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What: Waco Cultural Arts Fest When: Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd September 2012 Where: Indian Spring Park, University Parks Drive, Waco Web: www.wacoartsfest.org Contact: Carla Pendergraft Email: [email protected] Phone: (254) 855 - 7354

Waco Cultural Arts Fest is now in its 9th year. Since 2004, WCAF has drawn artists representing some of the best in music, spoken word, dance, performance and the visual arts to Waco. Waco Cultural Arts Fest takes place in the heart of the city at Indian Spring Park, Friday, September 21st through Sunday, September 23rd 2012. Starting at 6 p.m. Friday, September 21, the Richard Thomas Open Mic night opens the festival with many of Waco’s fabulous young musicians. Since its beginning, over 76,000 visitors have experienced Waco Cultural Arts Fest, a FREE, celebration of arts and culture, in downtown Waco. Patrons can spend the weekend reveling in live music, dance, poetry, food and FREE art activities for the entire family. Festival goers can shop for original paintings, drawings, fiber arts, jewelry, ceramics, photography and more at the juried artists market. See those Mad Potters throw their pots and “Yes” he’s back Randy Brodnax firing up Raku and more. Waco Cultural Art Fest fundraisers, sponsors and underwriters help keep this festival free of charge for ALL to enjoy.

Join us for WHITE LINEN NIGHT pARTy Thursday 20th September, Brazos Room, Waco Convention Center. benefitting Cultural Arts of Waco and our community programs. Expanding this year WordFest/Poetry Slam hosted by national slam poet Michael Guinn, with workshops and an author’s panel.

NEW this year {254}dance-festival. Modern dance is in Texas! Modern dance is happening all over Texas! There is an exciting and growing community of artists with interesting ideas and fantastic execution. There are major “dance festivals” happening all over the state in places such as: Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, College Station and NOW WACO! It is the perfect meeting place for locals and semi-locals to call {254}dance-festival their new “Stomping ground”.

Announcing WCAF SATURDAY HEADLINER: VITERA The sonic lovechild of Maná and Guns N’ Roses conceived to the sounds of Santana and born in the land of Crossover, VITERA fuses old-school American rock with Latin grooves and instrumentation as a backdrop for pop rock lyrics in Spanish, English, and Spanglish. His influences include AC/DC, G N’ R, Whitesnake, Allman Brothers, Maná, Cabas, Juanes, and Rabanes. Consistently backed by a hand-picked lineup of seasoned players, this Austin-based artist brings an unmistakable Texas edge to Rock Latino blending congas and horns with greasy slide guitar one minute and orchestral strings with fiery rock violin the next. at 8:45 p.m. Saturday, September 22nd. http://viterarocks.com/ Saturday’s music also features Ghosts Along the Brazos. You will surely dance, you will often laugh, and you will inevitably be awed by the musical prowess of twenty-something’s playing far beyond their years.

Connor Forsyth on Piano and Hammond B3 is a wunderkind, a player that truly commands attention. A member of The Belleville Outfit, he honed his chops touring the country, and now splits his time between the Ghosts and the legendary Ray Price's touring band. You may also recognize bassist Kristopher Wade and guitarist Gregory Harkins from one of Austin's brightest swing/jazz outfits, The Marshall Ford Swing Band, and the interplay between Forsyth, Harkins, and Wade with drummer James Gwyn rounds out the 4-piece, who splits his time touring with country legend, Junior Brown. http://ghostsalongthebrazos.com

See exciting renaissance moves by Stonehenj prior to our evening of great music opening up with Holly Tucker and the Holly Tucker Band. The main stage starts rock ‘in at 11am Saturday 22nd September with Strings Galore featuring Waco area string and orchestral groups, the Dance-a-thon with local dance studios, Mariachi Troyanos Come out support the young people of Waco and be proud of their accomplishments. They are our future!

Announcing WCAF SUNDAY HEADLINER: SARA HICKMAN 2010, Sara became the Official State Musician of Texas, following in the footsteps of the legendary Willie Nelson, and used this title to help families create together and bring art programs into public schools. The result in 2011 was the ground-breaking album The Best of Times, a compilation album of her songs recorded by other amazing Texas musicians, including Willie Nelson, Marcia Ball, Shawn Colvin, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Ruthie Foster and 25 other artists. All proceeds go to Theatre Action Project, a group dedicated to putting art, music and theater back into public schools. She’s been performing with her kid friendly trio, Family Time Rocks!, whose motto is “families that create together, do great together!” Sara released Absence of Blame, her most recent CD and put out an animated DVD for children entitled, Big Bird, Little Bird (which immediately won Dr. Toy’s award for Best Summer Vacation item).

Sunday’s music also features The Waco Children’s Theatre, The Horton Duo music of the Mediterranean, Baylor Percussion Group with Todd Meehan Closing out the 2012 Waco Cultural Arts Fest, Los Texas Wranglers a powerhouse Tex/Mex-Country-Conjunto band from Austin/San Antonio, Texas. With over eight awards in the last five years at the Austin world famous SXSW sponsored Austin Music Awards, inducted to the 2005 Texas Music Museum also, inducted into the 2006 South Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame, Tejano Magazine’s “Conjunto of the Year”, two times receivers of the Texas United Latino Artists Award and recognized as “America’s Conjunto” by US Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Los Texas Wranglers continues to stay grounded and true to their fans, families, friends and community this is what makes Los Texas Wranglers the best sought after band in Texas. These talented musicians have performed with the best in Tejano, Conjunto, Blues, Jazz, R&B, and Country bands.

Arts activities will include festival favorites, Easel Art, Wood Sculpture, Masks and a whole lot more. Check back as we announce more of this year’s performance schedule.

Visit www.wacoartsfest.org for more information about this year’s artists, art activities hours and live music performance times.

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