibit their work. The artists submit their works and if the criteria are met, then they can come and exhibit their crafts during the festival.
A weekend that seems to be filled with art from the most traditional to the most modern. If the AnimeFest is not quite your cup of tea or you do not consider this Japanese art suitable for your age – if you are not a kid, of course – than you might go to Ohio and take a step back in the past and not only view the art of arms and the art of theater there, but also try your hand at different other arts. Or you might try a contest to win the princess’s hand through music and dance and love declarations. Or, if you are not the adventurous type, then go in California and help the Community center raise money for the fire brigade department. Not only will you feel helpful, but you are going to fill your heart – and maybe your friend’s heart – with joy during this festival.11
