MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES
2025 Performances coming soon
2024 PERFORMANCES
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10 AM - 11 AM
Bad Cactus Brass Band (New Orleans Brass) https://badcactusbrass.com/ Always on the lookout for new experiences and able to perform just about anywhere, Bad Cactus Bass Band specializes in bringing a party to unlikely venues. They have performed on street corners, on the light rail, on escalators and in elevators, in hot tubs and cemeteries. Musical guerillas, they have paraded uninvited into countless clubs, stores and breakfast establishments. In 2011 and 2012, they worked with the Downtown Phoenix Partnership to create the Downtown Phoenix Mardi Gras Parade and Festival. In 2012, after winning a music video contest sponsored by Southwest Airlines, they performed on a passenger airplane in flight. In 2015, The Phoenix New Times named them Phoenix' best New Orleans Brass Band. Their last tour included a "cow appreciation night" in a town of under 1,500 people. They have played polkas at Oktoberfests, klezmer at Jewish weddings, and TV and video game themes at pop culture conventions in full costume. Is your event unusual enough to pique our interest? |
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11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Sophia Rankin & The Sound (Rock) www.sophiarankin.com/ Sophia Rankin & The Sound (SRS) is an acclaimed Alternative Folk Rock band originating from Tucson, Arizona. Front woman Sophia Rankin began performing in 2015, and has since won first-place awards at Tucson Desert Song Festival, Stefan George Songwriting competition, and 6th place at Planet Bluegrass Folks Fest for her original music. Founded in 2020, SRS now consists of Connor Rankin on drums and synth, Noah Weig-Pickering on lead guitar, and Ben Arthur Mortensen on bass and vocals. SRS has played internationally and locally, opening for acts such as Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers, The Black Moods, High Fade, Plain White T's, Jake Owen, Diamond Rio, and Ryanhood. They have performed at The Rialto Theatre, Dusk Music Festival, Tucson Folk Festival, and more while headlining shows at venues such as Hotel Congress and 191 Toole. Their unique blend of folk, pop, Americana, and rock music reveals introspective songwriting that resonates with listeners of all ages. Their original music is available on all listening platforms and services. |
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1 PM - 2:15 PM
JFunk (World Music Fusion) https://www.jerusafunk.com/ In 2009, Jessie Demaree and Chris Del Favero came together, a musical collision that sparked the inception of JFUNK. Their partnership, akin to a potent reaction, marked the genesis of a revolutionary project in the Arizona music scene. Fast-forward to 2012, and the duo embarked on a two-year expedition throughout Central and South America. Immersed in the local music scenes, they performed, collected records, and gathered instruments, enriching their sonic palette with diverse influences. Upon returning in 2014, JFUNK resurfaced with a renewed vigor, infusing the Arizona music landscape with unprecedented sounds. With a lineup expanded to seven talented Arizona musicians, JFUNK delves into a genre-defying blend of Klezmer, Funk, Samba, Ethio-Jazz, Afrobeat, Taksim and Cumbia. Their music resonates with a distinctive, cross-cultural energy that pushes sonic boundaries. JFUNK's dedication to their craft is evident in their self-funded endeavors, including five tours, two albums, and five videos. Sharing stages with notable acts like George Clinton, March Fourth Marching Band, Harmar Superstar, Calexico, Brownout, and Combo Chimbita, the ensemble has established itself as a formidable presence in the musical landscape. The journey of JFUNK reflects not just musical exploration but a commitment to cultural immersion, offering audiences an authentic and eclectic experience that transcends the ordinary. |
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2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Las Calakas (Cumbia) https://www.facebook.com/lascalakas/ www.instagram.com/lascalaks Las Calakas is a Phoenix-based band known for their lively performances of Latin fusion, specifically Cumbia. The band recently debuted their first full-length album, Hechizo. All of their performances will make you Cumbia until you drop! |
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4:15 PM – 6:00 PM
Rose's Pawn Shop (Country / Americana Rock) https://rosespawnshop.com/about/ With their fusion of bluegrass instrumentation and folk-rock amplification, Rose’s Pawn Shop have spent the better part of two decades carving out an Americana sound that’s as diverse as the band’s native Los Angeles. Their past releases offer a melting pot of modern-day roots music, shot through with electric guitar, fiddle, raw percussive stomp, and stacked vocal harmonies. Anchored by the sharp songwriting of frontman Paul Givant, it’s a sound for campfires and car stereos, for front porches and dive bars, for the heart as well as the heartland. With Punch-Drunk Life, Rose’s Pawn Shop makes a long-awaited return after an eight-year absence from the recording studio. Things have evolved since the group’s previous album, Gravity Well, earned high marks from Rolling Stone (who dubbed the record “a blast of 21st century pickin’-party music”) and GQ (who praised the group’s “knee-slapping bluegrass-y twang”). Bandmates have come and gone. Families have been built. Side projects have been launched. Meanwhile, Rose’s Pawn Shop have continued to expand both their artistry and their audience, thanks to a dedicated touring schedule that’s taken the band from the venues of Southern California to the fishing villages of Alaska to the mountain towns of the American Southwest. "Rose’s Pawn Shop has harnessed the crucial elements of their sound – deft picking, smooth harmonies, and terrific songwriting to arrive at this uplifting effort, one of the more joyous recordings in recent memory." - Glide Magazine |
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INTERACTIVE ART INSTALLATIONS
The festival will give attendees the unique opportunity to engage up close and personal with artists and interactive art installations. Activities and experiences will take place throughout the Civic Center and inside participating businesses located in the Downtown Glendale district surrounding the park.
