Downtown Lancaster will be rife with creative energy this weekend. With the City hosting two major cultural events during what happens to be a marathon of spectacular weather, the results could be quite well near explosive.
Having kicked off on Thursday night, the LAUNCH Music Conference will continue through Sunday, drawing nearly 1,000 registrants into the City. In conjunction with the Conference, over 150 bands are slated to perform all throughout Downtown, filling virtually every viable venue with live music. And, as if 150 concerts is not enough music for one town, this will also be the third Friday of April, or “Music Friday.” Several Music Friday performances, not affiliated with LAUNCH, will be held throughout the City tonight.
But that’s not all.
The conference will coincide with Lancaster’s 25th annual Spring ArtWalk. When NewsLanc spoke with Beth Becker, co-organizer of this year’s event (along with Jason Spacola, owner of the Treats Creamery and Café), Becker made a point to emphasize that 2009 may likely bring the biggest crowds to date. According to Becker, the Spring ArtWalk has been known to draw 5-10,000 people to streets of Downtown Lancaster, “depending on the weather.” And this weekend’s weather, with highs in the mid-70s, can only help.
In previous years, when a Jazz and Blues festival had been held in Binn’s Park during the ArtWalk weekend, traffic was concentrated away from many of the less-central galleries. But that won’t be happening this time around, Becker indicated. Event coordinators for both the ArtWalk and LAUNCH have worked together to combine—rather than compete for—the rush of pedestrians coming Downtown this weekend. LAUNCH-related performances will draw visitors all throughout the ArtWalk’s corridors, with some performances even occurring within the galleries themselves.
One prevailing characteristic of this weekend’s events is that they will draw people beyond the familiar strictures of Gallery Row. For instance, this year the ArtWalk will be introducing “KidsWalk,” a diverse collection of spots throughout the City that will feature kid-friendly crafts and activities. And not one of these locations will be set on the typical Prince St strip.
All in all, with the friendly Spring weather, the music in the air, the art all around, and the crowds spreading out into new neighborhoods, this should be an eventful weekend indeed.
For more information regarding the LAUNCH Conference, including a schedule of performances, click here. And to learn more about the 2009 Spring ArtWalk, click here.
