Back for its 17th year, Plaza District Festival hosts a daylong celebration of Oklahoma creativity on Saturday, September 26, 2015. Featuring a wide array of live musicians, food trucks, visual artists and children’s activities, the Festival is expected to draw over 20,000 attendees from across the Oklahoma City metro area. The Festival is free and open to the public and offers the surrounding neighborhoods an arts festival in the heart of their community.
“The Plaza District Festival is unique in that it’s dedicated to celebrating only local talent.”“The Plaza District Festival is unique in that it’s dedicated to celebrating only local talent. The artists featured at this year’s Festival represent some of the finest Oklahoma has to offer,” said Cayla Lewis, executive director of the Plaza District. “We hope attendees will walk away with a renewed appreciation for local creativity and pride for our great state.”
Over 30 Oklahoma artists were selected to feature a variety of media, including hand-crafted items, stained glass, colorful paintings, designer dog collars and more. All works featured will be available for purchase just in time for the holiday season.
Artist and vendors include Bjorn Bauer, Sam Washburn, Jim Shelley, Sydney McFerron, MENT Apparel, Brooke Rowlands, Eric Salisbury, NorthRoad Creations, Jeff Duerksen, Amelie’s Anomalies, Sylva Pagana, Sewing with Squeak, Flood & Stroke, Eric Bloemers Photography, OK Screenprinting, Emerald Moon Merchants, Tammy Brummell, Micah Hamilton Jewelry, Trisha Thompson Adams, Frameworthy Designs, Roaming Roots Woodworks, James R King, Darci Lenker, GRPFLY, Sam Douglas, 3Eleven Designs, Sandra Schlezinger, [blood]roots & ash, Tessa Raven, K9 Couture Co, Klair Larason, Shop Good, Love Well Handmade, ThriftFoot, and Yasmin Shirali.
I linked every artist to his or her web site, if they had one, so you can get to know them in advance (so if I linked to the wrong person, let me know)!
In addition to artists booths, the following Plaza Businesses will be open as usual, featuring art from a variety of local artists: District House, Photo Art, Paint N Cheers, Out On A Limb. The Plaza’s Thrive Mama Collective will also provide a station for nursing mothers.
Hungry festival-goers can refuel indoors at a variety of Plaza District restaurants, or enjoy the array of local food trucks, breweries and restaurants that will line the streets. This year’s vendors include:
Klemms Smoke Haus
Jerky.com
MT Express
Chick N Wangs
Taste of Soul Egg Roll
Sizzle N Spice
Bayside Coneys and Cones
Chiltepes Latin Cuisine and Bar
District House
Empire Slice House
The Mule
Oak and Ore
Roxy’s Ice Cream Social
Pie Junkie
Saint’s
Urban Wineworks
The Plaza District Festival will feature musical and performing artists all day on two stages. From hip-hop to swing to kid-friendly tunes, the Festival offers a style for all tastes. Main stage acts include:
12pm: Akiba
1pm: Everything Goes Dance Studio
2pm: Lunar Laugh
3pm: D. Whitfield Ensemble
4pm: Forum
5pm: GUM
6pm: Moongiant
7pm: Lyric Academy
7:15pm: Kierston White and the Dirty Dishes
8pm: Tallows
9pm: Kyle Reid and the Low Swingin’ Chariots
Community stage acts include:
12pm: Monty Harper
12:30pm: Beety Man
1pm: Campbell Young
1:30pm: The Indigos
2pm: Gregory Jerome
2:30pm: Porch Mice
3:15pm: QUIL
4pm: Stranded at the Station
4:45pm: Sardashhh
This year’s Festival will feature free, artistic and interactive entertainment for kids of all ages throughout the day.
12pm: Monty Harper Sing Along
1:30pm: Kids Yoga at YogaLab
2:30pm: Kids Yoga at YogaLab
3pm: Puppet Time with BC Summers
Ongoing activates will include hula hoop dancing, face painting, a bounce house, collaborative mural painting, outdoor games, a blanket fort, and a variety of crafts lead by Firehouse Art Center.
There will be something for everyone at #PlazaFestOKC! Check out all the activities @normanfirehouse has planned! pic.twitter.com/HwMhZr26Qt
— Plaza District (@plazadistrict) September 21, 2015
FREE STOP MOTION WORKSHOP
Join Fowler Volkswagen of Norman at the Plaza District Festival for their free stop motion workshop! The workshop will take place at 12pm, 3pm, and 6pm. Festival goers that are ages 15+ are welcome to take part in this workshop! To reserve a spot in the workshops, email kristenv@fowlerholding.com.
My friends at We Apologize For The Inconvenience sat down with Cayla Lewis and Rachael Taylor from the Plaza and Western Ave Districts to talk Plaza Fest and West Fest. Also all the other festivals happening in September! They got some behind the scenes information on what it takes and even talk about their attempt at a mini-fest at the Paseo Amphitheatre.
The Festival, presented by Fowler Volkswagen of Norman, Oklahoma Employees Credit Union, Empire Slice House, and Cory’s Audio Visual Services LLC, is free and open to the public and will take place on Saturday, September 26 from 12pm to 10pm. More information can be found online at plazadistrictfestival.com. Check back here for updates too!