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VESSEL
Performing Mystic from 12 PM – 3 PM The atmospheric theatre performance by VESSEL will surprise and delight audiences transforming the street into a stage, revealing the poetry and beauty of the mundane. Adorned in colors inspired by the elements - fire, air, earth and water - performers playfully weave in and out of audiences and public space creating a visual kaleidoscope. Founded in 1996 by Rachel Bowditch and Lea Bender, Vessel is a theatre company dedicated to exploring innovative intersections between physical theatre, public art, installation, dance, visual arts, and multi-media technology. The founders’ combined international experience results in a style that crosses the boundaries of theatrical form. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Vessel draws actors, dancers, circus artists, playwrights, poets, musicians, and designers into a single creative endeavor. From the street to the stage, their aim is to create a poetry of space that brings stories to life in dynamic, poignant, and visceral forms while creating a sense of intimacy and connection to audiences. Vessel is a not-for-profit (501c3) theatre company under the fiscal umbrella of Fractured Atlas. www.vesselproject.org |
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12:30 PM
9 Dragons Lion Dance 9dragonskungfu.com/ 9 Dragons Lion Dance has been performing traditional Chinese lion dance for 5 years all over the Phoenix Valley. Based out of a martial arts school, they seek to combine martial prowess and the artistry of the lion dance to share this unique cultural experience. Traditional Chinese Lion Dance has been performed for centuries to provide entertainment, protection, and good fortune. The 9 Dragons Lion Dance Team is led by Instructor Janeen Lantry and has represented 9 Dragons Kung Fu in performances across the valley for more than three years. The 9 Dragons Lion Dance team was founded to learn and preserve the cultural practice of Chinese Lion Dance, both as a performance art and competition piece. |
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11 AM - 3:00 PM
Glendale Community College Music & Arts Showcase The GCC Music Department offers a wide range of performing ensembles which are both an integral part of every musician's education and an opportunity for adults from the community to participate in the performance of great masterworks. Instrumental performing ensembles at Glendale College include the Community Orchestra, various Chamber groups, Jazz combos, Jazz Band, and our newly formed North Indian and West African ensembles. |
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Watercolor Painting - Youth Arts & Crafts with Debra Lee Morrow of ColorMeMind
Explore watercolor painting with master painter, Debra Lee Morrow! Youth can work on nearly a dozen designs under her supervision. Debra will bring both big and small paintings made with various painting methods to decorate the tent and the paintings will also work as examples to follow. Youth will learn the step-by-step process of creating a painting from the picture and go home with the finished art. |
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Sankofa Island Magic - Musical Instrument Petting Zoo
www.islandmagicmusic.com Sankofa-Island Magic founder and artist, Keith Johnson, specializes in Caribbean Steel Drums and West African Drumming. Johnson is a commissioned artist with the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Arizona Arts Commission, Wolf Trap Head Start Programs and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. In their educational outreach efforts, the group exposes students and teachers to the traditional folklore of West Africa. Island Magic’s live steel pan music will make you smile, bringing you to the unique sounds of the Caribbean Island, Trinidad and Tobago. |
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ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCES THROUGHOUT THE EVENT
- Inflatable Mirror Ball Exhibit and Photo Opportunities
- Live Plein Air Painting
POP-UP PERFORMANCES & LIVE ART
Pop-up performances and live art demonstrations will take place throughout the Civic Center as well as throughout the store fronts along the downtown Glendale corridor. For a complete list of participating artists and locations, check back the week of the event for the official event program.
LIMITED EDITION ARTIST COLLECTIBLE: GLENDALE STICKER COLLECTION
Arizona artist and muralist Ignacio Garcia has designed an exclusive limited edition sticker collection for businesses in Downtown Glendale to give away during the festival! These designs highlight what makes the City of Glendale so special. Stop by the businesses below to collect your free stickers.
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58TH AVE
Blue Corn Cafe and Bakery 7015 N 58th Ave Cuff Cafe 7021 N 58th Ave Coyote Oaties 7005 N. 58th Ave Juice God Clothing 5746 W Glendale Ave Knokie’s Fashions 5750 W Glendale Ave Pink House Boutique 7009 N 58th Ave **Free Custom Hairpins** Pizza Old Roma 5740 W Glendale Ave Status 24 AZ 5754 W Glendale Ave |
GLENDALE AVE
2 Share - A Unique Boutique 5807 W Glendale Ave Drawn to Comics 5801 W Glendale Ave La Piazza Al Forno 5803 W Glendale Ave Taqueria El Sol 5713 W Glendale Ave **$2 off large Aguas Frescas** The Astrology Store 5735 W Glendale Ave The Black Sheep 5717 W Glendale Ave Homage Coffee House 7021 N 57th Ave **$1 off Specialty Drinks ** |
CATLIN COURT
Memory Lane Trinkets & Treasures 5836 W Palmaire Ave **Free Gift with $15 Purchase** Bears & More 7146 N 58th Dr Papa Ed‘s Ice Cream 7146 N 58th Ave |
PARIS IN THE SPRING
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You won’t need to set foot on an airplane to experience Parisian style! Visit Historic Downtown Glendale’s Paris in the Spring event on Saturday, March 9 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. for a worldly experience! This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy fine food, culture and shopping with a Parisian twist. Start your Paris in the Spring journey at the Arizona Information Center (5836 W. Palmaire Ave.) to pick up the activity list and walking map.
Presented by the Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association in partnership with the Downtown Business Community. Learn more at VisitDowntownGlendale.com Restaurant Food/Beverage/Dessert Specials:
Retail:
Make & Takes:
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